With labor union approval, hundreds more were put on short workweeks. But by drawing down financial reserves, the pressmaker was able to maintain and increase spending for research and development. It would be dangerous to dismiss the potential of Japanese competitors. Heidelberger's manufacturing secret is that it has transformed what appears to be a simple procedure into a sophisticated, high-technology operation. The process of pouring ink and mating plates for four-color printing has become a marvelously complex fusion of precision machining and contemporary electronics.
High speeds are another advantage.
Now it's 15,000. And that impresses customers. We shop and compare, but we always come back to Heidelberger. But Heidelberger's prices would have risen to prohibitive heights without its relentless pursuit of productivity. The company has increased DM sales tenfold since 1969 while only doubling the work force.