Building for the Future Building for the Future
Why a New Facility Now? Why a New Facility Now? • Project has been proposed for over 20 years • One of the last newspapers printed on letterpress • Old, inefficient buildings • Enormous cost of consumables - plates and paper • Enormous cost of staffing – all unionized labor • 12 bargaining unions, 14 separate contracts • Unable to compete for commercial work • Older print readership = high cost distribution model • Competitive market
Print Still Strong Print Still Strong In 2014 Scarborough reported Pittsburgh to be the • #1 market for print readership 51% of people polled claimed they read a daily printed • newspaper WHY? Average age of residents is older Level of education is above the national average In flux of people from the technology, medical, and higher education sectors, which are more likely to read newspapers
Limited Options Limited Options • Eliminate print and go all digital • Outsource printing and distribution • “Build” new facility w/ modern equipment
Ready, Set, GO! Ready, Set, GO! MARCH 2013 - Official approval to start the project We had 18 months to: Obtain a state-of-the-art offset press Relocate all production equipment and operational departments to a single facility Negotiate new union contracts to fit our new operation and right size our workforce. Train remaining workforce
Press Equipment Press Equipment May 2013 – Contracted with Goss for our press Goss Uniliner 4 tower press Two 2:5:5 jaw folders Triple wide, 66” web width Broadsheet format 11”x 21” 48 pages straight, all full color Six former boards for 6 sections Manufactured in the US 13 months to build and install Turnkey move of mailroom
Goss Uniliner Goss Uniliner
Additional Equipment Additional Equipment • Krause ¡CTP ¡lines ¡& ¡Bluefin processers • Puzzleflow Prepress ¡Automation and ¡Optimization ¡Software • Nela Plate ¡Punch/Bender ¡and ¡Bin ¡Sortation System • Ferag HPS ¡Stackers ¡and ¡UTR ¡gripper ¡conveyor • Harland ¡Simon ¡Controls ¡System ¡and ¡desks • QI ¡Color ¡Registration ¡system • Schur Palletizers
The Building The Building • Leased facility • Airport land • 245,000 sq. ft. • Solar panel facility • 4 mos. to renovate • 5 facilities into 1 • 80 days of newsprint February 25, 2014 February 25, 2014
Training • Hired a consultant David Preisser as Training Coordinator • We sent a team of electricians, machinists, and supervisors to New Hampshire while the press was being built • We have established a primary start-up crew of 7 pressmen. This crew was chosen by skill set, not seniority • The start-up crew is training 10 hour per days, six days a week, for six weeks straight until we went live • Joined PIA and used them to train departments on color quality and photo toning in preparation for off-set • Did additional training for electrical staff • We are still training weekly
“From the Flintstones to the Jetsons” “From the Flintstones to the Jetsons”
Go Live! Go Live! Edition of September 8 th , 2014 Owner John R. Block and daughter Caroline
Additional Projects Additional Projects • Bring printing of PG products in-house (comics, TV guide, jackets, special sections) • Create singular receiving area • Convert to a leased fleet • Streamline single copy distribution • Consolidate distribution centers • Create modern newsroom space • Commercial work
Thank You to our Vendors Thank You to our Vendors • Goss • QI • Ferag • Print2Finish • Harland Simon • Megtec • Flint • TechnoTrans • Resolute • Baldwin • Fuji • NPS • Krause • AIS • Nela • URS • PuzzleFlow • Shur
Questions …. Questions ….
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