| <<previous | next>> |
Home
Seattle Times Core Values
Getting it Rolling
· Creating a New
Company Culture
· The Integrity of a
Values-based Company
· Making Concrete
Commitments
Picking Up Speed
· When You See A Wrong,
Write It
· Dedicated to Reaching
Our Readers
Leveraging the Power
· Feeding the Fires
of Enthusiasm
· The Many Ways We Serve
the Community
· 1998: Taking Our Core
Values to Maine
Shifting Into Overdrive
Timeline
MAKING CONCRETE COMMITMENTS
Early in the decade, while we were making advantageous changes to our company culture, we also began making serious investments in time and money that would reap rewards in the near future. First we devoted significant resources to upgrading our computer systems and bolstering daily news zoning. Then we began planning the new North Creek printing plant.
It was clear that we needed a new printing facility to meet the increasing demands of a growing community with greater efficiency and better quality. It was a major undertaking, but one that was crucial for future growth. But it required that we assume an enormous debt of $150 million.
To understand the magnitude of the step, consider that this was the first time The Seattle Times had gone into debt in 50 years. And the last time we did, we were forced to sell nearly half our shares to a minority interest, a faction that is with us today.
The North Creek facility was carefully planned and exceptionally well-executed. We began negotiating for land in August 1988. We broke ground in July 1990. The first papers came off the press on May 18, 1992.
Still state-of-the-art. | Throughout the 1990s, the facility handled most of the total print run for both The Seattle Times and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Each day we use almost 1,000 gallons of ink to print over 400,000 copies of both papers. Each year we use 64,000 tons of newsprint to print nearly 14 billion pages.
North Creek is state-of-the-art in every sense. Unmanned robots called Automated Guided Vehicles (AVGs) fetch and deliver huge 50-inch rolls of newsprint. Four Goss Colorliner presses offer bold color, clear contrast and sharp imagery while producing up to 75,000 papers per hour. Our recycling systems have earned awards from state, county and private concerns.
This was an investment in the future, one that gave us a powerful mechanism for being the progressive, reliable information provider we are meant to be.
"When business practices are congruent with your values,
you are successful on many levels."
| <<previous | next>> |