A new compact KBA press in Germany has received a grand launch with a boost from the regional prime minister.
Hesse chief Volker Bouffier praised the publisher’s “entrepreneurial courage”, and said local and regional newspapers would be successful in future “if they keep their identities”.
The KBA Commander CT at Mittelhessische Druck und Verlagsgesellschaft (MDV) in Giessen, was officially inaugurated in front of guests including prime minister Bouffier. MDV is the third generation family-run publisher of Giessener Allgemeine.
Managing director Max Rempel said the company believed in the future of newspapers, “both in printed and electronic form”. Despite competition from global companies such as Google and Facebook, “nothing has changed with regard to the basic functions of newspapers”.
He believes is is still key to supply the general public with independent information, to explain and classify complex topics as well as to uncover wrongdoings in society from a critical point of view. In this globally-networked world these media which “do not sacrifice accuracy for speed” are important.
Joint managing director Jan Eric Rempel says the new high performance press is “considerably more environmentally-friendly” than its predecessor. “With its advanced level of automation and superb full-colour quality the Commander CT has significantly enhanced our product profile, their presentation and cost efficiency.”
The company prints about 55,000 copies of the regional titles Giessener Allgemeine, Alsfelder Allgemeine and Wetterauer Zeitung in Berliner format, plus supplements, frees and contract titles amounting weekly to over a million copies a week.
The new press has three towers and a KF 5 folder, with extensive automation – in paper logistics, plate changing, production planning, presetting, operation, control and monitoring – and equipment for half covers and ribbon stitching.
Pictured: Jan Eric Rempel (right) and technical director Otmar Buss (second right) with KBA sales director Alexander Huttenlocher and Peter Müller