January 12, 2004: The Polestar Group has today ordered two four metre-wide gravure presses from Cerutti and six seven-station Unidrum stitching systems from Ferag, as it forges ahead with its plans to develop a Greenfield gravure production facility and re-equip its binderies – part of a £100 million investment program announced in December. Contracts will be finalized during January. This initial press investment will see the two machines installed in January and February 2005. Mike Bartlett, Polestar Group Operations Director, says: “We have chosen Cerutti because it offers the most flexible technical solution. With this width of press, we have the ability to produce 144 A4 pages in a single pass as well as tabloid capability, which provides the best fit with our own and our customers’ current and future needs. “Similarly, the Ferag systems have been chosen because their levels of performance and output for A4 and tabloid production complements the high speeds of the presses, enabling us to finish the product efficiently and within the demanding timeframes of the high volume weekly and monthly titles we produce.” The order for six seven-station Unidrum 3-420 systems represents Ferag’s single largest order for drum stitchers. The six systems, comprising saddle stitching, inserting, wrapping, glue-card insertion and ‘Memo Stick’ application, are capable of handling A4 and tabloid-size products at a mechanical speed of 30,000 copies per hour. The bindery systems are to be installed in Polestar’s Greenfield gravure facility and existing UK Print magazine production plants, with the first machine scheduled for delivery in spring 2004. Ferag has also offered a dedicated maintenance resource via its UK subsidiary WRH Marketing UK, whilst Cerutti is expanding its infrastructure to provide specialist engineering resources dedicated to Polestar. Polestar is still reviewing suppliers of perfect binding equipment and those of press-associated technology including environmental, prepress engraving, colour and register control.