The Pond-Ekberg Company installs new KBA 74 Karat digital offset press
Chicopee, Mass., printer hosts open house to showcase new press
The Pond-Ekberg Company, a Chicopee, Mass. commercial printing company and finisher in Chicopee, Mass., recently held an open house to display its new 74 Karat digital offset press, the third press from equipment manufacturer KBA North America that Pond-Ekberg has installed over the last seven years.

The press is part of a $2 million investment Pond-Ekberg has made in new technology, facility renovations, and marketing initiatives.

The KBA 74 Karat, which was installed in October, was the focus of an open house at Pond-Ekberg’s headquarters in November. The event featured a live band and drew more than 250 attendees. Pond-Ekberg had invited its clients as well as potential clients and business associates from across the southern New England area.

Honing in on the Karat’s high-quality diamond theme, Pond-Ekberg gave each attendee a stress reliever shaped like a diamond set in a silver die-cut box. The outside of the box read, “Pond-Ekberg takes the stress out of your printing projects.” The firm also had a large treasure chest filled with hundreds of gifts. Attendees picked a key out of a large goblet and checked to see if their key would the chest.

First of its kind in western Mass.
“The 74 Karat is the first of its kind in western Massachusetts and we believe that it will provide access to new and bigger markets for our company,” said Pond-Ekberg President Jonathan Kratovil.

“We have found that our existing customers need a digital offset press that can give them quicker turnaround on short-run orders of 500 to 1,000 but in a large format size. This press has the capability to reduce job-change times as well as start-up waste plus provide high-quality predictable color and print on a variety of substrates including plastics.”

The 74 Karat is the world’s only waterless digital 29-inch offset press. It provides fast make ready times with perfect color in less than 10 sheets. The 74 Karat’s Gravuflow inking system yields constant results and produces strong images The inline coating unit allows printers to easily switch between standard aqueous and white opaque coating for clear plastic and enticular printing.

“We believe that we may have an eight- to 12-month window of opportunity before regional competitors take similar steps,” said Kratovil.

“We’re determined to make the most of that opportunity. We’re going to show businesses of all sizes what we can do for them and how this new technology can improve quality, save time, and save money. We’re going to use that window to make an impact.”

Pond-Ekberg is taking an aggressive stand in its marketing campaign. Coupled with the open house, the company is putting together an intensive direct mail program, including on-air television advertising, along with promoting its e-commerce business and new web site. In addition, a local business newspaper recently ran a feature article about the company and other newspapers are planning to run articles on the company as well.

Third KBA press in seven years
The 74 Karat digital offset press is Pond-Ekberg’s third KBA press in less than seven years. In January 2002, Pond-Ekberg installed a new KBA Rapida 105 41-inch six-color sheetfed press with inline aqueous coating, semi-automatic plate changers, CIP3/4 digital interface, automatic blanket and roller washers.

Established 87 years ago
The company was established in 1916 by John D. Pond who opened a printing company in his barn behind his home in Agawam, Mass. He was soon joined by his friend Carl N. Ekberg.

The firm became so successful that two years later they incorporated as The Pond-Ekberg Company and moved to a rented facility in Springfield.

Their letterpress print shop specialized in high quality, four-color book printing. Soon they moved to their own building in Springfield.

Over the years, the company acquired Phoenix Offset Printing Company and Rich Lithographic Company.

Today, the 60-plus employee, privately owned firm occupies a modern 55,000 square foot facility. Its latest technology includes a computer-to-plate system from Kodak Polychome Graphics, a digital plate setter from Screen USA, and a Twist Prepress Job Management system from Dalim/Blanchard Systems Inc.

The Massachusetts firm also has the distinction and reputation of having one of the largest and most diversified finishing operations in New England.

The firm can foil stamp, emboss, die-cut, and thermo-cut on various stock sizes and substrates up to a 49-inch press sheet.

Its northeast and e-commerce customer base includes clients ranging from insurance companies, colleges, medical institutions, advertising and design agencies, graphic packaging companies and fortune 500 corporations.

KBA North America is a leading supplier of sheetfed offset and digital presses located in Williston, VT.

It is a member of the KBA Group, a manufacturer of sheetfed offset, digital offset, web offset, rotogravure directory, security, and newspaper presses.