Levant

Amman based, Jordan Press Foundation (JPF) has placed an order for double-width KBA Commander heatset press for printing newspapers, semi-commercials and hybrid products.

The Commander will be installed at a new production complex near Amman airport that will include a new mailroom and central store. Jordan Press expects the machine to be installed in one year.

Fahed Fanek, chairman of Jordan Press said, "The project is the biggest investment to date by a Jordanian media company in newspaper technology. It will enable us to consolidate our pole position in the market and sustain profitable growth in the future: With the high-powered KBA Commander we can offer our readers, advertisers and print customers full-colour newspapers, supplements and other print products with still greater visual appeal and immediacy."

The Jordan Press Foundation publishes a national Arabic daily newspaper, Al Rai, which has the biggest circulation and advertising section in the country. Other titles include the Jordan Times, an English publication launched in 1975, and Hatem, a monthly magazine for children and youngsters.

Says Amjad Ayesh, technical committee director-Jordan Press said, "KBA won the tender by giving us a good price, and we hope to have enough business to run the machine 24/7. Already we have excess orders, so the KBA will help boost our capacity. We also expect to receive good after sales service and other support from the company.

"The Commander's heatset capability will allow us to print semi-commercial and hybrid copies on newsprint and improved paper. While we'll be exploiting these options and the new press line's productivity for our own titles, we'll also be accepting contract work to shorten the payback time."