Newspaper installing $2.5 million press

The key components to the Southeast Missourian's new $2.5 million printing press were delivered to the newspaper's printing plant Friday with the hopes that the first edition will roll off the state-of-the-art presses no later than the end of January.

"Readers will know a difference immediately," said Rich Bauman, director of operations. "The paper will be more colorful, and the quality will be 100 percent better."

The four-color press, which means it can print any color, will be 18 feet high and 76 feet long with a catwalk along the higher points, Bauman said. The 16-unit press will be installed by early January and then training will begin, he said.

A new $500,000 building at the newspaper's property at 500 William was also built to house the press. Bauman said the building was finished last week.

The old press was more than 20 years old and, while it was still serviceable, the Southeast Missourian wanted to expand its commercial business as well as improve the look of the newspaper.

"We weren't physically able to do some of the things we wanted to do," Bauman said. "This makes almost anything possible."

The new press, which was purchased from Dauphin Graphic Machines of Elizabethville, Penn., will improve "speed and quality," he said.

Bauman said this will be the best printing press between St. Louis and Memphis.

"We'll be the 800-pound gorilla," he said.