March 22, 2002 -- On February 19, 2002, the first A.B.Dick QP25 Offset Press built in Rochester and is now on it’s way to the client. The initial production of five QP25's at the Rochester facility began in late-January. Five sets of parts were transferred there, and assembly began with bases, cylinders, various sub-assemblies, 'heads', mid frames and the delivery system. Alice Dugger, Group Leader of Press Assembly, visited Rochester to train the Assemblers who were already well underway when she arrived. Under the direction of Doug Brugler, QA Manager and Project Coordinator, assembly processes and procedures were redefined as the presses progressed through each stage. John Durst, Production Manager, coordinated the enormous task of receiving more than 1000 parts from Niles, establishing stock locations, setting up the assembly line and performing numerous other functions to ensure a smooth transition. Assisting Doug and John in this effort were John LaRocca, Purchasing Supervisor and Dave Rogers, Facilities Supervisor. As the first unit reached the calibration stage, Urbano Bartolome, Niles Calibrator, was summoned to train the Assemblers in this very critical area of production. After one week of training, the first unit was calibrated and ready for audit. At that point, Frank Haley, Offset Tech Support Supervisor, joined in the action and performed the final audit which did not reveal any significant problems. After review with the Rochester Calibrator and Doug Brugler, the unit was proclaimed ready for trim and packaging and was placed in inventory on February 18. At the time of this writing, units two and three were through the calibration process with four and five right behind. Frank re-visited Rochester on the 18th and is performing final audits. The goal was to complete four QP25's by February 22. The early success of this project is largely attributable to the efforts of the manufacturing associates in Niles and Rochester who have worked hand-in-hand to make the transition as smooth as possible. The company offered special thanks to their Administrative Assistant, Andrea Fiordeliso, who has taken on a considerable workload and Buddy Vickers, Pre-Press Service Support Engineer, whose background servicing presses provided invaluable help and guidance.