Donnelley Investing $15.9M in Digital Book Printing

CHICAGO—An investment of $15.9 million will be made to maintain and expand the digital printing volume at RR Donnelley's book manufacturing operations in Crawfordsville, IN. The improvements will add at least 16 jobs over the next few years, reported the Journal Review.

In 2013, RR Donnelley moved $2 million worth of short-run digital equipment to the Crawfordsville location from an Illinois site without seeking tax abatements, the paper said. This latest investment will include the installation of digital book presses, binders, book block makers and other equipment.

RR Donnelley's Platform Vice President of Operations Stephen Seamans said that a four-color inkjet module will fill the gap from 100 to 1,000 copies. "It’s a very critical piece to the full range platform that you can’t find anywhere else," he added.

The company plans on adding a four-color inkjet module in 2015 and another in 2016.

A declaratory resolution—a 10-year tax abatement—was approved by Crawfordsville City Council for the improvements.

Seamans said that tax abatements were a significant factor in the company’s decision to invest in the Crawfordsville plant. "We are competing with a neighboring state that doesn’t have personal property taxes," he told the Journal Review.

"This is a bold step for RR Donnelley, and we are glad to be a part of it," Crawfordsville Mayor Todd Barton said. "We are excited about the business potential."