CPI is moving Bath Press to a gleaming new "print village" packed with new kit and an overall price tag of 16m.



The move will see Bath Press quit its Bristol Road plant for one of eight sites being eyed in the city.



Peter Palframan, UK managing director, said the group would consider a selection of greenfield sites by Christmas, take a year over drawings and planning approvals, and hopes to move in by early 2003.



However, its short- and long-run colour books and Bibles would not all be produced from that site. Cox & Wyman, CPIs 11m mass-market book maker, will remain in Reading.



The 51m-turnover firm also owns Redwood Books and Bookcraft and has 710 staff.


Palframan said he was spending 6.5m on phased kit purchases. "As the building goes up, it will go in," he said. He would not reveal what machines CPI was looking at, but said KBA, Timson and Muller Martini were in talks for colour and mono presses.
CPI is to appoint a project co-ordinator to handle the site move and a UK operations director to oversee manufacturing.
Angus Campbell quit as general manager to become manufacturing director at rival book printer Clays. Bruno Lavorgna will take on Campbells role until a replacement is found.