Westmont, Illinois — As North American newspapers accelerate the trend toward enhancing their color capacity and pressroom productivity, they are increasingly turning to the world’s leading manufacturer of newspaper presses for solutions. MAN Roland is delivering with the industry’s most complete line of web offset presses and tower add-on programs. Among the ongoing projects: The Los Angeles Times The Los Angeles Times has assigned MAN Roland to install COLORMAN tower extensions in two of its three Southern California production facilities. The units will be the first COLORMAN add-ons to run in North America, and will allow the Times to provide more color pages for its readers and advertisers. “We currently have the capacity to print up to six sections, 96 pages, with 24 pages of full color,” said Mark H. Kurtich, Senior Vice President of Operations at the Times. “When we’re done with this project, we’ll still have six sections and 96 pages, but instead of 24 pages of full color, we’ll have 32.” Adding the eight pages of color will be COLORMAN tower additions attached to the Times’ ten existing Goss Colorliner presses. The project also involves reconfiguring all five of the paper’s Goss Retroliner presses, meaning that all 15 of the Times’ web press systems will be improved. The first COLORMAN towers are slated to arrive next month, with all ten to be unpacked by the fall. Project completion is scheduled for the first quarter of next year. MAN Roland is managing all phases of the entire add-on operation. Bismarck Tribune The Bismarck Tribune, a Lee Enterprises property, has signed to be the first newspaper in North America to be printed on the new 3 X 2 UNISET 75 web press from MAN Roland. The Tribune selected the 12-page, three-wide configuration for the extra capacity the format delivers over the two-wide model. “It allows us to print more pages in less press space, thus saving money on the price of the press,” says Roman Dymerski, the paper’s Production Manager. “It also enhances our ability to conserve natural resources because we’ll be using less newsprint.” The system will be delivered in November 2004, assembled on a steel substructure, and ready to print the Tribune by April 2005. Chicago Tribune MAN Roland has been selected by the Chicago Tribune to provide a turnkey press expansion solution as the newspaper embarks on a project to double its color capacity over the next two years. MAN Roland will be adding 19 eight-couple COLORMAN tower expansions to the Tribune’s 10 existing web presses. To achieve the newspaper’s goals of increased color printing capacity, as well as other enhancements to improve flexibility, MAN Roland will place a new eight-couple COLORMAN tower at each end of the presses. The 10th press will require one COLORMAN tower to achieve enhanced capabilities. All told, Chicago Tribune will increase its color capacity by 16 additional process color pages on typical runs. The COLORMAN extensions will be added without disrupting production at the Tribune. That will necessitate a two-year installation schedule, which will begin this fall. News Tribune Company Missouri’s News Tribune Company will start installing a UNISET 75 in September 2005 in a new 40,000 sq ft production center. The press will be configured with four reel stands, 32 couples and a 2:3:3 folder. It is scheduled to be operational by mid-February 2006. The company publishes a number of leading newspapers, covering Jefferson City, the state’s capital, and central Missouri. The Kalamazoo Gazette In Kalamazoo, Michigan the Kalamazoo Gazette began running a new REGIOMAN system in the fall. The paper went from letterpress to offset, replacing 1968 Goss Mark IIs. The Kalamazoo press totals 40 couples, 6 reel splicers and 2 folders, and is housed in a 52,000 sq ft extension that the paper added to its current facility to consolidate plate making, printing, packaging and distribution. The Honolulu Advertiser Consolidation and high technology were also at the core of The Honolulu Advertiser’s decision to print with two MAN Roland REGIOMAN systems. The presses now power the paper’s new 147,000 sq ft production and distribution facility. The Advertiser’s REGIOMAN systems delivered in August 2003, and were up and running by May 2004. Each is equipped with seven reel splicers, and six eight-couple towers. One wll integrates a single folder, while the second will features a double folder in a 2:3:3 configuration. With 152,000 daily and 173,000 Sunday readers, The Advertiser is Hawaii’s leading newspaper. With the new REGIOMAN presses, it can simultaneously print two editions of up to 56 pages each with 40 pages in full color. The configuration is also capable of printing a 64-page newspaper, providing full color on each and every page. Flint Journal Michigan’s Flint Journal is now the