Gannett's top-selling newspaper is moving its printing to
Advance Publications'
Mobile Press-Register from GCI's
Hattiesburg American, effective Sept. 4 -- a move that will cost 15 jobs, the
American reported today.
USA Today production Vice President
Ken Kirkhart told the paper the printing contract with the
Press-Register is for three years. He cited cost savings in shifting the work. "It has nothing at all to do with the people as why we're leaving," he said. "We're doing the same thing around the country. We looked at a lot of things to consolidate our press window."
USAT is at least the second Gannett paper to move production to Mobile. The
Pensacola News Journal shifted its printing there in June 2009. That eliminated 84 full-time and part-time jobs.
The
Newhouse family controls
Advance.
The
American itself moved its printing to Gannett's
Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Miss.,
in February 2009. That wiped out 38 jobs.
Earlier: Skippy Haik is out; Hattiesburg publisher job eliminated
I find this a very ominous development. I know USAT has printing arrangements with other outside concerns, but this is the first time that I know where corporate has taken work away from one of its own papers to give to someone outside the operation. The bean counters are beavering away these days. Be warned and very concerned.
ReplyDeleteIt has long been my belief that the community papers are subsidizing USA Today by hiding the true printing costs. I've posted on this in the past, only to receive a torrent of opposition contending there is no subsidy for USAT from the papers anymore. Well, here is the proof that it saves USA Today money by outsourcing the printing. I also think we will see more of these outsourcing arrangements as corporate rationalizes the costs of printing USA Today to reflect the true costs.
ReplyDeleteThis is confusing to me. So, Hattiesburg stopped printing its own paper but continued to print USAT?
ReplyDeleteAnd now USAT is going to be printed by Newhouse?
But Jackson is going to continue printing Hattiesburg?
Reels the mind.
Corporate has outsourced printing of other newspapers to non-Gannett sites. Two that come to mind are New York's Poughkeepsie Journal and The Journal News in Westchester. They shifted printing this year to another company in Rockaway, N.J.
ReplyDeleteSad, sad news. Will Hattiesburg print anything after September?
ReplyDeleteI suppose Jackson, Miss., may have reached its capacity for printing papers other than The Clarion-Ledger.
ReplyDelete10:44 a.m. The Sheboygan Press in Wisconsin has printed at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (non-Gannett) for almost a year.
ReplyDeleteIf memory serves, USA TODAY was supposed to move to Jackson as well, but Jackson couldn't print it for some reason. Doesn't Pensacola also run in Mobile?
ReplyDeleteI think that Gannett Offset was in charge of Hattiesburg because it wasn't running the daily American any longer.
It can't be that much cheaper to print in Mobile, but the Hattiesburg crew likely didn't have enough work to fill a full shift. Plus, Gannett is able to get rid of these employees and the associated legacy costs that the company incurs by having them on the payroll.
You're right, Jim. By shutting down Westchester, the company also had to move what was left of USA TODAY to Rockaway.
ReplyDeleteUsed to work in Hattiesburg, and remember seeing all the owners/publishers of tiny weeklies pulling into the loading docks to pick up the papers that were printed inside the H'Burg American building. It was so cool. Didn't they used to do some printing for Southern Miss too? Did all that go bye-bye a year ago, or did they keep doing that while printing USAT? Anyone know?
ReplyDeleteHow's the printing quality these days? I recall in the early USAT days when the color of every issue from every plant was scrutinized at corporate every day.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, just wondering if quality is still a big concern, or is cost the overriding issue.
I have heard this thing first time that USAT shifts one of its own papers to give to someone outside the operation.
ReplyDeleteUSAT did not print any commercial jobs after the AMERICAN moved to Jackson...only USAT. But, after tonight, sept. 2, 2010 that is no more! Gonna miss you guys!!!!!
ReplyDeleteTJ Cawthon
USAT press 1991-2010