“The problem we have here in
Etheridge and
Consolidated Graphics is upgrading 11 facilities this year with new presses capable of making ready five times faster and running twice as fast, Heydenberk said.
With excess capacity at both the
While not specifying how many of Etheridge’s more than 70 employees will be affected by the consolidation, Heydenberk said that the restructure will not eliminate jobs. All production employees have been offered positions at either
The transition will begin immediately, and will be completed by the end of summer.
Heydenberk believes the consolidation will not be noticeable to most customers, as sales, customer service, estimating and prepress services all will remain in
Etheridge will soon undergo its own expansion as well, he added, as it transitions into a digital output center and expands its fulfillment and distribution capabilities into a
“Our competitors would like to tell you we’re going out of business,” Heydenberk said. “But that isn’t what’s happening. The Etheridge Co. has been around for 100 years, and we’ll still be in town.”
The Etheridge Co. celebrated its centennial last year. Fourth-generation owner Ted Etheridge sold the company in 1988 and Consolidated Graphics acquired it in 1997.
In the late ’90s, Etheridge and partner Bill Ockerlund assumed ownership of competitor, Holland-based Steketee Van Huis.
While the local printing industry has been plagued by consolidation and layoffs in recent years, Etheridge marks at least the second restructuring to accommodate future growth and capital investment this year.
In December, Integra Printing broke ground on a new printing and fulfillment facility across the street from its previous home at
. Founded in 1936, Integra had previously split operations between its current facility at
and a second location in
The new, 166,000-square-foot facility consolidated operations with additional space for future expansion. It was part of an $8.5 million investment in the building and technology.
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