PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Interprint is investing more than $7 million in its printing facility off Route 41 and expects to have nearly 200 employees within the next year. 

 

The investments include a new printing press to support the company's rapidly growing printed décor business.

 

"This new press, which will allow us to print films at increasingly higher speeds and quality levels, uses the same advanced technologies already proven on the film printing machine we commissioned in 2020," said Interprint co-Managing Director Roland Morin. 

 

Construction and installation of the new press will take place throughout 2022, with an anticipated startup in early 2023. At its Pittsfield plant, Interprint currently operates five presses designed to print décor paper for the laminate industry, and a sixth that prints flexible films for the growing luxury vinyl flooring industry.

 

Developed in partnership with a European machine manufacturer, the rotogravure printing press will expand Interprint's capacity to produce flexible film-based decorative overlays specifically used in the manufacturing of flooring, furniture, and other consumer products.

 

The new press will also expand the company's capacity to produce printed décor paper. 

 

"While this investment directly addresses the rapid growth of our film and flooring business, it will provide scheduling flexibility to help meet the increasing demand from our traditional laminate customers," said co-Managing Director William Hines Jr.

 

He added, "we are thankful that this prosperous vision for Interprint in Pittsfield is shared by our board of directors and shareholders in Japan." 

 

In preparation for the new machine's startup, Hines estimates Interprint's Pittsfield facilities will grow to nearly 200 employees by the end of 2023. "Creation of family-supporting jobs in Berkshire County has always been a major goal of ours," he continued.

 

Interprint is a worldwide leader in décor design and printing for the decorative laminate, furniture, case goods and flooring industries.