At drupa 2012, executives of DWS Printing Associates and Heidelberg (HUS, HDM) announced the purchase of a high-performance Speedmaster XL 106 press by DWS. From left: Clarence Penge, v.p., sheetfed product management, HUS; Tom Cummings, account manager, HUS; Marcel Kiessling, management board, HDM; Tom Staib, president, DWS; John Gulino, director of quality assurance, DWS; Stephan Plenz, management board, HDM; and John Rocker, senior v.p., sales, HUS.

DWS Printing Associates, Deer Park, NY, made the most of its recent trip to drupa 2012 by purchasing a new Peak Performance Speedmaster XL 106-8+L sheetfed offset press from Heidelberg. The manufacturer says that when it is installed, the eight-unit, coater-equipped press will be the first of its type in the U.S. with the combination of inline sheeting, hybrid UV capability, and advanced color control technology that DWS has specified.

A Heidelberg press release quotes Tom Staib, president of DWS, as stating, “We needed to expand our current production capabilities and efficiency and wanted state-the-art technology that would enable us to handle an wider variety of printing substrates and give us a competitive edge. We did not want to catch up with our competitors. We want to be a technology leader.”

DWS designs and prints many different kinds of labels for branded food, beverage, and household products. It also has a niche in specialty labels for the craft beer market. The company, which traces its origins to a New York printing house started in 1865, is in its third generation of ownership by the Staib family.

Heidelberg, which launched the Speedmaster XL 106 at drupa, calls the press the new flagship of its XL Peak Performance segment. The 41″ press, which can perfect at 18,000 sheets per hour, is said by Heidelberg to be 30% more productive than the previous leader in the XL press series.