Transcontinental Invests in Three MAN Roland Presses for its First U.S. Newspaper Facility

MONTREAL—04/23/07—Transcontinental Printing has selected three COLORMAN XXL presses from MAN Roland to power its first newspaper printing plant in the United States. The COLORMAN XXL presses are scheduled to be installed next year and will go on edition in 2009.

Transcontinental’s unique newspaper production model has led major dailies to entrust their printing to Canada’s largest printer. A global leader in newspaper production, Transcontinental already prints 75 daily and weekly newspapers including Canada’s national newspaper – The Globe and Mail, the French-language daily La Presse and The New York Times for distribution in Canada and upstate New York.

Pierre Manseau, Transcontinental’s Director of Infrastructure and Production Technology for North American Development and US Operations, says innovation and reputation are the main reasons that his company chose MAN Roland: “We selected them for the quality of their project management, for their technology, and for their track record,” he notes. “We also like MAN Roland’s open approach to working with other vendors’ systems in prepress and postpress. And their innovative idea of applying the 6-by-2 blanket-to-blanket configuration to newspaper presses was something we discussed in-depth with them. And we liked the answers they provided.”

The press purchase is the first technological development to be announced about Transcontinental’s new business model with the San Francisco Chronicle. Last November, Transcontinental signed an exclusive 15-year contract with Hearst Corporation to print the San Francisco Chronicle daily newspaper and its related products, as well as provide complete post-press services. Because details are still being finalized, the planned location of the new plant cannot be disclosed at the present time.

Built to Perform

The basic configuration of each COLORMAN XXL will consist of three towers, each housing eight printing couples, for a total of 24 per press. Fed by four MAN Roland CD–15 XXL reelstands, and operated from two PECOM control consoles, each of the COLORMAN presses will be capable of producing 36 broadsheet pages in full process color or 48 broadsheet pages with 24 of them in full color, depending upon the output mode. All three presses can be equipped for heatset production in the future.

Joining the PECOM press control system in Transcontinental’s new plant will be an array of production automation. MAN Roland’s AUROLOAD 2.1 — an advanced automatic reel loading system — will keep the presses stocked. Webbing up will be handled by WEBSYS, MAN Roland’s automatic web lead-in system. And the pressmaker’s TECOSYS automatic tension control system will optimize web flow. Also: COLORMAN XXLs are shaftless machines, with a separate digitally directed motor dedicated to each printing couple.

Networked Production

MAN Roland’s involvement with Transcontinental ranges beyond the pressroom. The pressmaker’s printnet production management and workflow system is an integral part of project.

It provides a complete one-source solution that delivers the ability to plan and track product from order entry and the manufacturing process through distribution. And printnet can adapt to any editorial and ad systems the newspaper client may be using. “It will enable us to use data from our customers directly, so they don’t have to change their procedures for us,” Manseau says.

Future View

Transcontinental will keep its options open In terms of the longer-term capabilities of its equipment. “The presses could have heatset capacity added, so we will be ready if the market goes in that direction,” Manseau says.

Vince Lapinski, CEO of MAN Roland Inc., states: “We are honored to be chosen as Transcontinental’s partner on their first industry-defining project in the United States.”

About Transcontinental
The largest printer in Canada and sixth-largest in North America, Transcontinental also ranks as the country’s leading publisher of consumer magazines and French-language educational resources, and its second-largest community newspaper publisher. Transcontinental distinguishes itself by creating strategic partnerships that integrate the company into its customers’ value chain, notably through its unique newspaper printing model and its value-added services. From mass to highly personalized marketing, the company offers its client’s integrated solutions, which include a continent-leading, direct marketing offering, a diverse digital platform and a door-to-door advertising material distribution network. Transcontinental is a company whose values, including respect, innovation and integrity, are central to its operation. Transcontinental (TSX: TCL.A, TCL.B) has more than 14,500 employees in Canada, the United States and Mexico, and reported revenues of C$2.3 billion in 2006.

About MAN Roland
MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG is the world’s second largest printing systems manufacturer and the world’s market leader in web offset. MAN Roland operates out of Offenbach, Augsburg and Plauen in Germany. It employs 9,000 staff and generates annual sales of $2.14 billion (EUR 1.7 billion), with an export share of 83%. Web and sheetfed offset are its major product lines for publishing, general commercial and packaging printing. MAN Roland is the only printing press manufacturer to be a partner of the WAN (World Association of Newspapers). In North America, MAN Roland Inc. operates a network of five regional sales and service facilities, staffed by over 250 employees.