We made a recent trip to the beautiful Bavarian region of Germany with a three-fold agenda:
1. Visit the MHM factory (Erl, Austria) to see where the worlds best presses are made and meet the people who make them
2. Attend the FESPA 2019 Global Print Expo in Munich, Germany
3. Take in the sights, sounds, tastes, history and culture that Bavaria has to offer.
Bavaria First…
Over dinner with a friend and native of the region he exclaimed proudly “I am Bavarian first, I am German second!”. Without making the visit to this very special place in the world I would not have known what our friend was talking about… now I do. With that said, I offer just a few of so many reasons to love Bavaria…
Natural Beauty:
View from the top of Weltenburg Abbey
A bit of nature in the middle of Munich
Austrian Alps, Near Kufstein
The “Odd Couple” in the Austrian Alps. We were lucky enough to have dinner with a large group of friends at this family-owned, mountain top restaurant.
Art & Architecture:
View from above Munich
Marianplaetz, the center of Munich
Caravaggio Exhibit. Caravaggio!!!
King Ludwig’s “Wall of Beauties”
Food & Beer (and more beer):
Fresh Fish in the outdoor market, Munich
Serious assortment of cheeses in the outdoor market, Munich
Spargel (white asparagus) everywhere! Spargel season is a big deal throughout the region.
Weltenburger Kloster has been brewing for nearly 1000 years. They claim the best dark beer in the world…
Confirmed, best dark beer in the world.
…Especially when served with pork knuckle.
One last liter at the Augustiner-Keller. Ancient brewing purity laws allow for maximum consumption of beer without ill effects.
MHM…
MHM have been engineering and producing the world’s best textile presses for nearly 40 years. Rick and I have both run MHM presses (alongside other makes and models for comparison) in our shops for decades and can both vouch for the “world’s best” claim. We visited the MHM factory, located in the quaint Austrian town of Erl, to see behind the curtain of this great brand. We’ll cover this visit extensively in a future series of posts, but here is an overview of the place and the people that produce the world’s best textile presses.
Facility:
Location, location, location. The MHM factory is nestled at the base of the Austrian Alps. This is the view from the front entrance.
View of the MHM Factory exterior. Rick is all business, all the time.
Birds-eye view of the MHM factory main floor
Parts & Product:
Assembly of this SP 5000 (customized with vacuum platens) is nearly complete.Automated CNC machines are employed throughout the machine shop to convert raw materials to precision parts.
Automated CNC machine in action
An example of raw metal converted to a precision press part
Tesoma, the German dryer manufacturer, is now a sister company of MHM. They are both partially owned by Lfficiency Holding Company. Not only do the two product lines compliment each other, but the two manufacturing operations clearly have a synergy for maximum efficiency and economy.
MHM have recently acquired Calmat’s flash cure division and have rebranded under the MHM name. Assembly is conducted in-house with most parts being machined at MHM or Tesoma.
MHM flash units utilize state-of-the-art bulbs designed to produce maximum heat while reducing scorching.
This antique control unit is still produced and stocked for service of older models still in operation. A testament to the longevity of MHM presses.
People:
Over the years we’ve come to know many of the team members at MHM, but to see everyone together in their environment it becomes clear that they are the driving force behind the innovation and standards for which the brand is known.
Our good friend Thomas Fröhlich, President of MHM, oversees an agent meeting. Thomas began as an MHM technician and understands the team, brand, and product line better than anyone. Rick and I feel this is the strongest ownership of MHM ever, with Thomas owning MHM along with Lfficiency Holding Company. It is an exciting time for MHM with Thomas running the company and he totally understands the industry and all aspects of the company from the bottom to the top. Along with the strong financial status of the company, only good things can come from where MHM is now.
Ulrich Loser (left), Managing Director of Tesoma taking some time with a team technician.
Jean-Louis Esquerda, MHM Sales Manager, speaks no less than five languages. I am humbled.
Walter Gatt, CTO of MHM, with a paint room technician
White gloves throughout the floor
The care required at every stage of assembly is evident
Machine Shop CNC Technician at work
A sense of pride in work and product is clear
FESPA ’19…
FESPA is Europe’s largest speciality print exhibition. If you have never attended you should. FESPA ’19 was held at the massive Messe Center in Munich. Over three days at the show we failed to see everything but we saw a lot and, more importantly, we had plenty of time to catch up with friends and colleagues. More to follow on FESPA ’19 but for now, a few looks…
We arrive at Messe Center
Some of our friends’ work on display at FESPA 19 Awards Gallery
FESPA Trend Theater
Colour L*A*B*
Pantone Matching Station at Colour L*A*B*
Make/Print/Wear: Models show off apparel designed and constructed from scratch on the floor
Make/Print/Wear: Seamstress at work
Rick visits with Beppe Quaglia, CEO & President of Virus Inks
Dekken, not Dokken. Philippe Vasbinder, Owner/Founder of Dekken, mkes the best folding machines on the planet.
Having good friends in the industry sure makes these shows more fun. The booze helps too.
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