ROCHESTER, N.Y., - Antonio  M. Perez, Chairman and CEO of Eastman Kodak Company, and John Place, President and CEO of Mercury Print Productions, joined together for a ribbon-cutting ceremony today to celebrate the installation of Mercury's new digital inkjet KODAK PROSPER 5000XL Press. The investment is expected to create 40 new jobs at Mercury over the next three years. Mercury is the first Rochester company to install a KODAK PROSPER Press, utilizing Kodak's revolutionary Stream Inkjet Technology, which was developed in Dayton, OH and Rochester. The installation of this new technology greatly increases Mercury's ability to produce short-run books in color and will serve as the cornerstone of its digital book operation.

"As the nature of book publishing changes, our customers are looking to us to help them reduce overhead costs such as inventory and distribution," said Place. "Digital printing offers numerous advantages in these areas, and the innovative technology behind the KODAK PROSPER 5000XL Press makes it easier for us to meet customer demands today and well into the future."

The PROSPER 5000XL Press installation at Mercury also will serve as a demonstration site for Kodak as well as book publishers looking to transform their businesses. Mercury's investment is expected to retain 81 jobs and add 40 new jobs over a three-year period in the greater Rochester area. Empire State Development awarded a $250,000 capital grant to support Mercury's efforts, which will be distributed as the company reaches its investment and employment targets.

"Mercury is a great example of an innovative business that is embracing transformational technology to drive success and growth," added Perez. "The company understands the market and is taking a leadership position in providing cutting edge solutions for its customers. The PROSPER 5000XL Press represents exciting opportunities for Mercury as well as for the surrounding community, because a growing business means more security and new jobs."

The PROSPER 5000XL Press brings offset class output approaching 175 lines per inch to Mercury's digital capabilities, with roll-fed speeds up to 650 feet (or 200 meters) per minute. This combination of speed and exceptional quality make the PROSPER 5000XL Press the most efficient and cost-effective platform for producing between 1 million to 12 million books per year. The PROSPER 5000XL Press also delivers the lowest total cost of ownership at the desired productivity and efficiency for 8, 12 and 16 page signatures. The monthly duty cycle for the PROSPER 5000XL Press is up to 120 million A4 impressions, with print widths up to 24.5 inches. The result: short turnaround times for book runs of up to 3,000 with the quality that publishers demand.

The comprehensive book system featuring the KODAK PROSPER Press is augmented by the LASERMAX ROLL Systems Wide Unwind & Rewind units. The finishing lines feature the Stack 2230 Systems that, via a SHUTTLEWORTH Conveyer, feed the MULLER MARTINI Sigma Binder system.

With faster time to market, offset class print quality and automated inventory replenishment, Mercury plans to increase its already significant business with the largest textbook publishers, including McGraw Hill Education, Pearson, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and others.

Mercury Print Productions is a state-of-the-art offset sheetfed commercial printer complemented by a full-service on-demand digital print workflow, in-house bindery capabilities, a digital print book division, an electronic media solutions division, fulfillment, and warehousing. Mercury opened its book publishing division four years ago, when publishers began to turn to digital printing for its short turnaround times and on-demand capabilities.