Cornerstone Press is claiming the first Heidelberg CX102 five-colour press (CX102-5) in Queensland, after signing a deal with Heidelberg Australia and New Zealand, with the new press to be installed in its Northgate facility, on the edge of the Brisbane CBD later this year.
A high-end quality printer in the commercial and government sectors, Cornerstone is a family owned and operated company, which was established in 1995. Robbie Conomos (pictured), the company’s general manager says he is enthusiastic about the purchase of the new CX102-5, which will enable the company to move firmly into the A1 segment.
“In the last three years we’ve gone from strength to strength and our high level of service and our passion for the craft have seen us continue to attract new business,” says Conomos. “Our clients have been pushing us to do more A1 work for them. We’ve been outsourcing this work, but the increased volume has given us the opportunity to bring this service in house. With the CX102 we will be able to tackle longer runs and take on catalogue work also.”
Conomos says Cornerstone, which is a Heidelberg house, chose to stay with Heidelberg not only because of the technology behind the CX102, but also because of the confidence that Heidelberg instills in being able to support its product.
“The press manufacturers have been going through a tough time," he says. "One of the big questions for us was who is still going to be here in five years to look after us? We didn’t want to buy a machine and then have the supplier disappear. While there were similar technologies on offer in the same class, the combination of the CX102 and Heidelberg’s strength and leadership is what led to our decision.
“We know the managing director at Heidelberg, Richard Timson and he has done some great things for the business," he says. "There’s a real commitment to a high level of service within Heidelberg, and that’s very comforting as well. Plus Heidelberg has the biggest presence in Queensland. Everyone else is jumping on a plane to see us, and that’s a concern when you are busy and you need help.
“There’s some great advantages with the CX102 including the speed of the machine and its versatility. There are so many automated features on this press that make production faster, cleaner, more efficient and more environmentally friendly,” he says.
In preparation for the arrival of the new press, Robbie says the company is, “rearranging the factory. New slabs go down in October, with the press to be installed in November. We are pulling out one A3 machine, and keeping our Heidelberg CD74 six-colour machine, which is a great workhorse and can manage the A3 and A2 work with ease.
“We believe the industry will settle to a sustainable level and that print will be here to stay so we are putting our money where our mouth is. The whole company and our clients are keen to get the new press up and running. You know it is engineered almost to perfection. It’s going to be a great asset,” he says.