Coming off its best year ever in the history of the company, Protective Packaging, the Lugoff, SC-based custom packaging printer, is exciting its customers with its new generation mid-format Koenig & Bauer Rapida 106 six-color press — the first in the U.S.
The new 41-inch flagship press with its distinctive design and technology, was delivered in summer 2022 to the company’s 130,000 sq ft facility where it operates alongside a Koenig & Bauer Rapida 106 installed in 2019.
Left to right: James Moss (VP operations), Chris Young (sales manager), Allison Price (customer account manager), Tom Price (President), Jenny Curran (CFO) and Ashlee Krupa (customer service manager).
“Our customers depend on us to deliver the highest quality folding cartons with ultra-short delivery times,” says Tom Price, President, Protective Packaging Inc. “We’re able to answer those demands with the new Rapida’s higher speeds and much faster makeready. Due to all of the high-end features on the press, we’re at least 30% more efficient and can turn our jobs much faster. The array of custom features supports faster net sheets on our production floor through continuous running of the press.”
Protective’s customers are equally impressed with the new Rapida press. When they visit for press checks, customers and prospects alike are impressed with the Koenig & Bauer’s quality as well as its enhanced color control system, which automatically provides operators with color measurement and control as well as intricate and detailed report systems.
Over the past few years, Price has learned first-hand how reliable and quick reacting the Koenig & Bauer sales and service team is. When Protective experienced a fire at its facility, Price needed a new replacement press to quickly be delivered and to repair his 2019 Koenig & Bauer press. The supplier answered the call, with Sam Creel of Koenig & Bauer US/CA arranging to get a new press delivered sooner than expected, and sending in its knowledgeable service team to order parts for the existing press, which had experienced water and smoke damage.
“There’s no denying that a mid-size company like ours requires two printing presses,” says Price. “After operating two Koenig & Bauer presses and witnessing their superb customer service, I can say that they are a leading press manufacturer for folding cartons.”
