Allstate Print Communications Center, the largest corporate in-plant in the country, has just installed its first used press, a six-color, 40? Komori with a coater.
“It definitely was a change in philosophy,” remarks Jerry Grouzard, print communication manager at the Wheeling, Ill.-based in-plant. “For years it was ‘new or nothing.’”
But due to the state of the economy, he says, it was more like “used or nothing” this time around. The $184 million operation would have had a tough time justifying the cost of a new six-color press this year, he says, and likely would have had to wait a year or more to install it. The shop just couldn’t hold out that long.
Its color work is growing rapidly, particularly marketing brochures ordered by agents. Allstate’s purchase of several new companies has further increased that demand. Much of this color work was being produced on a half-size press.
“We did a workflow analysis and took a look at our current setup, and determined that we needed another six-color, we needed another 40?, and we needed another machine with a coater on it,” explains Scott Dettloff, plant manager.
So after acknowledging that a new press would be too costly, he and his team tried a new approach and looked at used equipment. The press they found had 68 million impressions on it, but Komori, through a third party, replaced worn parts and had it thoroughly cleaned.
“We had the opportunity to go through the machine too and request that things be replaced during installation,” Dettloff says.
Still, sealing the deal was definitely not a piece of cake, Grouzard adds.
“It was much more difficult to get a contract approved because it was used equipment,” he notes.
There was more wrangling than usual between Allstate and Komori lawyers over contract wording, he says, and the existence of a third party to handle installation brought other unexpected complexities. Installation was delayed several months as a result.
It will all be worth it in the end, though, Grouzard says.
“Once we get this up and running, we feel pretty comfortable that it will have added capacity as if we’d bought a brand new piece of equipment,” he says.
That can’t come soon enough for Allstate’s marketing department, adds Dettloff.
“We engaged them prior to doing this, and we definitely had buy-in from them,” he remarks. “Obviously they’re going to continue to give us the work as a result.”
From his experience in buying a used press, Dettloff advises other in-plants to understand the history of the piece of equipment, look at due diligence and bring staff to evaluate the machine.
“This was the right press at the right price at the right time,” he says.
- Companies:
- Komori America
Bob has served as editor of In-plant Impressions since October of 1994. Prior to that he served for three years as managing editor of Printing Impressions, a commercial printing publication. Mr. Neubauer is very active in the U.S. in-plant industry. He attends all the major in-plant conferences and has visited more than 180 in-plant operations around the world. He has given presentations to numerous in-plant groups in the U.S., Canada and Australia, including the Association of College and University Printers and the In-plant Printing and Mailing Association. He also coordinates the annual In-Print contest, co-sponsored by IPMA and In-plant Impressions.