The new-built book production plant of JSC Preses nams, a subsidiary of JSC Ventspils nafta, located in Jāņsili, Silakrogs in the Ropaži civil parish, Riga district has been officially opened. Thirteen and a half million LVL were invested in the new plant. With the new book production plant, JSC Preses nams has strengthened its leader positions in the area of production of high-quality books in the Baltic countries and Northern Europe, becoming one of 300 largest book producers in the world. “JSC Preses nams today is a fusion of modern equipment, technologies and high artistic possibilities with the largest production capacity in Northern Europe. The new book production plant gives the company a possibility to strengthen its footmark in the existing markets and enter into new markets - Scandinavia, the GUS, and Western Europe, as well as other countries,” pointed out Normunds Staņēvičs, Council Chairman, JSC Preses nams. The capacity of the new plant will make it possible, if required, to double the printing volumes in nearest years: from 250,000 - 350,000 books currently to as much as 500,000 -700,000 books per month when the plant is fully equipped. It is expected that the plant, which is housed in three blocks and has a production area of 7,000 square metres, will employ about 200 people. The latest technologies and devices (sheet-fed printing presses, rotary machines, folding, sewing and cutting devices, automatic hardbound and soft-cover book production lines and other technology) made by such global leaders in engineering industry as Heidelberg, MAN Roland, Müller Martini, Sigloch-Kolbus, Polar, Agfa, Fuji, etc. are used in production process of JSC Preses nams. The new technologies and devices allow producing books in smaller minimum or larger maximum book format and enables issuing very thin books - even from 2.5 to 3 millimetres. Two new types of book production are also offered: with integral cover and hardbound books without sewing. Another new development in book production is the option of gluing in three different book marks. Order works are delivered via internet, and the customer can examine them in the same way - therefore the distance to the customer no longer matters. The widest post-printing processing possibilities in folding, sewing, cutting, creasing, die-cutting, crimping, foil stamping, UV varnishing, binding of different types of books and production of book casings ensures creation of final production according to the wishes of the customer. The strategic development plans of JSC Preses nams include completing the construction of another new printing plant - the newspaper and journal production plant in the territory of the industrial park of the Riga Airport. A/s Ventspils nafta For further information - Gundega Vārpa, Head of PR and Advertising, phone 67229182, 29277656, e-mail: gundega.varpa@vnafta.lv