By: Jim Rosenberg Furthering the industry's trend to operations consolidation and outsourcing, The Bradenton (Fla.) Herald signed a letter of intent for the New York Times Co.'s Herald-Tribune of Sarasota to take over printing of the 48,618-circulation McClatchy daily just over the county line to the north.
"Our production facilities are only 10 miles apart," Herald-Tribune Publisher Diane McFarlin told her paper. "We probably should have done this a long time ago, but competition got in the way."
In a twist, however, contract printing will continue in Bradenton. The Herald is now printed on an older offset press -- a Hoe/manroland Lithomatic II doublewide. The pressroom also operates a Goss Suburban singlewide for commercial work, according to Operations Vice President Bob Turner.
But while the Herald will roll off the upgraded Goss Metroliners and Newsliner towers in Sarasota, commercial work will continue in Bradenton on both its presses, according to Pressroom manager Chet Syjud. "We've got a full schedule of commercial work," Syjud told E&P.
Both papers reported the move today, after the Herald's owner, The McClatchy Co., announced the year's second round of work force cuts, decimating the number of positions to save $100 million.
The Herald, like other papers in particularly hard-hit Florida, is looking to reduce staff. And other papers in the state have entered production and distribution-sharing arrangements.
Herald Publisher William H. Fleet could not be reached immediately for comment on how the transfer of printing may affect costs, jobs or delivery times.
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