By: Joe Strupp Two competing papers in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley -- The Express-Times of Easton and The Morning Call of Allentown -- have announced a joint distribution agreement.
"Effective Feb. 16, The Call's Bethlehem distribution center will deliver The Express-Times' daily and Sunday editions to portions of the Bethlehem market," an Express-Times story said. "The Express-Times plans to distribute The Call to portions of The Express-Times' market that have yet to be determined."
"It just means that we're not duplicating efforts," Express-Times Publisher Martin K. Till said of the deal. "All it is is delivering. That just makes economic sense for us."
The Morning Call is owned by Tribune Company, while the Express-Times is published by Advance Publications.
Till added in the story that it is a "win-win deal for us and The Morning Call and reflects the new way we need to look at our old business model."
"In addition to reducing our costs and improving customer service, our distribution center system at The Morning Call allows us to deliver alternate products such as USA Today, Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and now - The Express Times," Timothy R. Kennedy, publisher, president and CEO of The Morning Call, said in a statement.
The move comes as the Express-Times offered voluntary buyouts Jan. 5 to full-time employees with five or more years of service. Feb. 19 is the deadline to apply.
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