$13 million press plan under way at Courier

October 31st, 2012

News Coverage:

Published: October 31, 2012 3:00 a.m.

$13 million press plan under way at Courier

Sherry Slater | The Journal Gazette

Courier Corp. is investing $13 million in a four-color inkjet web press for its Kendallville plant.

No new jobs are in the company’s short-term plan.

The new HP-brand equipment, which will be operational in the spring, will allow the Massachusetts-based company to offer offset-quality digital production for shorter print runs, the company said in a written statement dated Monday.

Aurelio Maruggi, an executive with HP, said his company’s product will allow Courier “to offer complete variable content printing at full press speed with uncompromising quality, extraordinary flexibility and the robust performance needed to maintain a competitive edge.”

Peter Folger, Courier senior vice president and chief financial officer, said the press will be installed in the 200,000-square-foot warehouse the company built three years ago for $10 million in Kendallville’s East Industrial Park.

Courier also spent $17 million to install a new press in its main Kendallville plant in 2010 and expand the warehouse to 200,000 square feet. The $13 million price tag for the newest project includes building upgrades to make it more comfortable for workers.

Courier employs about 600 in Kendallville. The press requires about 40 workers to operate. Folger said they will probably come from the existing workforce initially. Courier’s ability to create new jobs will depend on how quickly the publishing company can attract additional business, he said Tuesday.

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