Britain Branch to Cease Printing Sooner Than Expected

by The Searcher 45 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  darkspilver

  TheWonderofYou: Temple Farm Development is designed as prestigious project of green cities an urban natural environement. First ever BREEAM Communities innovation credit is claimed by Temple Farm Development
  

  A couple of months later, and....
  
  Witnesses’ New Branch Office in Britain Receives Top BREEAM Rating for Sustainable Design
  

  JWorg, Tuesday, September 5, 2017

  LONDON — Jehovah’s Witnesses are building a new administrative facility in Britain and their design and construction methods have been certified as Outstanding, the highest rating available according to the world’s leading sustainability assessment standard, BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method). The Witnesses’ facility, is located about 70 kilometers (43 mi) east of London, in Chelmsford, Essex, and is only the second BREEAM Communities scheme to have received the top rating.

  READ MORE: https://www.jw.org/en/news/releases/by-region/united-kingdom/branch-office-breeam-rating-sustainable-design/
  
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  Lostandfound

  So it would seem that many Heavy Heavies will be redundant at British branch. My experience is that for many this will be complete disaster. End of the gravy train, status evaporated, lots of older 'heavies' could not find work gathering litter, never mind management places. How are the mighty fallen ! Welcome to the real world.
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  sparrowdown

  I think they will outsource all printing evenyually anyway. Surely there would be cheaper ways and places to print. I honestly foresee a time when books, DVDs etc will be available from the website.
• 

  Fisherman

  to build such a big facility outside London

  The WT is making a brilliant move to get out of the way, out of the center of town, releasing their properties for economic development for public use. They figure that they can run their operations and do what they are doing from another location elsewhere.
  
  
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  Phizzy

  " They figure that they can run their operations and do what they are doing from another location elsewhere. "

  They could probably run it from a broom cupboard in Skegness, but like any Corporation they have to have a large prestigious H. Q in Britain.

  The Chelmsford Site is ripe for selling for a huge Tax Free profit in the future of course, when Jehoober decides it is right for them to downsize a bit.
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  darkspilver

  sparrowdown: Surely there would be cheaper ways and places to print.

  Yes, apparently it's called 'Selters'....

  sparrowdown: I honestly foresee a time when books, DVDs etc will be available from the website.

  Well that happened quick! They already make books and DVDs available from their website!

  In fact they DON'T even give out any physical copies of new releases at the annual conventions now!

  If you want a physical copy you need to specifically order it after the convention from your congregation!
  
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  slimboyfat

  Like others have said, production of physical books and magazines is down dramatically. The question is, what will they do when they've cut production by 90% or so? The last 10% production of books and magazines is going to cost a disproportionate amount to preserve. The variable costs (paper, ink and so on) are cut, but the fixed overheads remain. So when production reaches such a low, won't the temptation soon be to eliminate production altogether?

  So I think they may halt printing altogether, publish online and contract a few items (Bibles and tracts) to outside printers.

  At its peak the worldwide "bethel family" was, what 26,000 or something? How low can they go? Maybe a couple of thousand in 5 or so branches? United States, Brazil, South Africa, Japan, and Germany. A thousand in the United States and less than a hundred in each of the rest. Something like that?
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  darkspilver

  slimboyfat: At its peak the worldwide "bethel family" was, what 26,000 or something?

  FYI
  

  https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5639304585936896/revealed-number-bethelites-over-years

  The ratio of bethelites-to-publishers is interesting - though the WT does a lot more translating now, but still....
  
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  slimboyfat

  darkspilver what is your opinion on where WT is headed in terms of book production and branch personnel?
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  careful

  SBF,