Another Press Order Before First Press Installed

The partnership between Media General and KBA North America continues to grow stronger, according to the US arm of the German press manufacturer.

The partnership between Media General and KBA North America continues to grow stronger, according to the US arm of the German press manufacturer.

Even though start-up of the Bristol (Virginia) Herald Courier's new KBA Comet is only in its initial stages, Media General has already agreed to buy a similar Comet for the Lynchburg (Virginia) The News and Advance.

Bob Rogers, vice president of operations for Media General Publishing Division, said: "We believe KBA provides the finest quality equipment on the market for the price." And Joseph A Miller, production manager at The News and Advance, added: "Greater colour capacity and higher quality are the things that our advertisers demand, and those are the things this technology provides." Gary Owen, KBA North America's director of marketing and newspaper sales, commented: "It's a great indicator when a company comes back for more before the first one is even fully installed." Facing what Rogers called 'an obsolescence issue' with its current press, a Harris 1650 purchased in the early 1970s, Media General sought technology that would fortify the Lynchburg facility for years, said KBA.

Bob Rogers explained: "The primary purpose is to present a superior product to our customers through better colour and a level of speed that allows us to do other things in the market." Like the Bristol press, The News and Advance's Comet will be able to print three broadsheet pages across one web, as opposed to the traditional two-page wide format, explained Bruce Richardson, KBA's national accounts manager.

Specially designed turner bar and ribbon decks, coupled with folder positioning, enables the KBA press to accomplish a 50 per cent increase in page capacity with only a modest increase in capital investment, said the company.

And because the Comet will allow printing on variable web widths from 22" to 39", the News and Advance expects to do more semi-commercial work.

Unlike the floor-mounted Bristol installation, the Lynchburg press is scheduled to be concrete table-mounted.

Rogers added: "Because of the site restrictions, we're going with a press that has a smaller footprint.

The project includes five eight-couple towers and a future position for an additional tower.

The press will have seven KBA Pastoline reelstands with infeed systems, two KBA KF three jaw folders (system 2:3:3), one KBA quarter-folder, and an EAE press control system with four consoles." Joseph A Miller said: "We're very pleased with the equipment and the company.

We have been confident in KBA since day one and that confidence continues to grow as we work together.

In fact, we were totally impressed with the concern and dedication they displayed during our most recent trip to KBA headquarters in Wurzburg in last October." Media General plans to build an addition to its existing Lynchburg pressroom to house the new press.

Construction is to be completed by the end of this year, with installation set to start early in 2007.

The company is looking to commission its new press in August 2007.

The News and Advance has a daily circulation of 37,245 copies and a Sunday circulation of 42,733.

Media General owns and operates The Tampa Tribune, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Winston-Salem Journal and 22 other daily newspapers in Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Alabama and South Carolina, as well as 100 additional periodicals.

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