printing business and customer cheques locally rather than overseas.

The bank has hired Bermuda Press to print approximately 2.4 million cheques -- a year's supply. It not only means the bank will save on getting the job done, but also that the money spent will go directly into the local economy.

The new cheques also feature the bank's corporate colours -- grey and maroon.

The bank's operations manager for retail banking, Mr. Matthew Cairney, said the bank had been trying wherever possible to use local businesses. He said that having this particular job in Bermuda will improve delivery times.

And Bermuda Press forms manager Mr. Michael Holshouser said the bank will have far more control over the quality of the cheques.

The cheques will be printed over the course of a week on the company's continuous press, which was purchased in December, 1989. It is expected the cheques will be available to customers within approximately two weeks.

Mr. Holshouser said the roll-to-roll continuous press is the only one of its kind in Bermuda. It has the capacity to print 600 feet of material per minute and generally runs with a 9000-yard long roll of paper.

The press, built in the UK, can also print up to three different colours per item on the front and back. And it can print single items or multi-part items, which are put together on a separate collator.

HOT OFF THE PRESS -- Mr. Stephen Todd (left), senior manager of retail banking at the Bank of N.T. Butterfield, and operations manager for retail banking Mr.

Matthew Cairney (centre), inspect cheques printed locally by the Bermuda Press Ltd. Also pictured is Mr. Michael Holshouser, forms manager of Bermuda Press.