News from Poland

6 gru 2016 14:44

WinkowskiŐs New Printing House A new printing and logistics centre is being built by Winkowski Company in Wyszkow on a 16-hectare plot land. A press conference devoted to this project was held in Warsaw on May 5. Tadeusz Winkowski, president of the company, outlined the history of the company since its establishment in 1998 and its American partnerŐs, Quad Graphics printing house. He emphasised the fact that up to 2004, i.e. within only a few years, the company had observed a production growth of 250%; it now exports to 24 countries around the world, and that export constitutes 37% of the entire production which in turn means an 8-time increase since the beginning of the companyŐs operation in 1998. According to PIRA, Winkowski holds the ninth position in the ranking of European offset printing houses and in the Central-Eastern Europe it ranks number 1. The cost of the new project is estimated at 40 million Euros (excluding the cost of land). The first purchased printing press is Rapida 162a in the 162x185cm format; in September, Rapida 205 in the 205x185cm format will be added. In July, Ferag saddle-stitching line will be installed and in autumn, two heatset printing presses are to be installed. Between January 2006 and December 2010, additional purchases will include: 12 rotary printing presses, 6 sheet-fed printing presses, 12 binding lines, 3 CtP systems and a number of inserting and foil wrapping machines. According to plans 1200 people will be employed at the plant; magazines and catalogues for foreign clients will constitute majority of its production. Additional six thousand people will be employed in companies cooperating with WinkowskiŐs new printing house. Unique album ăPrinting for Art Đ Art for PrintingÓ On May 20, an official presentation of a unique album ăPrinting for Art Đ Art for PrintingÓ issued to commemorate 100th anniversary of Warsaw Fine Arts Academy was organised in Belvedere by the Polish Fraternity of Knights of Gutenberg and the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. The album contains 54 works of distinguished Polish poster and graphic designers and is at the same time a great example of current technical possibilities of Polish printing and print-related industries. 50 businesses of the printing industries actively participated in the project. President of Poland, Aleksander Kwasniewski was an honorary patron of the undertaking. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recognised the unique value of the album and decided to send it to Polish diplomatic outposts around the world as specimen of great artistic achievements of Polish artists and the highest qualifications of Polish printers. Konica Minolta opens new branch On May 13, an official opening ceremony of a new branch of Konica Minolta Business Solutions (already 9th in Poland) was held in the Palace Hotel in Bydgoszcz. The branch is located in Bydgoszcz and, besides the sales of office equipment, it focuses on digital printing production. The branch is headed by Ryszard Chodyna. During the ceremony, Robert Hulej, General Director of Konica Minolta Business Solutions Polska emphasised the fact that Konica Minolta invests the most in Poland and mentioned the plans of opening the tenth branch of the company in Poland. About Polish printing industry at PIRA conference On May 26 and 27 in London, British organization PIRA organised the 11th international conference ăWeb Offset 2005Ó devoted to web offset printing. Among the invited guests, there was Tadeusz Winkowski, President of Winkowski Sp. z o.o. (Co. Ltd). The conference was intended for all companies interested in the future of web offset printing. Several speeches were given about the role of the, so called, ăemerging marketsÓ and treated about printing markets of Asia and Central-Eastern Europe with special attention to Poland. The growing importance of companies from Eastern Europe was emphasised by both Tadeusz Winkowski and, speaking from the same side of the panel, Alex Walker, now head of Sidewalk Solutions, and shortly before, President of a Polish printing house, Poligrafia SA in Kielce. Tadeusz Winkowski was the only speaker representing Central-Eastern Europe. In his speech, to a large extent devoted to the situation in Poland and in the Polish printing industry, he spoke of general improvement in national economy and the chances appearing as a result of Polish accession to the European Union. He stressed the impor-tance of PolandŐs excellent location and connected with it opportunities for Poland to become ăthe printing basin of EuropeÓ. He also mentioned high qualifications of Polish printers, who more and more often have opportunities to gain experience abroad. A scholarship for Polish students of printing, funded jointly by Quad Graphics and Winkowski Sp. z o.o. may serve here as an example.