Polestar's Andreou: new webs are not an illusion

Polestar chief operating officer Peter Andreou has been in the States this week to review progress on the construction of the first tranche of its new web presses from Goss International.

Andreou visited the Goss facility in Durham, New Hampshire where the first three presses are being manufactured.

He tweeted: “Awesome - I just want them in now. This will not only revolutionise the UK market, not just Europe but worldwide!”

Speaking to PrintWeek, Andreou said: “It’s all happening and it’s not an illusion. I’ve seen some very large cylinders and some very large printing plates! Everything is spot on.

“We’ve been running a few things in parallel and we’re in a position now where things have fallen into place,” he added.

Polestar ordered six presses from Goss last year in a £50m deal. The initial build involves two 96pp Sunday 5000 webs and a 64pp short-grain model. The two 96pp presses will share three folders.

Installation of the first of the giant 96pp press is set to begin in May, with production slated for July, with the other presses scheduled to follow in succession as each new press comes on-stream.

“The landscape will be very different in 12-to-18 months,” Andreou stated. “Other things will happen that will reshape the industry and make it sustainable for the next 15-to-20 years.”

Earlier this month Polestar chief executive Barry Hibbert said the group was actively looking at potential joint ventures and acquisitions, not necessarily directly related to printing.

Polestar’s press deal with Goss encompasses two 96pp, two 64pp and two 16pp presses, with installation continuing into 2015.

“The second phase configuration is still to be finalised, and we will do that at the end of June,” Andreou added.

Andreou is pictured with Goss International sales director for UK, Ireland and Africa John Chambers and Mark McDonnell, operations director at the New Hampshire facility, which is also the company’s worldwide headquarters.