Color Web Printers Adds Overnight Production to Meet Demands, Eliminates 25 Positions

Earlier this week, Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based newspaper, The Gazette, reported that Color Web Printers, a 100% employee-owned, full-service commercial printing facility and the digital printing division of Gazette Communications Inc., also based in Cedar Rapids, is realigning operations to include an overnight shift, in the process eliminating 25 positions.

Color Web Printers is realigning operations to include an overnight shift, eliminating 25 positions in the process.

In an interview with Printing Impressions, Daniel Goldstein, president and CEO of Gazette’s parent company Folience, explains that the company needed to readjust its production process to meet the changing needs of consumers and evolving trends of the printing industry.

“Eighty-five percent of our customers and newspapers need printing services at night,” Goldstein says. “To keep relevant to changes in the consumption of the printing habits of our customers, Color Web Printers will focus production on a primarily nighttime [schedule].”

Although the production schedule shift has led to a reduction in staff, Goldstein explains that the change was necessary to meet evolving newspaper consumption habits.

"There's an overall reduction in volume as newspapers across the country have some decline in circulation,” Goldstein says. “As big box stores go out of business … there's a reduction in volume of printed advertising that follows national trends for a couple of newspapers that we print.”

Along with this production schedule shift, Goldstein says Color Web Printers has made changes to meet the evolving needs and growing expectations of their customers, including updating its press equipment and machinery, and focusing attention to the company’s overall development and successful safety measures.

Realigning the production schedule to include an overnight shift will help account for the 85% of Color Web Printers' customers that require services at night.

While this change in volume and production schedule may reflect trends in the industry, Goldstein is confident in its lifespan, and is sure the printing industry will remain a critical medium for obtaining information for years to come, along with digital distribution.

"Printing is still very relevant to the dissemination and consumption of news and information, and while there are trends in other directions, we have a long history of providing print and news information, and are going to continue to do that, as well as printing that of others who do the same,” Goldstein says. “So, while there are shifts toward other forms of consumption, it's still a very important way to distribute news and information, and we're committed to remaining very relevant providers of print services."