Ahead of Drupa 2020, I remember the moments before Drupa 2016. Several memoirs were recalled, one of them a memory of being invited to visit the Gallus AG factory, the world’s leading label printing machine manufacturer. Nearly four years ago, precisely in February 2016, in a series of pre-drupa events in 2016. If I hadn’t been whispered by my traveling companion, Noel D.Cunha, editor in chief of Printweek India, I never thought before, a middle-aged man who welcomed we went straight to the hotel Einstein St. Gallen, Switzerland, he is the owner of Gallus A.G, Ferdinand IV. Rüesch. The 4th direct descendant of the founder and creator of the world’s first label printing press.

Ferdinand IV. Rüesch is the 3rd generation to continue this label machine company. But despite his status as the owner of 30% of Gallus shares (70% already owned by Heidelberg AG), Rüesch’s ‘humble’ person makes us media crews feel comfortable searching for information and knowledge from him. Oh yes, coincidentally, I am the only media that comes from Indonesia, because Print Graphic is the only media that is currently a partner of Heidelberg Indonesia.

We have 20 people representing the media throughout Asia Pacific and Japan (minus China), who attended the city of St. Gallen, Switzerland, where the Gallus headquarters are located. This is one of a series of invitations to the Heidelberg Pre Drupa Press Conference (16-19 February 2016).

Well, in St. Gallen, our goal is to visit the Gallus A.G. factory. The giant label printing press introduces their first digital label printing machine, Gallus Labelfire.

Gallus A.G is a pioneer manufacturer of label printing machines from Switzerland. The name Gallus itself is taken from St. St. Gall, founder of the city of St. Gallen. Gallus was founded in 1920, by Rüesch’s grandfather, Ferdinand II Rüesch. He is the designer of the first label printing press. Flexography printing with the Anilox roller method developed here.

After our bus returned to the hotel after a walk to Mount Säntis and the cheese factory, Appenzeller, Rüesch kindly greeted all of his guests, said good night, had a good rest, then walked away, got out of the bus and walked alone. I don’t know, maybe he parked his car some distance from the hotel. Simple personal impression from Rüesch. Natural. Perhaps the characteristics of the Swiss people, just the way they are.

The next day, a brief but memorable moment, a group photo with the Boss. Rüesch did not hesitate when I asked him to take a picture in front of his latest machine which will be a ‘highlight’ at the 2016 drupa, Gallus DCS 340a or Gallus Labelfire at that time.

This digital label machine with UV Inkjet printing technology will be the ‘real fighter’ at the 2016 Drupa exhibition (Dusseldorf). This four-year-old exhibition has become a kind of ‘olympiad’ event for printing machine manufacturers to showcase their latest superior products.

Luckily, in that brief moment, there was Kay Mathy (owner of Print + magazine, Malaysia). With his journalistic instincts, without being asked, he took a picture of me with Rüesch with his smartphone. Selfie with the Gallus owner is certainly not an easy thing, because it turns out I am the only one who takes a selfie with him, he..he..he. Who knows, the windfall will come to me, of course, in addition to a box of Swiss-made chocolates, powerbank and Victorinox pocketknives which he has given as gifts, ha ha ha … Thank you Boss Rüesch.

Greetings from the Editor,

Andrey Damar