- Schattdecor has formally dedicated its decor paper printing plant. Some 200 guests, customers and media turned out to celebrate the official launch. The 109,000- square-foot plant near the St. Louis airport  houses a five-story tall, four-color water-based gravure printing line with integrated curing ovens for producing the decor papers used in manufactured flooring and paneling.

Decor printing is part of the process involved in the production of decor paper; i.e. paper printed to resemble wood or other materials for use in flooring, furniture (worktops, cabinet fronts and sides) and interior decoration. Printed decor paper is sold to companies in the timber products industry, where it is saturated with resin and laminated to substrates such as chipboard or medium-density fiberboard (MDF) for use in wood flooring and furnishings. 

The Schattdecor plant, which represents $31 million in investment and employs 50, was originally begun in 2009, then put  temporarily put on hold when the economy soured demand for wood products.  The project was restarted in May 2010, with a Rotodecor gravure press  installed the following October. The press began inaugural runs in January 2011. 

Schattdecor says it recently purchased 18 acres of ground in front of its current 12-acre property, allowing for expansion of the existing plant. The building was constructed with a removable wall allowing for eventual growth, and Schattdecor says foundations for three additional press lines were poured during the original construction. 

The opening celebration for the wood products plant included presentations by Schattdecor executives from Germany and the U.S. as well as government officials.