CHICAGO, Sept. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Heidelberg USA and Ricoh Americas Corporation today announced that the United States and Brazil have been chosen as the first markets in the Americas in the phased global rollout of the new Heidelberg and Ricoh strategic cooperation. Heidelberg Chairman Bernhard Schreier and Heidelberg USA President Jim Dunn along with Ricoh Company, Ltd. CEO Shiro Kondo and Ricoh Americas Corporation Chairman and CEO Kevin Togashi, formally announced today the contract signing at a press conference during GRAPH EXPO in Chicago, Ill.
The relationship enables Heidelberg to sell Ricoh's latest color digital press, the Ricoh Pro C901 Graphic Arts Edition, as part of Heidelberg's total print solution.
Jim Dunn of Heidelberg USA commented, "We have worked closely with the Ricoh regional management team in the Americas and have agreed on the best strategy for introducing Ricoh into Heidelberg's U.S. and Latin American markets. These countries are the first step, and we will continue to introduce Ricoh into Heidelberg operations in other markets through a phased approach."
The two companies entered into a global strategic partnership agreement in February this year. Heidelberg's and Ricoh's future plans include integration with Heidelberg's industry-standard workflow solution in the graphic arts industry, Prinect, as well as joint development activities for future printing applications.
Kevin Togashi of Ricoh Americas Corporation said, "Heidelberg and Ricoh share an uncompromising commitment to excellence. We are both dedicated to offering a broad and balanced range of solutions that truly embrace the era of digital and offset convergence with uncompromising customer service. Together, we will continue to share our knowledge and expertise in developing the best printing models that meet the needs of our customers."
Addressing the market need of integrated print production
Digital printing continues to grow as commercial printers extend their business models to offer marketing services, short-run color and same-day service. Offset printers are increasingly seeking to complete their portfolios with a flexible digital solution integrated into their existing high-quality offset environment. The Ricoh and Heidelberg relationship supports these customers in growing their core offset business and enables them to offer more flexibility to their clients using Ricoh's latest digital print technology. Today, offset printers have access to a nearly unlimited range of printing substrates and state-of-the-art coating applications as well as specialty inks through Heidelberg's market-leading offerings. By adding Ricoh's digital production printing technology, professional printers will be able to offer the well-known advantages of variable data printing, instant delivery of urgent print jobs, and cost-effective production of shorter run lengths.
The combination of offset and digital printing now available from Heidelberg enables print shops to respond with flexibility to customer requirements by offering profitable variable data printing and shorter runs in addition to cost-efficient, high-quality offset printing.
Interplay of Offset and Digital Printing offering additional flexibility
The Ricoh Pro C901 Graphic Arts Edition addresses the needs of commercial printers to build a high-quality, digital color printing environment. Featuring a production speed of 90 pages per minute (ppm), it is easily the fastest and most productive system in the digital value segment. This segment includes systems providing production speeds between 60 ppm and 90 ppm with an average monthly production volume from 80,000 to 300,000 A4 pages and beyond. Providing high-quality output, the Ricoh Pro C901 Graphic Arts Edition is an ideal solution to meet the expanding demand for shorter print-runs, variable data printing and rapid delivery on a wide range of substrates.
By combining Heidelberg's Prinect workflow and color management solutions with the dual platforms of offset (for example, with the Speedmaster 52 Anicolor press) and digital printing (with the Ricoh Pro C901 Graphic Arts Edition), print service providers will be able to derive greater profitability from short-run jobs and simplify color and job management.
For the global rollout, Heidelberg will follow a sequential approach in order to guarantee the highest available service level to its customer base. In April 2011, customers in Germany and the UK were able to purchase the Ricoh Pro C901 Graphic Arts Edition from Heidelberg. Both companies have begun the rollout for other Asian markets and are working on the rollout for China. The Eastern European market is targeted to rollout by drupa 2012, closing the worldwide process.
About Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
A technology provider and partner in the print media industry, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) is the world-wide leading provider of solutions and services for the print media industry. The name Heidelberg is internationally associated with leading technology, top quality, and customer focus. The company's core business starts with its equipment and services the entire process and value chain of the sheetfed offset format classes from 20 inches to 64 inches as well as digital printing solutions.
While Heidelberg's expertise is rooted in engineering and manufacturing the best presses, it extends to a range of prepress and postpress equipment as well as services and solutions including: Business Consulting, Saphira Consumables, Professional Training, Parts, Service, Remarketed Equipment and Workflow software.
Visit us at Graph Expo in Booth 1200.
About Ricoh Americas Corporation
Ricoh Americas Corporation, headquartered in West Caldwell, N.J., is a subsidiary of Ricoh Company, Ltd., the 75-year-old leading provider of advanced office technology and innovative document imaging products, services and software, with fiscal year 2010 sales in excess of $23 billion. Ricoh's fully integrated hardware and customizable services and software help businesses share information efficiently and effectively by enabling customers to control the input, management and output of documents. Ricoh Americas Corporation, directly or through its network of authorized dealers, markets and distributes products in North, Central and South America. Information about Ricoh's complete range of offerings can be found at www.ricoh-usa.com. Visit Ricoh and see the demos at GRAPH EXPO Booth 2600.
© 2011 Ricoh Americas Corporation. All rights reserved. All referenced product names are the trademarks of their respective companies.
MEDIA CONTACTS: | ||
For Ricoh Americas: | ||
Linda Montefusco | Heather Nevers | |
Ricoh Americas Corporation | Brodeur Partners | |
(973) 882-2172 | 617.587.2814 | |
Linda.Montefusco@ricoh-usa.com | hnevers@brodeur.com | |
Ricoh Web Site: www.ricoh-usa.com | ||
For Heidelberg USA: | ||
Tim Henschel | ||
Manager, Public Relations | ||
Heidelberg USA, Inc. | ||
770-419-6554 | ||
timothy.henschel@heidelberg.com | ||
Jean-Marie Hershey | ||
Write Hand Communications | ||
for Heidelberg USA | ||
540-297-3556 | ||
jmh@writehandcom.com | ||
SOURCE Ricoh Corporation
