4 April 2007. Just six and a half months after renovations began on a former warehouse building in Newry, Northern Ireland, the world’s first World's first FPS press producing 100,000 copies of Herald AM daily

4 April 2007. Just six and a half months after renovations began on a former warehouse building in Newry, Northern Ireland, the world's first Goss FPS press went into daily production there. Independent News and Media's new press is producing 100,000 copies daily of the Herald AM free commuter newspaper for Dublin, as well as other products including the Irish Star .

“The spirit of partnership with Independent News and Media has been phenomenal,” said Shane Lancaster, general manager for Goss International in the UK, commenting on the installation. “We have succeeded in bringing this advanced press technology into production on time and in launching a fantastic, future oriented print production facility.”

The first phase of the project, including three FPS printing towers and a folder, went into live production on February 20, exactly on time. In meeting the tight deadline Independent News and Media (INM) benefited by using an existing building and from the compact, easy-to-install design of the FPS press.

“We are very proud of our achievement,” says Alan Lambert, plant manager at INM Newry. “The expertise from all parties involved in this project has been superb. No other print plant of this size has been brought on production so rapidly. We are seeing a return on our investment in record time and we are so confident in the FPS technology that even at this stage, we are ready to ramp up production.”

This first phase of Independent News and Media's installation at Newry consists of three four-page wide, two-around Goss FPS printing towers, one 2:5:5 jaw folder and three reelstands.
Goss International is now installing the second phase, consisting of two additional five-page, two-around printing towers, with dryers, capable of both coldset and heatset printing, a second 2:5:5 jaw folder and two reelstands with ARL. Quarter-page folders will also be added to both folders.

Kieran Matthews, deputy managing director of the Belfast Telegraph , a division of Independent News & Media, concluded: “When we put the plan together for this project we knew we had set ourselves a tough objective. But the can-do attitude adopted by all parties involved has meant an on-time start-up. If you don't believe us – come and see for yourselves,” he added.