Trinity Mirror plc and Guardian Media Group plc have entered
into an agreement to share a £45 million investment in new printing
equipment.
The deal will see Trinity Mirror's MCP (Mirror Colour Print)
site in Oldham sign a 15-year contract to print GMG's regional titles in the
North West of England, starting in early 2006.
The GMG titles - published by subsidiary Greater Manchester
Newspapers - include the Manchester Evening News, Manchester Metro News and the
Express, Reporter, Observer, Times and Advertiser series of local newspapers in
Greater Manchester.
The investment in four state-of-the-art press and inserting
lines at MCP Oldham will greatly increase the colour and inserting capability of
Trinity Mirror and Greater Manchester Newspaper titles in the North West.
The move is part of the two companies' wider manufacturing
strategy of enhancing their newspapers' quality while reducing costs and future
capital expenditure.
Sly Bailey, Chief Executive of Trinity Mirror, said: "This
collaborative approach will deliver great value for all concerned. Both parties
will benefit from what will be the most advanced printing presses in the
world.
"The joint investment will enable Trinity Mirror to deliver a
better service to readers and advertisers while significantly reducing the cost
of re-pressing at the Oldham site."
Ian Ashcroft, Chief Executive of GMG Regional, said: "The move
to Oldham means all GMG's regional newspapers in the North West will be printed
in full colour at the same plant.
"Combining with MCP maximises efficient use of pre-press, press
and post-press capacity and has facilitated purchase of equipment to the highest
technical specification in a plant with a proven track record."
