Courier Corp. Spends $13M in Bolstering Digital Capacity

NORTH CHELMSFORD, MA—Courier Corp., which specializes in book manufacturing, content management and publishing, plans to provide complete end-to-end digital production capability at its flagship four-color plant in Kendallville, IN. The heart of the new production line will be a high-volume HP T410 color inkjet web press, Courier’s fourth HP digital press and its largest to date.

With three HP T350 presses already running at its plant in North Chelmsford, MA, Courier opted for the greater capacity and flexibility of the T410, with its 42˝ web width, to serve an even larger customer base across a full range of run lengths at the Indiana plant. Other key components include HP’s new Indigo 10000 digital press for book covers, a Muller Martini binding line, and extensive warehousing and distribution facilities.

The new equipment is scheduled to be installed over the winter for ramp-up next spring at a cost of approximately $13 million. That will bring Courier’s total investment in digital production to $40 million.

“Bringing digital capability to Kendallville makes excellent sense for our customers and for our company,” said Courier Chairman and CEO James Conway. “It’s a logical next step given the success of our Courier Digital Solutions business in Massachusetts, which is currently installing its own HP Indigo 10000 press as one of seven worldwide beta sites.

“Today many publishers are moving to multi-print strategies to maximize the lifespan of every title and capture short-term opportunities, while reducing inventory and obsolescence costs. By leveraging Courier Digital Solutions’ expertise at our Kendallville plant, we can make that process a lot easier.

“Through this initiative, customers who already rely on Courier Kendallville for outstanding quality in four-color offset will gain access to offset-quality digital production for shorter runs right in the same facility. They’ll also gain a full set of complementary capabilities including content management, seamless customization and a direct-ship option from a convenient geographic hub,” added Conway.