Edwards Brothers UK is due to begin operating next month from the Plymouth site of NBN International. The joint venture will include a Xerox DocuTech 180, a Bourg binder, three-knife trimmer, lamination  facilities and a DocuColor 12 cover printer.

The two firms have worked together for several years and the new operation echoes one launched five years ago at NBN's distribution centre in Pennsylvania.

"We were sending books  to the UK for distribution and we can take out all the costs and time wasted in shipping," said John Edwards, president of Edwards Brothers.

He said initial costs of the new set-up were over 100,000 and expected volumes would be 10,000 in the first year.

Two people will run the set-up to start with: book setter Tim Brown has travelled from Edwards Brothers' headquarters at Ann Arbor, Michigan. The second member is from the Pennsylvania operation.

Story by Jez Abbott