Redacción Alabrent
Harvard, IL-based Catty Corporation is six months into running its first CI printing press, and its first machine from W&H, a MIRAFLEX II.Catty was looking for a CI press with high output that could run very thin foils with water-based inks for candy wrappers, which is one of the most challenging applications in package printing. Finding a press that could reliably handle this combination proved more difficult than expected. Knowing W&H had the expertise and experience with these materials, VP of Operations, Kim Harden came to W&H with the project.
Catty has been running these jobs on inline presses for decades with great success but was looking to increase output with greater widths and speeds, and to eliminate the potential for the foil to wrinkle during production. The company ultimately decided to invest in a 52” 10-color MIRAFLEX II press that increases current output.
Harden had read that fellow converter sent a team of operators over for training at the Tech Center in Lengerich before getting their first press from W&H, and that it had set them up for success. He decided to do the exact same thing and feels like it was an investment in his team and business that put them in the position to hit the floor running.
Todd Krupa, Regional Sales Manager, took things a step further by introducing the two printers, who focus on non-competing products. The companies talked about what to expect from your first W&H press, how to prepare, and more. "It was great to see these two companies comfortable and willing to exchange insights and experiences," said Krupa. "They're both part of the strong W&H network, and that's what it's all about."
The MIRAFLEX II was installed in late spring and has been running since June 2025. Harden said, he was impressed with the professionalism and technical expertise from the W&H team onsite.
“I’ve worked with many press companies, and W&H is right at the top,” Harden said. “Printing on foil with water-based ink is about as challenging as it gets. This press was up and running quickly and improved our process significantly.”