Seaway Printing broke ground April 27 for a larger building that will open by the end of the year.
The 57,000-square-foot office, production and warehouse facility at 2812 American Blvd. will allow the rapidly growing business to meet customer demand while integrating the newest technology.
“We’re typically on the leading edge with equipment,” said Seaway Vice President and co-owner Lyn Heslin.
Seaway prints and binds saddle-stitched and perfect-bound books, booklets, catalogs, journals, magazines and marketing/educational materials. [Editor’s note: Insight Publications is a Seaway Printing customer.]
The company said in a press release it has seen 20% compound annual growth for the last seven years. President and co-owner Kevin Heslin said the growth has been driven in part by increased demand for books during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Timing for the expansion has been crucial. Kevin Heslin said planning began 18 months ago and the steel was purchased to ensure it would be available when the project started. In addition, the company is adding a new press and other equipment that will be operational before the existing presses and equipment are disassembled and moved to the new facility.
“We have to figure out how to have as little downtime as possible,” Lynn Heslin said.
The company anticipates adding around a dozen employees with the expansion.
During the groundbreaking Kevin Heslin said they are positioning the company for the future when their son Ian could someday take over the 139-year-old business.
“This is the beginning of what we believe will be a large facility,” he said.
Kevin Heslin said the company chose to build in the town of Lawrence because expansion at is current site was not possible and there is room on the 12-acre parcel it purchased for further growth. In fact, the company anticipates demand may be high enough that planning for the next expansion will begin by the end of this year.
Bayland Buildings is the design/build general contractor for the project.
