Return to Rank Xerox

Venray Plant

Venray Plant

News-articles-and-announcements-Dutch-originals-1964_1965
RXV Our Dutch connection 1974 Vision 101

1965: How it all began

The man with the gong is the symbol of the Rank film, with which many activities have been introduced in cinema and television. This man has now hit the Rank-gong, especially for Venray, now that the official announcement of Mr. John Davis, president-director of the Rank organization put an end to all uncertainty and confirmed that one of the overall Rank organization, namely “Rank Xerox”, will realize a specific site in our municipality. To be achieved in the shortest possible time.

RANK XEROX

Rank Xerox is part of the Rank Organization. This organization has film interests all over the world, but also develops other activities through 20 other companies (united in the Rank Organization), in the field of radio and television (Rank Bush Murphy), the manufacture of lenses and precision measuring instruments (Rank Taylor Hobson), to the operation of dance halls, bowling halls (bowling centres) and motels in England itself and the English Isles.

For example, plans were recently announced by the “Top Rank Motor Inns and Motor Services Division” for establishing motels in many European countries in the first decade.

As such is Rank Xerox part of this larger organization.

Rank Xerox manufactures and markets copiers based on the revolutionary new xerographic process, which combines light, static electricity and dry powders, in order to make permanent copies of any document in higher speed ratio. One of their copiers is an automatic ‘push-the-button’ machine, which makes copies at a speed of seven per minute on plain paper. It is now in use in thousands of offices around the world. It apparently meets a great need and, according to the professionals, has brought copy efficiency to a new level.

In addition, the company manufactures standard (Rank) Xerox equipment for the manufacture of offset plates and copyflo machines for quickly copying larger quantities. The main plant is located in Elstree, England, where all world markets are manufactured except south, central and North America, for which a separate factory has been built in America. No less than 11 subsidiaries market the various manufactured products.

ESTABLISHMENT OF A SITE IN OUR CITY

The new factory and warehouses in Venray are to be initially set up as a supply center for the copier equipment items, already installed in Europe.

Mr. John Davis, president-director of the Rank Organization and of Rank Xerox Ltd.. explains further the reasons for the establishment in the Venray municipality.

“Demand for Xerox equipment is fantastically high and our already heavily increased production needs to keep pace with the much greater production of consumables, such as selenium, drums and powder. The factory in Venray will provide all our equipment in use in the EEC in due course with this supplies”

Venray is conveniently located for an efficient distribution in the EEC and is close to the European motorway which will form a new connection between the Netherlands and Germany. The device production of our plant in Elstree (England) is being significantly increased and will be used for delivery in the UK and our other world markets for the time being.

40 MILLION

Rank Xerox Ltd. will invest 40 million guilders for the construction of the warehouse factory in Venray. The total land area for this complex amounts to 101,000 m2.

It is hoped to start the build of this very important project soon – the first Rank Xerox plant in mainland Europe. The plant will be in operation in June 1965 and production will be destined for all countries of the European Economic Community.

In addition to the factory itself, which has an area of more than 14,000 m2, a warehouse space of approximately 11,000 m2 is provided. From here, Rank Xerox will distribute its consumables to its E.E.G. operating companies in Düsseldorf, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Milan.

Due to the tight timetable, a computer will be utilized to achieve maximum efficiency and construction speed in order to ensure that the factory will be operational on time. This construction will cost 32 million and together with the necessary technical installation the cost will be around 40 million.

The new factory benefits from the possibilities Venray can offer as a development core.

The French company Austin, whose main company built such a factory in the United States for the Xerox Corporation in Rochester, has been appointed as an advisory engineering unit for this project in collaboration with Dutch architect Postma from Gorssel. Dutch companies will soon be invited to register for the construction.

(article translated from the “Peel en Maas” newspaper dated Friday January 24, 1964)

 

Photos of The Venray Plant

View our gallery

Leave a Reply