The Iowa Falls (Iowa) Times-Citizen kicked off production in a new $2.3 million plant anchored by a beefed-up press as the 124-year-old paper upgraded its printing capabilities.

The twice-weekly newspaper added three Quad-Stack press units and a folder from Web Press Corp. to bolster its aging Goss Community press line, said Jo Martin, chief operating officer of Times-Citizen Communications, which owns the paper.

In addition to the Times-Citizen, the company prints The Ackley (Iowa) World Journal as well as Farm Bureau publications in Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota. Finally, it produces a variety of other weeklies, college publications and other periodicals, Martin said, giving TCC a weekly press run in excess of 200,000 copies.

 

The Quad-Stacks, which went into production late last year, are helping TCC to dramatically boost its color and print quality, Martin said.

Novel design

In order to gain the most flexibility from the add-ons, TCC configured the Quad-Stacks as an operating pressline separate from the existing four-unit Goss press. TCC also placed a folder in each segment, allowing operators to run the machines separately or as a unified whole through a single control console.

Photos: TCC
Press operators work on three Quad-Stack press units installed by Times-Citizen Communications at publisher’s new print site.



TCC workers gather for a ribbon cutting to mark the opening of the
$2.3 million plant.
 

“We were looking for more color,” Martin said, for both the core papers as well as the commercial products. “We do a lot of short runs, but we need more color,” she said. The press can produce up to 12 broadsheet pages of full color, per run.

Production Director Ron Allen said TCC picked the Quad-Stacks “because of the color and print registration.”

“They have helped us cut waste and get good copies sooner,” an important component of TCC’s short-run strategy.

TCC also improved its prepress, adding a Trendsetter 70 thermal computer-to-plate system from Kodak as well as associated Prinergy software Allen said.

Other enhancements included a stacker from Rima System.

The 20,000-square-foot production facility, which sports its own Post Office, is just the latest advancement for TCC, which has a history of technological innovations. The paper in 1984 was among the first to embrace computerized pagination and production, and in 1987 launched The Link, an electronic news delivery service.

New services

TCC also diversified its operations, in 1994 rolling out a Special Services division focused on specialized publishing services, according to owner Mark Hamilton.

“This allowed us to make gains not only in editorial, advertising and web printing, but to expand our services into Web site building and book publishing,” Hamilton said.

In 1995, TCC bought Spokesman Press in Grundy Center, Iowa, bringing into the fold the Iowa Farm Bureau Spokesman, which goes to more than 100,000 readers.

That was followed by the purchase of the weekly Ackley World Journal and KIFG AM and FM, serving Hardin and Franklin counties.

Two years ago, the Times-Citizen took another step to fortify its operations, opening an office in nearby Hubbard, Iowa. The office is staffed by a full-time reporter and enabled the paper to launch a new section aimed at the community, Hamilton said.