J.S. McCarthy Purchases US’s Fastest Speedmaster from HEIDELBERG to Expand Folding Carton Capacity

From left to right: Jon Tardiff, President and CEO; Randy Robbins, Pressroom Manager; Scott Libby (Pressman), Greg Giasson [Pressman in Training], Jordan Woolridge (“Pressman”)), Nick Tavernier (“Press Helper”), Jason Baird “Pressman”.

Kennesaw, Ga. – Founded as a commercial printer in 1947, J.S. McCarthy, Augusta ME is witnessing unprecedented growth in its folding cart business. The company was looking for a reliable and faster press in order to meet its growing production. HEIDELBERG supplied a Speedmaster XL 106. This new XL 106 runs at 21,000 sheets an hour, making it the fastest rated offset sheetfed press in the country. It will also be the first American-made of this type.

Fastest Press in the World

J.S. McCarthy has seen “extreme growth” in its folding carton business since deciding to go “all in” with packaging five years ago through $20 million in infrastructure and equipment investments. According to Jon Tardiff, CEO & President of J.S. McCarthy stated that the company expects a 50% increase in revenue from folding cartons over the next two years. J.S. J.S. Its current press is no longer a “viable back-up” for the company’s 2018 Speedmaster XL 106 that runs 24/7 producing all the company’s folding cartons. “We’re in a position where we basically have one press driving the entire plant. The new XL 106 is going to help us digest all this new growth,” said Tardiff. J.S. will be significantly boosted by the record-breaking speed and reliability of XL 106. McCarthy’s throughput, which is essential due to the plant’s space limitations. The company, who recently added onto its plant and is planning another addition for 2023, is looking to the XL 106 to help “get large jobs through the plant as quickly and as productively as possible,” said Tardiff.

HEIDELBERG has recently added a faster option to its Speedmaster XL 106 platform. The XL 106 has a printing speed of 21,000 sheets an hour and can produce more than 100 million impressions per year. It is expected to have a higher output than its 18,000 SPH counterpart. J.S. McCarthy anticipates ramping up its production to 50-70 million impressions, based on its current average run length, within the first year with a goal of reaching the press’s maximum output in the future. HEIDELBERG optimized more than 200 parts throughout the system from delivery to feeder in order to achieve faster speeds. The improved components and advanced Speedmaster technology, like new intelligent User Experience (UX), autonomous Push-to-Stop technology, and AutoPlate Pro, help to significantly cut down on makeready and waste – contributing to J.S. McCarthy’s overall efficiency and sustainability goals. This press is also carbon neutral, meaning that CO2 emissions from press production can be offset by the purchase of climate protection certificates (Gold Standard). Further sustainability efforts from the company include having its plant 100% wind powered and being FSC® certified.

Get 50% more productivity

J.S. McCarthy first made the switch to HEIDELBERG’s Speedmaster technology in 2018 with the purchase of an XL 106-4+LYY-P+4+L. The machine replaced two older presses of competitive technology and when installed, increased the plant’s productivity by 50%. This machine is only four years old and has made 200,000,000 impressions. It runs at a maximum speed of 18,000 sheets an hour. J.S. Tardiff, and J.S. McCarthy have not looked back since installing their first Speedmaster. McCarthy have not looked back: “HEIDELBERG continues to show its overall value through its proven technology and the ‘day in and day out’ productivity we see with the number of sheets to the floor we get every day,” said Tardiff. Due to the higher speed of its new XL 106 UV model, which also includes Prinect Control, McCarthy expects higher productivity gains next year.

J.S. McCarthy

J.S. Since 1947, J.S. McCarthy offers customers high-quality services, cutting-edge technology and top-quality products. As one of New England’s oldest and largest commercial printers, the company has been on the forefront of industry innovation, listening to what its customers need and providing them with solutions that make their businesses more successful. J.S. strategically acquires new technology through the years while keeping a close eye on quality and satisfying customer demand. McCarthy draws on its experience in commercial printing to create high-end carton packaging. Its technology investments are balanced by its human resource investment. J.S. McCarthy, a company owned 100% by employees, has every employee a stake in the success of customers because that directly impacts their business success.