Since it began flying the mail from the Twin Cities to Chicago in 1926, Northwest Airlines has been an innovator, an industry leader and a source of pride for Minnesotans. From its humble beginnings with it’s “fleet” of two biplanes, Northwest has amassed a staggering list of “firsts” of which to be proud, including:

* 1955 – becoming the first airline to voluntarily operate without government subsidy on specified routes

* 1960 – inaugurating U.S. jet service to Asia with the airline’s first pure jet, the DC8

* 1976 – the first airline approved by the FAA to install coordinated flight crew training

* 1988 – the first major airline to ban smoking on all North American flights

* 1993 – Northwest Airlines and KLM form the first airline alliance in the world, and the most deeply integrated.

* And today – the airline industry’s #1 web site, compact self-service kiosks for passenger convenience, automated boarding control devices at gates serving international flights, a remote control visual inspection system, the AirCares program that has totaled 85 million miles and $5.5 million in cash for Northwest’s charity partners….and the list goes on and on.

Like Northwest, Gannett Offset-Minneapolis embraces cutting edge technology to serve our customers effectively and efficiently. From our modest origin in 1976 as a typesetting house and print broker, we have grown to become one of the premier printing and graphic arts resources in Minnesota. From our brand new production facility in Maple Grove, we proudly serve a large and diverse list of customers with quality products and services, priced to provide industry-leading value and delivered with unparalleled customer service and attention to detail.

Gannett Offset-Minneapolis is the first commercial printer in the U.S. to install and operate a MAN Roland Uniset 70 non-heatset web press. Although new to this country, the shaft-less technology of the Uniset 70 has proven itself in European countries and is able to produce superior printed images with more efficient make-readies, significantly lower spoilage and greatly increased press speed. This press, used to produce the mid-west edition of the award winning USA TODAY, consistently ranks #1 in print quality among all Offset sites around the country. This is the same press that would be used in the production of Passages, Northwest’s employee communication vehicle.

As the world’s fourth largest airline, serving 750 cities in 120 countries on 6 continents with over 2,600 daily departures, Northwest Airlines truly understands the dedication and commitment required to successfully serve the needs of its passengers, each and every time they board a Northwest flight. Like Northwest, Gannett Offset embodies that same commitment to provide industry-leading customer satisfaction to our clients as we serve their marketing and communication needs, each and every time we go to press. It’s a responsibility we never take lightly.