A rare gathering in Singapore saw the heads of four major newspaper industry suppliers together at Singapore Press Holdings last week (April 13). Chief executive of Goss International Jochen Meissner, the presidents of Agfa Graphics (StefaanVanhooren) and ABB Singapore (James Foo), and chairman of Harland Simon Roy Ashman were at the SPH Print Centre for the official launch of the Upgrading and Renewal Project @ Print Centre (URPC). The four companies were partners in the project: Goss supplied equipment and service for the colour capacity upgrade – converting eight 4/1 towers into 4/4 back-to-back colour towers on the four existing Colorliner presses, installed in 1996 – while ABB and Harland Simon are involved in press control and reel control retrofits. Agfa Graphics has supplied one of the world’s largest CTP installations, consisting of ten platesetter lines divided equally between the Colorliner and KBA presses at the plant. SPH is converting from film-based to digital platemaking system at this, its main printing plant. The system will also incorporate the largest and most sophisticated plate sorting station in the world, undertaken by Glunz and Jensen. “We went through a rigorous and thorough evaluation process to assess the merits of competing offers and our chosen partners have offered us a solution and value that best meets our requirements,” says Anthony Cheng, executive vice-president of production at SPH. SPH has a reputation for being highly professional and thorough in its project evaluations: “We are a very demanding customer, but at the same time, once the contract is signed and sealed, we treat the vendors as partners and we would go to great lengths ourselves to help them succeed,” he says. SPH chairman Dr Tony Tan officiated at the launch, re-commissioning Press 1 which has been completed under the first phase. The whole project is expected to be completed by the second half of next year. The project is a reaffirmation of SPH’s commitment to print: “Our core business is in print. This is why we have been, and will continue to improve our print products and facilities,” he said. SPH publishes 17 newspaper titles in four languages in Singapore, reaching three million individuals or 79 per cent of people above 15 years old. It also publishes and produces more than 100 magazine titles in Singapore and the region, covering interests from lifestyle to information technology. Pictured (from left) are Jochen Meissner, Stefaan Vanhooren, Anthony Cheng, Dr Tony Tan, Roy Ashman and James Foo