Multi Bookbinding completed its first expansion of 12,500 square feet to accommodate the first KM 470 Kolbus perfect binding line, equipped with all options for hardcover book binding. Initially planned for 1997, this expansion was delayed due to the unexpected discovery of an unidentified underground water pipe during the construction permit application process with the City of Shawinigan. Originally, this space was intended to be leased to Publicité Pâquet, a company specializing in the printing of yearbooks, led by Pierre Pâquet, husband of Suzanne Ferron. However, the project was abandoned following the sale of the print shop in 1998.
This expansion also marks a period of strengthened collaboration with Denis Audet, Operations Director at Imprimerie Gagné in Louiseville, located 50 km from Shawinigan. The closure of Harpell Printing in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, which specialized in hardcover book binding, altered the market landscape and prompted Multi Bookbinding to further automate its production processes. As a result, the company hired two experienced operators from Harpell to strengthen its team.
