Potter Book Draws Attention to RRD Plant

CRAWFORDSVILLE, IN—It’s not often that a print job generates hushed, reverent tones and giddy anticipation, but this small town here has become the focus of media scrutiny. And for good reason.

RR Donnelley’s Crawfordsville book printing facility is one of several that had the honor of manufacturing “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” which went on sale last Saturday at 12:01 a.m. While Donnelley would not confirm or deny having the contract, the company in the past told PRINTING IMPRESSIONS that it had printed large quantities of J.K. Rowling’s series.

Publisher Scholastic was also tight lipped when various media inquired as to which vendors had the contract.

That Donnelley or Scholastic would cite security and confidentiality agreements is a testament to the unbelievable buzz the Potter series enjoyed since its debut in the states nearly 10 years ago. A number of book printers have been fortunate enough to produce the Potter tome; those who didn’t benefitted from overflow of other product created by reduced capacity.

Now that rabid fans have learned Harry’s fate and the series has come to its conclusion, it will take more than a little magic to replace the gaping hole that will be left in the consumer trade space.