Publisher’s Note. Letter from the Editor. Publisher’s Note. Letter from the Editor. Letter from the Editor. Letter from the Editor... Is anyone out there wondering what’s happened to David Visser, the ChristianWeek publisher whose observations and admonitions normally appear in this slot every second issue?
No worries, mates. The publisher is doing just fine. But he is having to delegate many of his day-to-day tasks because a host of other things are crowding his agenda. The biggest time consumer is “the move.”
Last fall Essence Communications Group purchased and began renovating a former foundry on seven acres of land in Belleville overlooking Highway 401. The 22,000 square foot building has been cleaned up and transformed into a modern printing plant with an additional 5,000 square feet of office space on the second floor. In February the web presses were installed without missing a beat; the March edition of ChristianCurrent was produced on time. This month the offset presses found a new home and most of the company’s 40 employees took up new workstations.
The number of decisions involved in a project of this magnitude is immense. Details matter. Decisions made now will have to stand the tests of time and traffic in a busy workplace. Everything from the colour and grade of the carpets to the size of the windows to the layout of the shop floor demands decisions—quick decisions with big implications for budgets and future efficiencies. And David’s been in the thick of it.
There have been more than a few wrinkles along the way. The most serious affected David’s brother, Michael, a co-owner of the company and the man who keeps the machines running. In February, Michael, 28, underwent a biopsy to investigate a tumor that turned out to be non-hodgkins type B lymphoma, which requires aggressive chemotherapy and radiation. Most days now he’s back on the job—wearing a ball cap—and early indications are promising for a full recovery.
Our Winnipeg office has heard less from David the past few months then we usually do, but you can be sure we are happy with the progress his “other” business is making. The infrastructure Essence is establishing bodes well for the future of ChristianWeek and ChristianCurrent. One of these days they’ll even get the CW print job.
Essence is expecting to stage its grand opening in the new facility the first week of May. You can find out what the new plant looks like at the Essence Communications Group Web site (www.essencegroup.com). David covets the prayers of fellow believers in this significant time of transition. And don’t hesitate to drop him a note at publisher@christianweek.org. He may not answer right away, but the publisher has not lost touch with his readers.
