Chinese bible printer Amity Printing Company (ACP) opened a new printing facility in Nanjing this week equipped with three British made Timson T32 presses. The facility is expected to double bible production to 12 million copies a year, according to the NSW Bible Society.
With the purchase of a new Timson T32 press, which has joined two others moved from APC's original plant, the company's production line is now capable of pumping out 18,800 pages every hour.
The NSW Bible Society says, "With strong demand from both the domestic and overseas markets for bibles printed by APC, the new facility has come on line not a moment too soon.
"Among forthcoming local distribution initiatives are plans to make APC printed bibles and scriptures available at the Beijing Olympic Games in August."
APC, one of the largest bible printing presses in the world, began operating in 1987 and has since become a joint venture with United Bible Societies (UBS).
David Thorne UBS Asia-Pacific area secretary recently visited the new plant, which has a total land area of 66,700 sqm. He says, "It was an incredible honour to spend time with staff whom I had a hand in recruiting and training more than 20 years ago and to observe how well they had reset the equipment and their proficiency in its operation."
Last year, ACP printed 6 million Bibles, but with the new facility, it has the potential to print up to 12 million per year, which calculates to the production of 23 bibles every minute.
