Since the establishment of the Catholic Press Association in 1869, the printing shop has been an essential pillar of the Association. Today, it has developed into a corporate that prints dailies and weeklies, regional media, flyers and prospectuses of in-house and external customers at three sites in Austria and Croatia on state-of-the-art printing machines. group
The birth of the printing shop began with the considerations by the Karlon brothers, when establishing the “Catholic Press Association” to generate profits with the Association's own printing shop through additional printed products and orders and thus to compensate for the losses of the “Grazer Volksblatt”. And they proved to be right. The key economic performance ratios of the publishing house did not generate any surpluses until the end of the 19th century the publishing house thus also had to be subsidised by the profits from the printing shop.
Alois Karlon was appointed the director of this first press association facility in December 1869.
The technical equipment was modest – one large and one small high-speed press.
On 1 January 1870, the printing shop was opened with a celebration to mark the first printing of the New Year’s edition of the Volksblatt with the site “Stainzerhof” (today Sparkassenplatz / corner of Albrechtgasse).
The ongoing replacement and adaptation of the technical equipment was undoubtedly a decisive factor for the success. At the end of 1887, the printing presses of which there were now nine were operated with water engines which meant that the printing shop could be expanded into one of the most efficient companies in Graz and Styria.
Establishment of Druck Carinthia
The first rotation printing machine produced was purchased. The variable equipment and the independence with regard to paper formats meant that the production time could be reduced to six hours.
Changeover from manual to mechanical typesetting through the use of typesetting machines of the “typograph” model.
With the relocation to the Schönaugasse, all business segments of the “Catholic Press Association”, among others, also the printing shops, were brought together.
The appointment of Karl Maria Stephan as the director of the Press Association heralded a process of reform and reorganisation. The printing shop as the engine of the company was the starting point. Here, an investment was made in the technical equipment, among others, in new typesetting machines and a new 32-page rotation machine system.
There were few women in the printing, publishing and press industry at the time.
Elimination of the name “Styria” by the National Socialists: Renaming of the Catholic Press Association as “Press Association Graz” and the printing shop as “Steirerdruck” (“Styrian Printing”). All Association newspapers have also been sold. The printing and publishing company Leykam was established as a monopoly under the National Socialist regime. This was why the first rotation system had to be sold well under its value to the National Socialist district publishing house. All people employed in the newspaper production as well as machines (stereotype systems) and further accessories were also taken over by the district publishing house.
After the negotiation of compensation payments and the provision of a smaller 64-page rotation machine (year of construction 1924) with the legal successor Leykam, the printing shop was able to start operating again.
In the middle of the 20th century, the turnover of the printing shop reached 30 to 40 per cent of total turnover.
The success and the continual increase in the circulation of the Kleine Zeitung as the flagship of the regularly drove the general technical progress at Styria forward, among others, in 1964 with a 96-page high-speed press rotation printing machine from Koenig & Bauer with three inking units, a 128-page rotation printing machine from Koebau-Courier (1975), and the purchase of a Rapide 104-5 from König & Bauer with continuous printing process. (1978). group
The age of lead came to an irrevocable end; the new credo was photosetting.
Inauguration of the new printing centre of Carinthia in the district of Viktring in Klagenfurt as well as the opening of the new offset rotation in the printing shop at the site in the Schönaugasse.
At the 8th Ordinary General Meeting of the Catholic Press Association, the foundation stone for the new site of the printing house was laid with the purchase of a plot of land covering 40,000 square metres.
The new site of the present-day Druck Styria was awarded the State Prize in Gold by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and is home to the most modern printing machine at the time in Austria.
The laying of the foundation stone for the new Carinthia printing centre in St. Veit an der Glan.
With the takeover of 98 per cent of shares in the daily newspaper Večernji, the respective printing shop and advertising agency were also taken over in July 2001. Tiskara Zagreb (the printing shop) commenced operation at the start of the year 2003 and has subsequently developed into the leading printing plant in the region.
With the putting into operation of the new printing machine of Druck Styria, it was possible from February onwards to print the Kleine Zeitung entirely in colour after a comprehensive relaunch.
120-year anniversary of Druck Carinthia
Announcement by the Styria management that a total of EUR 30 million will be invested in the future of newspaper printing at the Austrian sites. The focus is on automation and the efficient use of raw materials and energy.
On 27 February 2019, the new printing machines were put into operation in a celebration to mark the occasion attended by representatives from politics and business.
As of April 2022, the Austrian locations of the Styria Print Group have the option of certifying products with the Austrian Ecolabel or with the EU Ecolabel.
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Hello, my name is Josip Novak. I am sales manager at Druck Styria and Druck Carinthia and bring your requirements and our expertise together.
You can reach me at josip.novak@styria.com or by telephone on +43 664 413 74 64.
I would be glad to arrange a personal meeting at your place or at our printing house.
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