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RYOBI: EXPANDING MARKET SHARE IN COMMERCIAL PRINTING;
EXPANDING CAPABILITIES, OFFSET PRESS SIZES
CHICAGO, September 10, 2007—Ryobi is growing market share in commercial printing worldwide and broadening its offerings to U.S. printers, including its newly announced 8-up, 24x36-inch multicolor sheetfed press, new 8- and 10-color presses and a robust information technology system that completely automates workflow. To meet growing demand for its presses, Ryobi recently competed the second of two expansions at its Hiroshima, Japan, manufacturing center in the last 18 months. Ryobi offset presses are highly regarded by printers for print quality, precision and durability. The company began making offset printing presses in 1961 and is a world leader in the small-format press market. In the early 1980s, it leveraged its pressmaking expertise to enter the market for medium-size sheetfed presses. Its machines, anchored by the 6-up Ryobi 750 series, feature proven, highly advanced print technology and new automation that boosts pressroom productivity. Ryobi has developed a CIP4-JDF compatible MIS system to support the demands of technology integration in the pressroom and press facility. It encompasses all aspects of digital workflow from job creation to bindery.Ryobi sheetfed offset presses: Ryobi's R&D and new presses focus on print quality excellence, speed and ease of operation, automation and energy efficiency. By combining its die-casting precision production technologies with highly advanced electronic and digital technologies, Ryobi produces high-speed, automated and energy-saving printing presses. The presses significantly reduce makeready times for printers. Ryobi seeks to design and produce environmentally friendly printing presses. The company is making efforts to reduce VOC emissions, conserve natural resources and eliminate waste. Among the features of note: processless plates, non-alcohol printing, UV printing and auto blanklet cleaning. Programmed inking reduces ink and paper waste and FM screening requires 20% less ink than normal AM screening. Presses are also being designed to use less power.Ryobi’s sales and service network, led by xpedx Printing Technologies in the U.S., ensures that printers are as productive as possible with their Ryobi presses. xpedx and Ryobi offer technical training and support, quick maintenance and spare parts supply. xpedx Printing Technologies is set to open the first-ever Ryobi demonstration and learning center in October 2007 in Lenexa, KS. About Ryobi Graphic Systems Ryobi Graphic Systems Division of Hiroshima, Japan, is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of offset printing presses and is a business unit of Ryobi, Ltd., founded in 1943. Ryobi offers multi-functional offset printing presses, hardware and software that handle all aspects of a print job, from pre-press to binding. It is a world leader in high-precision large-, mid-size and small presses, DI presses and CIP4-JDF compliant digital workflows. With pressroom installations worldwide, Ryobi presses are respected for their superior print quality, cost-effectiveness, ease of press operation, high reliability and precision machining. About xpedx Printing Technologies xpedx Printing Technologies, a wholly owned division of xpedx, offers rapid-response, local technical support, press operator training, a large parts warehouse and a demonstration and learning center at its headquarters in Lenexa, KS. It has a team of executive, sales and technical staff and a network of 50 dealers across the U.S. responsible for local sales and service. Information about Ryobi and xpedx Printing Technologies is on the web at ryobi.xpedx.com. The phone is 800-553-4980. In the U.S., xpedx Printing Technologies markets and distributes a wide variety of presses and printing technology including the following core offerings:
The 750, 680 and 520 series can be equipped with perfectors, coating units, UV curing units and infrared dryers. xpedx Printing Technologies has the largest force of local, factory-trained press technicians in the U.S. to service Ryobi printing presses. The company’s dealer network coast-to-coast provide first-tier support, and are backed up by technicians at xpedx Printing Technologies headquarters and Ryobi Graphic Systems engineers in Japan. The superior service model offers rapid response time for all Ryobi presses. xpedx Printing Technologies and Ryobi also require continuously updated training for all press service technicians. About xpedx Loveland, Ohio-based xpedx, a business of International Paper, is one of the largest business-to-business distribution companies in the U.S. with more than $6.7 billion in 2006 revenues. xpedx distributes a wide range of paper and graphics, packaging and janitorial-sanitary supplies and equipment from manufacturers worldwide. Customers include printers and publishers, manufacturers, retailers and facility managers among many others. xpedx, which has more than 260 locations across North America, does business with the majority of printers in the U.S. It also provides detailed operations consulting for printers to help them improve productivity and profitability. xpedx is one of the largest providers of post-consumer waste content and recycled printing papers in North America and has Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) chain-of-custody certification at all of its U.S. locations. For more information, visit xpedx.com. For more information during Graph Expo visit booth 3808 or ryobi.xpedx.com. Contacts: Tim Kirby, National Sales Manager of xpedx Printing Technologies, 512-608-0260; Jeff Higgins, Corporate Director of Marketing Services, xpedx, Loveland, OH, 513-965-2923; Press/Analysts: Erik Godchaux, Media Strategy Group, Madison, Wisconsin, 608-256-4540. EDITOR’S NOTE: xpedx is always spelled all lower case. |
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