SMGs new printing centre in Cambuslang Investment Park near Glasgow has been built, with newspapers set to roll off its presses by spring 2002.


Covering nearly seven acres of land, the centre will give the group "the most up-to-date newspaper printing in Scotland," according to SMG publishing chief executive Des Hudson.


Two new Colora presses from KBA, each with a production capacity of 75,000 copies per hour, will be transported on 80 articulated lorries to the site in September, ready for installation by the end of the year.


The 18m Colora order, signed at Drupa last year, consists of 10 four-back-four full-colour units plus two one-back-one units (PrintWeek, 2 June 2000).


The presses will be shaftless, with 2:5:5 folders, and will feature colour and cut-off register controls. Three months of testing will follow, with the Evening Times the first newspaper to be printed at the plant. The Herald and The Sunday Herald will follow a few months later.


The site will also print a number of the Scottish editions of the Daily Mail.


SMG currently prints its titles at a Glasgow city centre location.