Sanoma Corporation, the newspaper publishing and printing and financial information sector of the SanomaWSOY Group, has signed a contract with Man Roland Druckmaschinen AG of Germany to acquire a new-generation printing production line for its Sanomala printing facility in Greater Helsinki.
Sanoma Corporation, the newspaper publishing and printing and financial information sector of the SanomaWSOY Group, has signed a contract with Man Roland Druckmaschinen AG of Germany to acquire a new-generation printing production line for its Sanomala printing facility in Greater Helsinki. The new line represents an important strategic development for Sanoma because of its versatility, high print quality, and speed. The contract is valued at some FIM 225 million and forms part of a FIM 456 million printing machinery investment programme announced by Sanoma Corporation in February.
Jaakko Rauramo, the Chairman of Sanoma Corporation's Board of Directors and the President and CEO of the SanomaWSOY Group, describes the project as a clear indication of SanomaWSOY's continuing commitment to print media.
We're moving ahead in both electronic and classic print media, says Rauramo. The competitive situation has given us a unique opportunity to take this move now and strengthen our position as Finland's leading newspaper publisher in respect of both volume and quality.
Sanoma Corporation's President and the Publisher of Helsingin Sanomat, Seppo Kievari, underlines the benefits of the new machinery.
The new line represents the very latest in terms of quality, efficiency, and flexibility. We believe that papers committed to developing both their content and their print quality, such as ours, will be well-placed to succeed in the future. In line with SanomaWSOY's strategy, we are also closely involved in electronic media, and success in this area is strongly based on content expertise in classic newspaper activities.
Sanoma's new printing machine represents the latest printing technology. The system's satellite-based operating principle is designed to guarantee the highest possible four-colour quality for each and every sheet of newsprint, and will enable the various sections of Helsingin Sanomat, for example, to be printed at varying page counts and independently of each other. The new technology also opens up new opportunities for targeting regional news and media space sales.
The new presses will run 50% faster than our existing ones, says Pekka Salmén, who heads up the Helsingin Sanomat Printing Plant. This will shorten our production times considerably and enable us to include material at later deadlines.
The new line will consist of two printing machines, both equipped with a double fold unit for high-efficiency insert production. The line will also include an option for full-colour printing on coated paper and six-colour printing in the future.
The line, which will be housed in a new building at the Sanoma printing plant currently under construction, is scheduled to enter service in summer 2003.
Sanoma's Sanomala printing plant in Vantaa, Greater Helsinki was completed in 1977. In addition to this site, Sanoma also operates printing facilities at Varkaus and Forssa.