Chris Fillingham – owner of Pinnacle Litho Printing Services in Stoney Creek, Ontario – used to get frustrated when “request for quotes” (RFQ’s) left his shop in the Greater Niagara Region. “There’s a lot of print here in the region, but in many cases I simply wasn’t competitive enough with my current equipment to win those jobs,” he recalled. “So for months I tested how many of those jobs I could win if I could reduce make-ready times and improve my turnaround times. Soon, our new business plan came together.” The goal was clear: Fillingham needed a high-speed, 4‐colour press with a focus on job-change technology. “While speed is nice, mine is a short-run market. And make‐ready is where it’s at,” he added. Not only did he invest in a Heidelberg Speedmaster XL‐75‐4+L Peak Productivity Press, Fillingham automated it to the highest level possible. The result? Make‐ready times dropped dramatically. Complete with AutoPlate Pro (fully automated plate changing), Inpress Control (inline colour and register without interruption), Press Center with Intellistart operating system (capable of job change without interruption), and an Anilox Coating system (for instantly dry sheets), the press can output a new job of 1,000 sheets in one-third the time of his previous press.
Before Pinnacle was founded in 1996, Fillingham worked in print shops in the Hamilton region, then decided to open his own facility. Founded as a prepress services house featuring scanning and proofing, Pinnacle today has evolved into a full-service printer. “Our first printing machine was a QMDI. From there, we added folding, cutting and complete workflow.” In 2002, poised for the midsize market, Pinnacle upgraded to a PM‐74 4-colour press, and Fillingham has built the business steadily over the years.
With a lean and aggressive workforce, he’s the driving force behind Pinnacle’s growing sales, filling a void in the region and focused on the trade element of the market. “Customer’s with smaller projects often need support and want input. The larger job providers are sometimes difficult to talk with directly. That’s where we come in. I’m expecting to be able to double my sales this year based only on work I had to turn away. That’s the goal. The automation we have now is what the industry demands. You can’t compete without it. This Speedmaster XL‐75 from Heidelberg is amazing, but I chose Heidelberg because Heidelberg IS print. No matter what the issue – the press, consumables, special applications, service, follow-up and understanding – the relationships built are key. The people behind the products are what make the difference. That’s worth volumes to me.”
Press Operator Jens Hanson (left) with Chris Fillingham, owner of Pinnacle Litho Printing Services in Stoney Creek, Ontario.
Pinnacle Litho expects to double sales with installation of Heidelberg Speedmaster XL‐75‐4+L
