Matthias Schmid · Managing Director · Schmid-Fehr · Shift
At SHIFT in Heidelberg, Morten B. Reitoft meets Matthias from Goldach in Switzerland — a printing company owner who has transformed a traditional print business into a broader communication and automation company.
Today, the company covers much more than print. Its activities include online and print services, B2B shops, software development, process automation, digital printing, inkjet printing, lettershop, and logistics. The goal is to manage as much of the communication chain as possible for its customers.
Matthias is also presenting at SHIFT, where he shares an important message for smaller printing companies: automation is no longer something reserved for the largest players. With 34 employees, his company has built highly automated workflows that allow jobs ordered through B2B shops to move through the system, into Prinect Touch Free, and all the way to production with almost no human intervention.
The first person involved may only see the job when it is ready to run on a Jetfire.
For Matthias, automation is not primarily about reducing staff. It is about producing faster, more efficiently, and with greater process security — while creating a better working environment for the people already in the company.
The conversation also touches on succession. Matthias’ son and daughter are expected to take over the business one day, and he sees automation and continued development as part of preparing the company for the next generation.
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Tue October 6th
Volker Havel · Manager · Meinders & Elster...
At SHIFT in Heidelberg, Morten B. Reitoft meets Volker from Meinders & Elstermann to talk about technology, automation, and why being among the first to adopt new solutions can create a real competitive advantage. Meinders & Elstermann already operates digital printing technologies from HP and Canon, and has now added the Heidelberg Jetfire to its production setup. But the conversation quickly moves beyond hardware and into one of the most important challenges facing modern printing companies: how to manage an increasingly complex production environment with smaller jobs, faster turnaround times, and more equipment to coordinate. Volker explains why Prinect Touch Free has become an important part of the company’s production strategy. By automating more decisions and allowing jobs to move between different production technologies even late in the process, the system helps reduce manual workload while increasing productivity. The interview also touches on the challenges of introducing new software, the importance of analyzing new technology before implementation, and why working closely with suppliers such as Heidelberg through field testing can help shape better solutions. And with AI becoming an increasingly important topic across the industry, Volker also shares what he hopes to gain from SHIFT — combining the discussions and presentations with the practical technology demonstrated at Heidelberg’s Home of Print.