Soul and Spirit of Viani By Joe Paul From a humble beginning in 1966, Viani Printings in Kochi has grown as a full-fledged printing & publishing house with the most-modern machines and facilities. The Church-managed establishment will reach the milestone of 50th Golden Year next year and is in the expansion mode with “`30-crore state-of-the-art printing, Notebook making, Flexo printing, Packaging and Printing College” project at Choondy near Aluva. t. John Maria Viani is known “Sathyadeepam” weekly and “Light all these gadgets wired on to his ears and for his dedication to community of Truth” fortnightly and later on the his fingers deftly moving on the laptop Suplift by creating employment for press entered into commercial printing keyboard. Despite interrupting phone ordinary masses in small industry units. field. “This establishment is the result calls, Fr. Arickal continues conversation Viani Printings, one of the prominent of a long-cherished dream of the Late with me answering my questions printing presses in Kochi, is named after Cardinal Joseph Parecattil. Viani came effortlessly in his measured voice. His the Saint who lived in the 17th century into existence in 1966. Next year, we answers are to the point. in France. Viani Printings following will reach the milestone of 50th Golden How does he manage such a huge the Saint’s noble path provides a living Year,” says Fr. Francis Arickal, the organization? “I am not just sitting for more than 95 people working at the current Managing Director of Viani here on my chair. I go around and see, press. That’s the spirit and soul of Viani Printings, sitting in his office at the observe and talk to all the employees. Printings. premises near Ernakulam North Flyover. Their feedback is important to run this Viani Printings, Kochi is one of the Sitting across the table of Fr. Arickal, organization without any trouble,” Fr. leading Printing and Publishing House I studied his face. His mannerisms Arickal says. Also, he has delegated in Kerala located at Kochi under the and way of talking reveal that he is a the responsibility of managing each management of Ernakulam & Angamaly strict disciplinarian. He came to Viani section such as marketing, pre-press, Archdiocese of Syro-Malabar Church. nearly two years ago after years of printing, binding, delivery and other Viani Printings is a branch of the management experience at various office affaires to section heads. A review registered charitable Trust – Ernakulam Church institutions, including some meeting is convened with the section Archdiocesan Publication Trust, in the printing establishments. A priest in heads every morning at 9 to discuss the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly. his early fifties, he is familiar with all day-today work schedules and other Initially, the Viani Press was modern electronic gadgets and active in things. formulated for the Printing the social media. He manages the unit with Viani Printings is having a good Print Miracle | January - February 2015 | 9 “This facility in the city does not have scope for further expansion because of lack of space. So we are developing a state-of-the-art project at Choondy near Aluva, the satellite city of Cochin. The project consists of a facility for bulk production of note books and textbooks, a complete printing and packaging unit and a Printing College. Planned in a 5-acre plot, the project will be completed in 3 to 4 years. Work has already begun, new machineries have arrived. We are constructing the facility like a factory. The construction will be finished very soon as the facility will be built with pre-fabricated materials and can be completed in 30 days,” Fr. Arickal expressed his optimism. Fr. Francis Arickal, the current Managing Director of Viani Printings. “The 15,000 sq.ft building will team of professionals heading the own insurance scheme for the staff. I not have any center pillars,” said Fr. various departments like Administration, personally believe, if the management Arickal. “The first section of the facility Accounts, Sales & Marketing, looks after the employees’ well they will be the notebook production unit. Production & Technical, Post Press and reciprocate with good performance The machine for the unit has already Dispatching etc with strong, technically at work. These are the reasons our arrived from Line O’ Matic. The Fully qualified and dedicated staff in all employees stick to this organization for Automatic Exercise Book Machine departments. long time. Some of them are working Combo RB104-Nova RB120 is a huge Fr. Arickal says Viani’s employees here for more than 40 years.” one and we need a lot of space to install are its strength and the management “From our humble beginning it and to run it smoothly. This facility is treats them well. Every year, there is in 1966, Viani has grown as a full- the first of its kind in Kerala.” a salary revision on the basis of