The management of the Paarl Media Group has in principle decided that it would be to the benefit of its clients to amalgamate the business of Paarl Web in Paarl with the business of Paarl Gravure in Montague Gardens.

This amalgamation will happen in the first half of 2010 and will result in a 16 page 65 000 manroland Rotoman, a 48 page 45 000 manroland Lithoman and a 64 page 45 000 manroland Lithoman joining the current stable of publication gravure presses in Montague Gardens. The inline finishing services and bindery at Montague Gardens will be substantially enhanced to accommodate this capacity.  The pre-press facility will also be expanded to accommodate both publication gravure and the web-offset requirements. 

As deliberations with staff members and the representative unions continue, the Paarl Media Group has in the interim procured three new printing presses from Komori.  These presses include an LS 1040Pten unit perfecting press, an LS 840P eight unit perfecting press and an LS 640 + C six unit press with anilox coating.  Both perfecting presses will be equipped with reel to sheet equipment.  It is expected that these three presses will be commissioned by the end of August 2009 in the interim housing at the Paarl Web facilities.  In addition, a 901/1 backprinter has been ordered from manroland and will be commissioned in the first quarter of 2010.  This perfecting press will also be reel to sheet and will be capable of printing in 32 page sections.  These presses will be joined early in 2010 by an 8 page and a 16 page web offset press.

In addition the Paarl Media Group can confirm that the establishment of a ‘greenfields’ site in Kwazulu-Natal is well under way and will be operational in the first half of 2010.  This factory will be a commercial web-offset facility and will initially house two 16 page manroland Rotomans with saddle stitching and square-back binding facilities offered in the bindery.

In gearing up for the future the Paarl Media Group will have to ensure that its management team is well positioned.  In this regard the Paarl Media Group is pleased to announce that Conrad Rademeyer will take up the position of Managing Director of Paarl Coldset from August 2009 and that Tobie Louw will take up the position of Managing Director for the newly formed Paarl Print facility from September 2009.  Chris Snyman, Executive Director of the Paarl Media Group, will take over the responsibilities of Paarl Web until the amalgamation of Paarl Web with Paarl Gravure is completed.  Christoff Botha will remain as Managing Director of the expanded facility in Montague Gardens, which will in future be known as Paarl Media (Cape).  Johan Vosloo, current Managing Director of Paarl Coldset, will join the Paarl Media Group as an Executive Director from August 2009.

The changes represent the Paarl Media Group’s initiative to keep pricing in the print media industry at an efficient level through synergy, optimization and geographic positioning without sacrificing the technology, quality and service provided to clients.

None of the comprehensive services offered by the Paarl Media Group will be affected during any of the processes.  Business will continue as usual, while we continue to perfect and improve our services to our clients, the company says.