Ryobi and Mitsubishi: “We’re One Company”

At its press conference Sunday, September 13, Ryobi MHI Graphic Technology (Booth 4213) announced a new logo and a rebranding of the company. While Ryobi Limited and MHI Printing & Packaging Machinery merged in 2014, with the company now calling itself RMGT, the company felt that there was lack of clarity in the marketplace about the merger.

In a nutshell, RMGT wants people to know that it is one company and a player to be reckoned with. In fact, it has sold 30 new, straight-from-the-factory presses in the past 12 months.  “We are the market leader in terms of offset presses,” said Kozac Takata, RMGT’s Manager of International Sales and Marketing.

To get the message out, RMGT launched a new logo and rebranding regarding the merged company. It also defined the RMGT sales and service strategy for North America. 

Before the merger, Ryobi Limited and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries both had manufactured printing presses in Japan for more than 50 years. The new logo reinforces that they are now a single, integrated company. The red swirls remind the viewer of press cylinders rotating around one another.   

As part of the rebranding, a simplified product naming convention was also introduced: 3 Series, 5 Series, 7 Series, 9 Series, 10 Series, and 11 Series, referring to the number of colors on the press. RMGT has expanded its factory capacity to increase its ability to meet demand.

RMGT is the only major press manufacturer running live presses at both GRAPH EXPO and IGAS.

Chris Manley, President Graphco, one of six distributors that comprises Graphic Systems North America, explained the value of RMGT’s unusual distributor model. Instead of a centralized model in which presses are sold by a variety of distributors, RMGT’s model gives each of three distributors exclusive rights in their respective territories. RMGT’s authorized distributors in North America are Graphic Systems North America (GSNA), RM Machinery, and Suntek S.A. de C.V., based in Mexico.

“We felt that the traditional model of a large, multinational company with sales reps all over the country would create a barrier between the manufacturer and its customers,” said Manley. “[Collectively], we felt that distributors who have been in their territories for the past 30-40 years have a better handle on what clients need.”

Manley also reflected the overall GSNA sense that the regional model helps with technical support and service.

The press conference concluded with comments by Tom Metzger, President of Metzgers Print in Toledo, OH, which has two Mitsubishi D3000 series machines already on the floor, a four-color and six-color, and has taken possession of a new 10-color perfecting press, the RMGT 9210P with LED UV curing and inline coating.

“I can’t believe the efficiencies and capabilities with this press,” said Metzger. “I watched a demo again this morning to be sure, and I couldn't be more sure about a decision we’ve made in the past couple of years.”