At Printing United 2025 in Orlando, Morten B. Reitoft from INKISH sits down with his good friend Josh Romberg from MBO on the third day of the show. They both agree that this time, the conversation should dig deeper—no soft questions, just a real discussion about the market, the challenges, and the opportunities. Josh begins by describing MBO’s long history. The company’s roots are in commercial sheet folding, going back to the 1960s and continuing through the early 2000s with a strong focus on buckle folding, combi folding, and pharmaceutical folding. Around 2010 to 2015, especially in the United States, MBO shifted its focus toward the roll-fed finishing business. Today, roll-fed solutions lead their business in the U.S., complemented by rotary die-cutting with Bograma, the pharmaceutical and specialty folding division H+H, and MBO’s commercial folding machines. The system on display behind them represents MBO’s newest roll-fed finishing line, featuring zero-speed splicing, rotary cutting, die-cutting technology, dynamic perforating and scoring, and MBO’s signature folding integration. Morten then challenges Josh with a question: “The technology is amazing, but I can’t help thinking—you could sell more. Why don’t you?” Josh smiles. “It’s a fair question. We have one of the most talented sales and service teams in the industry. For us, it’s not just about volume—it’s about enhancing value for the customer. We punch above our weight in roll-fed finishing. The goal is efficiency, enhancement, and creating more value.” He adds that MBO continually expands its offering with modules and add-ons, such as flood and spot coating, designed to help customers increase both value and revenue. Morten presses further, asking about the challenge of profitability and scale in such a competitive space. Josh explains, “We differentiate on product quality. Our systems are industrial-grade, high-speed, and high-productivity. We don’t consider ourselves a commodity player. Modularity is key—you can add or remove components as needed. That makes it easier for customers and OEM partners to grow and evolve with their markets.” Morten accepts the answer but pushes the conversation toward competition. “Most roll-fed OEMs, whether EMT, Tecnau, or Hunkeler, come from the transactional printing space. You come from offset and book production. What makes your approach different?” Josh explains that MBO approaches the market from the opposite direction. “Most competitors come from transactional print and are trying to move into commercial. We come from commercial and are moving into digital. We bring the industrial quality of web and sheetfed offset into this space.” He then breaks down MBO’s philosophy of automation. “There are two kinds of automation: software automation and process automation through step removal. The transactional model takes a roll, cuts it, stacks it, and moves it to binding. We eliminate those steps. We aim to go from roll to finished product, minimizing human touchpoints, reducing errors, increasing throughput, and boosting customer profitability.” Morten agrees, calling it a perfect answer. He then recalls seeing MBO at the Hunkeler Innovationdays and asks why he didn’t see a full MBO end-to-end setup there. Josh explains, “Our end-to-end solutions aren’t one-size-fits-all. Between roll and sheet, there’s a lot of flexibility. We can add a perforator, a plow fold, or a merge unit depending on the job. The modularity means a setup can change completely from shift to shift or job to job. That’s the real value—adaptability.” He continues, “Commercial printers today might be book printers one day, postcard printers the next, and mailers after that. Our systems adapt instantly with minor changes. That’s our strength. An MBO end-to-end solution could easily be three times the size of this booth depending on complexity. We offer breadth, flexibility, and scalability that fit how modern printers actually work.” As the conversation wraps up, Morten thanks Josh for the honest answers and insights. Josh laughs, shaking his hand, “Good deal, Morten. Always appreciate the tough questions.”

At Printing United 2025 in Orlando, Morten B. Reitoft from INKISH speaks with Josh Poertner, a local print buyer with over 20 years of industry experience. Josh explains that after two decades working for a print company, he went independent when his employer closed. “I kept my client base and supplier connections,” he says. “It’s been really great — I sell a lot of print without owning any equipment myself.” Speaking from the HP booth, where a new large-format printer was being introduced, Josh notes that while he occasionally sources banners and wall coverings for municipal clients, his main value lies in expertise. “As a print buyer, keeping up with new technology is essential. My clients come to me because they have ideas but don’t know how to execute them — that’s where I come in.” Reflecting on the U.S. print market, he says the landscape has shifted: “The bread-and-butter jobs are going away. Either people don’t need them because everything’s gone digital, or they order online. My role now is to find the missing pieces — projects that require multiple vendors or specialized knowledge. It’s more consulting than commodity — and definitely more rewarding.”

Imagine is a 2,500-person-plus printing company serving a vast range of customers across the US. Josh Basset is the Sr. Director of IT and responsible for the software delivered by ePS and CAI - and, as Josh Bassett has a background himself with EFI, he knows his back-doors and work-arounds - but expresses how important the solutions are in managing the group that has several locations nationwide. As we speak, Josh Bassett, of course, is also talking about the relationship they have with ISCorp, which supports Imagine with a managed hosting solution. We are, as always, curious whether outsourcing is a financially viable option, and though Josh Bassett tells us that ISCorp has been up and running for less than 3 weeks, he can happily tell us that ISCorp is worth the money, also from the perspective of going live. The implementation went smoothly, and Josh Bassett even explains about a situation where the ISCorp solution was essential - but listen for yourself in this great interview!

