Dealer: LA PostPress
For most of the 45 years I have been involved with the printing industry, bookbinding and finishing equipment was dominated by a handful of powerful European manufacturers – MBO and Stahl for folding machines, Polar, Wohlenberg and Schneider for cutters, Kolbus for case-binding, all from Germany, and Mueller Martini from Switzerland. They seemed so well-established that there could be no room for an interloper. Then, in the mid-1990s, Horizon appeared and elbowed its way to prominence, not only in the booklet-making and collating end of the market bit also with stitching lines and perfect binders. Today there are more Horizon machines listed on pressXchange than any other make of finishing kit.
One company that has done well from embracing this change to the finishing landscape is LA Postpress (www.la-postpress.de) which has just celebrated the 10th anniversary of its founding by Alexander Landauer. Situated in Munich in the centre of traditional Bavaria, this company has specialised in Horizon from the start: Alexander chose Horizon because of its high engineering standard and reliability, and he believes that knowing one product range intimately is the best way to ensure that the overhauled machines he offers his clients will more than meet their expectations and help their businesses to flourish. In fairness the company does also deal in other brands like MBO, Stahl and Muller Martini, but their soul is Horizon: “My step-father was for a salesman for Horizon and introduced me to the brand when I was looking for a business venture,” says Alexander. “I was very lucky: Horizon has a really great product range and it soon became the centre of my new business.”
When a good Horizon booklet maker, stitcher or perfect binder comes onto the market LA Postpress will buy it and take it to their factory unit in Gemering where it goes through a rigorous process of inspection, assessment, cleaning, overhaul and testing prior to being offered for sale. With typical German efficiency, Alexander has written a detailed check-list of steps to be taken for each type of machine to ensure that all reach the high standard that his customers expect. All dismantling, overhauling, cleaning, re-assembly and testing are done by LA Postpress’s own engineers and special attention is paid to the electronics, the most delicate part of any machine.. It seems to be paying off for them: 2016 will see a 60% increase in turn-over (€2.3 million) from 2015 levels (€1.4 million) – a figure which represents a lot of machines when the average sale price is between €10,000 and €50,000.
90% of the machines sold go through the LA Postpress overhauling system and machines are shipped to all parts of the world, with 2016 seeing at least one sale to every continent except Antarctica. Many sales are to dealers who want to sell reliable, trouble-free equipment to their customers, and many more are to end users buying their third or fourth machine from the company. LA Postpress are very active on social media sites and on portals like pressXchange, and this is how the vast majority of new business is found.
LA Postpress also offer training. Recently a customer in Malaysia sent two engineers to be trained at the plant in the repair and maintenance of Horizon equipment. The engineers also benefited from a whirlwind introduction to Bavarian culture and Munich night-life while LA Postpress benefitted with an order for four machines from their employer shortly after their return – machines the guys were then able expertly to install.
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