RBW in Owen Sound reaps more jobs, plant and equipment from Rogers contract

A good news story for the country's largest printing plant, one with a long and strong reputation. It was at one time called Richardson, Bond & Wright and through various owners and changes down 155 years has come to be known by magazine publishers, editors, art directors and production managers as RBW, now a division of Transcontinental Inc., the country's largest printer and largest printer of periodicals. That is particularly so with the recent announcement that Transcontinental will be printing all of the Rogers Publishing titles starting a year from now. And most of that will be at the RBW plant in Owen Sound.

"It's very, very good news for the plant. I think it's a reflection of the work that the people have done up here and their ability to embrace new equipment," said Brian Reid, senior vice-president of Transcontinental's magazine and catalogue group.

RBW, which has been in business under different owners since 1853, already prints, among other things, Canadian Living, the Canadian edition of Time, Style at Home, Elle Canada, Canadian Gardening, The Hockey News and Canadian Home Workshop. Now, it will be printing everything from Maclean's, Chatelaine and Flare and Rogers b to b titles.

Now it will be doing the majority of the new $210 million contract (although Transcon across the country will handle some of the work), expanding its plant and its workforce, which now stands at 625 people, according to a story in the Owen Sound Sun Times. "We'll definitely have to be looking at additional equipment, investment in new equipment and we'll have to look at expanding the building as well," he said. "It will definitely be another full production line. We'll need to hire people, for sure."