the fledged printing & publishing house The Line O’ Matic machine consists performance of the staff and profit with the most-modern machines and of shaft-less reel unwinding stand, made by the establishment. “We give all facilities,” Fr. Arickal says as a prelude ruling and flexo printing tower, cross facilities like PF, bonus, HRA, gratuity to explaining the ongoing expansion cutting unit, sheet overlapping unit, sheet to the employees. Viani has started its and modernization of the organization. counting and collating unit, one inserter The recently installed Pressline Prima 36 Print Miracle | January - February 2015 | 10 for pre-printed index sheet and one inserter for pre-printed title cover, wire stitching unit, folding unit, square back pressing unit, front cutting unit, book separating cutting unit, book delivery table, waste removal system, centralized control panel (PLC). Fr. Arickal says: “On this wonderful machine, you just have to load the paper reel and put it on. After ruling, stapling, binding and cutting the finished product is out with a few personnel to handle it. In an hour, 18,000 notebooks can be produced.” Viani management has ambitious plans to further expand the Choondy facility with a complete Packaging Unit, Mitsubishi 4-colour sheet-fed offset machine which will come up in two or three years. “We have chosen the machines course, they are capable of working at will see the changes when you visit our and the complete blueprint of the any printing press.” premises,” he says with a smile and packaging unit is ready. We are planning Fr. Paul Chakkian is one of the gestures to Kurias to take me on the tour. to produce all kinds of packaging Asst. Directors of Viani Printings and Later, accompanied by Fr. Bijoy from mono-cartons for toothpaste or is the Principal of the institute. Says Palatty, one of the Asst. Directors of medicines to bigger duplex boxes,” Fr. Chakkian: “The ultimate aim of Viani Printings and a qualified Sound Fr. Arickal said. “We also have plan for a education is human refinement. The Engineer, I was taken on a round at the Flexo Printing unit. This kind of printing objective of education is to form a premises. Fr. Palatty explains about is done on different substrates other than society of individuals with positive work the system and infrastructure of Viani paper, for example on plastic covers, culture. So the educational process in Printings and directs his photographer other packaging materials etc. In Kerala and outside our formal schools should colleague, another young priest Fr. Aajo there is no such facility, except for some concentrate on inculcating concepts, Joy Therully, to take snaps around the very small units. So, Viani is going to be abilities, attitudes, values and above facility. the first major player in this category in all specific skills. That’s what we are Kurias explained me how Fr. Arickal Kerala.” doing at Vi-APT. Being a Church-run shuffled the whole set up to streamline Part of the project at Choondy institution, Vi-APT gives priority to the operations at Viani. “He housed the is a Printing College – a complete school dropouts, economically backward two web-offset machines – Manugraph coaching &training facility for Printing and marginalized students.” City Line Express 35 and the recently Technology students. Kurias N. While the Choondy venture installed Pressline Prima 36 – in one Chacko, a printing industry veteran and is progressing, Viani Printings is section. So that the personnel at this Manager – Technical of Viani Printings undergoing a total remodeling and can have better coordination and they and the Dean of Studies at Vi-APT streamlining of factory layout. “Till can handle both machines. The Komori (Viani Institute of Advanced Printing recently, the machines and personnel Lithron S 26 and Mitsubishi 4-colour Technology), says about the institute: were scattered inside the premises sheet-fed offset machine are kept in “The institute Vi-APT is functioning resulting in lack of coordination and nearby spaces. All other smaller printing since 1967 at Viani Printings. This delay in completing the work. After I machines (Manugraph Print Magic 274 year we have 15 students; once the visited Japan recently, I adopted certain HF, HMT’s SOM 136 sheet-fed offset, construction at Choondy is completed way of functioning I saw in a printing Single Color Dominant 715 A and the classrooms will be shifted there. press there,” Fr. Arickal said. “You Abdick Mini Offset) are kept in one area. Now, Vi-APT has the recognition and support of Central Government scheme called Modular Employable Skill (MES). Vi-APT provides one-year intensive training to students on all aspects of printing – graphics, plate-making, printing and binding. English language is also taught. Classes are conducted every day except Sundays – from 9am to 12.30 pm theory classes are held and practical training from 1.30 pm to 4.30 pm.