At Printing United in Orlando, Pat McGrew meets Jose Rivera, a local printer attending the show to explore new technologies. Rivera shares his excitement about the advancements he has seen in AI-driven printing. He explains that the new systems allow operators to print on a wide range of materials without complex setup or manual measurement. Using built-in scanners, the printers automatically detect the position and type of material on the table, enabling precise, efficient printing with minimal effort. Rivera describes the technology as both impressive and practical, noting how innovations like this could simplify operations and improve flexibility in print shops. While he doesn’t confirm any immediate purchases, he expresses genuine interest in adopting such solutions in the future. The brief conversation highlights how automation and AI are beginning to transform even the hands-on aspects of printing, offering smarter workflows and greater ease of use for production teams.

In this "Over the Skype" we talked to José Luis Bezaury, Managing Director of Litoplas, who tells us about the wide portfolio of solutions he offers in labels and packaging, as well as what has been the success factor of his company in 25 years of experience. En este "Over the Skype" entrevistamos a José Luis Bezaury, director general de Litoplas, quien nos habla acerca del amplio portafolio de soluciones que ofrece en etiquetas y empaques, así como cuál ha sido el factor de éxito de su empresa en 25 años de trayectoria.

In this Over the Skype session, Jacques Michiels from INKISH Benelux talks to an exciting gentleman, Jos Steutelings. Jos Steutelings is the Managing Director of VIGC, who, among other things, does events that have become very popular. In this interview, we discuss the Hackaton event; an event developed together with Ernst & Young. Innovation for the industry, and due to the COVID-19 virtual. Virtual enables this to be an event with a broader potential, so listen to the exciting conversation, and prepare yourself for a great event.

Interview in Dutch - subtitles in English. Wie eraan denkt om te (gaan) werken met LED UV kan zijn “licht” ;) - opsteken bij Sadechaf Benelux. Wie zijn zij? en welke expertise of oplossingen brengen ze naar voor als we willen drogen/curen met UV? Een zeer informatieve babbel, zonder te vervallen in een overkill aan té technische bewoordingen. Dit is er eentje voor de bezitters of toekomstige gebruikers van (led) UV systemen. -- EN -- For anyone who is thinking of working with LED UV Sadechaf will shed some “light” ;) on the situation. Who are they? and what expertise or solutions do they bring to the table if we want to dry/cure with UV? A very informative chat, without falling into an overkill of overly technical words. This is one for the owners or future users of (Led) UV systems.

Exclusive NEON effects in large format products are one of the KPIs and the new product that SwissQPrint shows at the fair. Jorge Suberviola Freire, the Spanish GM brings us up to speed.

Digital Market is an Andalusian company that distributes HP equipment led by Jorge Domínguez Garnés, who, in an interview, showed us the new sustainable innovations that HP has on offer. ----- Digital Market es una empresa andaluza distribuidora de equipos HP liderada por Jorge Domínguez Garnés, que en entrevista nos mostró las innovaciones sostenibles con las que cuenta HP.

The new HP Latex 630 has had great acceptance in the market, as Jorge Domínguez from Digital Market and David Salabert, commercial director of DPI's digital supplies, tell us. They have already sold several units of the equipment launched here during C! Print Madrid, so it looks like a winner. ___ La nueva HP Latex 630 ha tenido gran aceptación en el mercado, tal y como nos cuentan Jorge Domínguez de Digital Market y David Salabert, director comercial de consumibles digitales de DPI. Ya se han vendido varias unidades de los equipos lanzados aquí durante C! Imprime Madrid, para que parezca un ganador.

Jörg Fischer from KURZ explains to Editor Morten B. Reitoft the advantages of thinner PET carriers on both hot and cold foils. It's good for the environment and production, as customers agree that the thinner foils simply run better on the foiling equipment. Kurz is one of the companies in our industry that also has a very well-developed recycling system, which Jörg Fischer also speaks about in this interview.

Jordi Quera, VP of sales and marketing at Zonten Europe, discusses why semi-rotary offset technology can compete with digital in the short run and its increasing popularity in the European market.

