Edwards Brothers Acquires New Timsons Zero-Makeready Web Press

ANN ARBOR, MI—Dec. 1, 2010—Edwards Brothers (EB) announced the installation of a new Timsons T48A ZMR one- and two-color press, giving it one of the largest fleets of Timsons presses in the country. This press will significantly increase Edwards’ 11˝ book capacity and help it meet the needs of professional and educational clients that have a growing demand for short- and medium-run offset book manufacturing.

ZMR or “zero makeready” refers to the ability to run from one form to the next without stopping the press, resulting in minimal paper waste for one-color work. There are two printing units on the web, allowing the press to continue printing while the next set of plates is installed for the next run. The two printing units will also allow the press to produce high quality two color text printing.

“Even in this difficult environment where making significant capital purchases can be unsettling, it makes sense to use technology to lower our manufacturing costs as well as increase capacity,” said John Edwards, President and CEO of Edwards Brothers. “As a short-run manufacturer, we see opportunities as publisher print runs stabilize at new lower levels. This new Timsons press will help us meet that demand and at the same time, help increase our own efficiencies by reducing down time and paper waste during the manufacturing process.”

The Timsons press purchase is part of a EB’s program of ongoing investment in plant and technology in order to maintain the highest levels of quality and efficiency in the industry. Other recent investments include an upgrade of EB’s fleet of digital print engines across multiple centers, a new binding line in EB’s North Carolina digital book center, new stacker/palletizer equipment in the Ann Arbor offset facility, installation of a shop floor data collection system, and a multi-year installation of state-of-the-art business systems for improving overall processes and workflow.

About Edwards Brothers, Inc.:
Established in 1893, Edwards Brothers is a leader in offset and digital book, journal, and catalog manufacturing specializing in medium, short, and ultra-short runs for publishers, authors, scholarly societies, industrial firms, universities, and others. The fourth-generation family business has eight sales offices and employs nearly 750 people in multiple facilities, including three Ann Arbor, MI, and Lillington, NC, offset plants and nine on-site and remote digital printing operations in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Edwards Brothers is also part of the gps Global Print Solutions worldwide distributed print alliance. For more information, visit www.edwardsbrothers.com.

Source: Companny press release.