home of a 32 couple, 4 reel REGIOMAN with one folder, which was delivered last September and went into production last February. The press brings the news to a daily circulation of 91,725 and a Sunday count of 108,111. Grand Rapids Press Two GEOMAN presses, totaling 64 couples, 12 reels and two folders will be commissioned this month at The Grand Rapids Press in Michigan. The configuration gives the paper the ability to print up to 64 pages of full color at one time. Courier Times A new GEOMAN started printing The Courier Times in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, last month. The press is configured with 29 couples, five reels and one folder. Treasure Coast Publishing In Stuart, Florida, Scripps Treasure Coast Publishing has blueprinted a $42 million production facility that features two REGIOMAN presses, which were delivered in January. The company publishes three dailies in addition to a wide range of community, senior and business newspapers in one of the most affluent markets in the U.S. “The main advantage of the new presses is that they will enable us to print and package all of our newspapers from one centralized location,” says Becky Freeman, Treasure Coast’s General Manager. “Currently each of our three dailies has its own production facility, which obviously is not the most cost effective way to get papers printed and distributed.” The presses are equipped with 82 couples, 14 reel stands and 2 folders and are scheduled to go into production this fall. Valley Publishing The Bay City Times and the Saginaw News in Michigan is installing a new REGIOMAN system in a joint production operation. This off-site facility, operated under the name Valley Publishing, is anchored by a REGIOMAN configured with 32 couples, 5 reels and 2 folders. Valley Publishing is scheduled for an August start-up, when it will serve markets with combined daily and Sunday circulations of 90,000 and 110,000 respectively. Peoria Journal Star The Peoria Journal Star, a Copley Press, Inc. property, is installing a new GEOMAN press to replace its current Goss letterpress system. The 42-couple, 8-web machine — earmarked to more than double the paper’s color capacity — will reside in a new 66,000 sq ft extension that has been added to the company’s facility. It’s scheduled to go into production this fall. “Since we are making a 50-year leap from letterpress technology to offset we expect our new GEOMAN to supply a dynamic improvement in print quality, which will exceed the expectations of our advertisers and readers,” says Paul Bullock, the newspaper’s Production Director. “Our other goals are to increase color capacity and quality, meet our current production needs, and have a press with the necessary flexibility to meet our needs in the future.” The Journal Star’s GEOMAN is configured in six towers, three on each side of a double-couple 80-page jaw folder system. Four are 4/4 and two are 4/1. The folder superstructure is equipped with five former boards, two up and three down, and a double-out delivery. Detroit Newspapers Detroit Newspapers, the joint venture that handles production of The Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press, will be receiving six new GEOMAN presses in August. The web offset systems will be the centerpiece of a $170 million expansion of Detroit Newspaper’s North Plant printing facility in Sterling Heights, Michigan. At total of 190,000 sq ft will be added to the plant, which currently handles most production tasks for the two papers and will take over full production once the GEOMAN presses are up and running. “We are very excited about the product improvements and enhanced capabilities this will allow us to offer to readers and advertisers,” said Frank Vega, President and CEO of Detroit Newspapers. “This investment demonstrates our determination to anticipate and exceed customer expectations and it shows the commitment of our parent companies, Gannett and Knight Ridder, to the southeastern Michigan market.” The Detroit News is owned by Gannett Co. Inc., while Knight Ridder, Inc. owns the Detroit Free Press. The newspapers publish separate editions Monday to Friday and a combined edition on Saturday and Sunday. The company’s new GEOMAN systems will consist of 300 couples, 60 webs and 6 folders. Modifying the Medium “Newspapers are improving the appearance of their products to be more appealing to readers and advertisers, while at the same time reducing their production costs,” says Vincent H. Lapinski, COO of Web Operations at MAN Roland Inc. “Our solutions let them achieve both objectives simultaneously. From our clear-cut lead in the 4X1 category to the success of our tower add-on program, it’s very apparent that an increasing number of newspapers want the advantages of partnering with the industry’s leading technology provider.”