Wayne Beckett from Inkish interviews Jordi Giralt at LabelExpo 2025 in Barcelona. Jordi recently joined Bobst, starting in February 2025 as Zone Business Director for Southern Europe and becoming Head of Global Sales in July. He explains that Bobst entered the label market through its former Gidue flexo business, then expanded into digital by establishing the company Mouvent, and later merged this expertise to develop hybrid presses that combine both flexo and digital. Bobst is now strong in flexo and a market leader in hybrid, aiming to become one of the leading companies in the label sector overall. Jordi says Bobst’s approach is rooted in precision engineering and attention to detail, and they bring this mindset to every segment they enter. He explains that Bobst no longer brings machines to trade shows, choosing instead to focus on discussing customer applications and challenges rather than hardware. Customers can visit Bobst competence centers in Firenze, Switzerland, or Atlanta to see the machines in operation, while events like LabelExpo are used for one-to-one discussions about solutions. He emphasizes that Bobst increasingly tailors solutions to customer needs rather than just selling machines. Their new team of application experts works with customers to understand the products they want to produce and then designs end-to-end workflows and configurations to match. Jordi concludes that this solutions-driven approach reflects Bobst’s long-term strategy to become a leader in the label industry.

With experience from HP, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen, and most recently, Leonhard Kurz, Jordi Giralt is a well-fit new CBO for the German finishing company KAMA. The Dresden-based company has a long history. The fast setup time of the finishing machines is one of the assets Giralt emphasized in his first interview after being appointed CBO. In an ever more and more digital world, Giralt also talks about the partnerships KAMA has with companies such as HP, Fujifilm, and more - and though well-established, Jordi Giralt is full of optimism for further growth of KAMA - and of course, INKISH will keep an eye on both people and technology - it's interesting. We are confident that Jordi Giralt will be a valuable asset to the company. Congratulations.

Jordi Giralt has a background in digital printing with both HP and Heidelberg, so when he joined KURZ being responsible for the digital embellishment products he had a lot of knowledge to draw on. In this interview, we get an understanding of the journey that Giralt now leads, but also a closer look at two of the three technologies KURZ offers. Enjoy!

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordi-giralt-15807213/

Imagine in the nearby future robots that will feed the KAMA ProCut76 die-cutter, move the stripped and blanked pieces to the KAMA Foldinger/Gluer FF52i - and 100% handsfree production takes place - even dies are exchanged by the robot - not only the vision, but soon reality! CBO Jordi Giralt talks about the products - also the digital embellishment machine Hammerhead recently announced - and of course, the journey KAMA is on - super interesting - and worth listening to! Enjoy!

KAMA's Jordi Giralt discusses the company's 130-year history, surviving two world wars, and its evolution from commercial printing to packaging. He highlights KAMA's new digital embellishment machine, the KAMA Hammerhead, set to launch in 2024. The machine focuses on efficiency and quick job changes, catering to the growing demand for digital embellishment. Giralt shares their success at Drupa, with unexpected sales and high interest from Latin American and Middle Eastern clients. Despite the busy schedule, Giralt expresses enthusiasm for the rest of the event.  

The 130-year-old Dresden-based company KAMA is in a fantastic transition period. Since Jordi Giralt joined the company, it has only experienced growth. Listen to Jordi Giralt in the interview, and you will also get the latest update on the long-awaited digital embellishment machine, Hammerhead. Enjoy!

OFS is a 19-year-old company that delivers efficiency solutions to productions, including the printing industry. Pat McGrew here talks to the General Manager Jonathan Newton. Listen and learn.

When you produce a huge amount of pages, the size of the files has a huge influence on processing speed and equipment efficiency. Solimar Systems have for decades been up-to-beat with innovative technology enabling slimmer files, better output management, and workflow around the printing presses. In this Over the Skype Jonathan Malone-McGrew explains what Solimar is offering, as well as sharing some of the values that have given Solimar Systems a really high level of customer satisfaction. As with all our 'Over the Skype' interviews, quality is limited to bandwidth, web-cams, and ability to literally LIVE mix the conversations. However, it works, and with Over the Skype, we will bring you more than 20 exciting people, and angles on the industry as it is right now. Enjoy!

Language: Spanish · Subtitles: English/Spanish At Label Expo 2025 in Guadalajara, Siegwerk presents its latest innovations in sustainable ink solutions. Jonathan, the Color Management Specialist for Latin America, shares how the company is advancing in washable inks, water-based inks for food applications, and digitalization tools that support greener printing processes. With a strong focus on sustainability, Siegwerk is bringing German-developed technologies to the Latin American market, including Mexico, Colombia, and Guatemala. The company is expanding its eco-friendly offerings beyond offset printing into flexography, reflecting a broader industry shift toward more responsible practices. With dedicated specialists, engineers, and compliance experts, Siegwerk ensures that all products meet rigorous standards, particularly for food-safe applications. Their presence at the expo highlights a commitment to innovation, quality, and environmental care, inviting attendees to explore how sustainable inks can transform the future of packaging. Interviewer: Claudia Mendoza Angeles · Revista El Impresor

James Quirk in conversation with Managing Director Jokin Iruretagoiena Osoro from ETI.