By: E&P Staff Northbrook, Ill.-based Liberty Group Publishing Co. is scheduled to close Tuesday on its purchase of five papers in Colorado, including the 5,000-circulation Telluride Daily Planet.
The sale was announced by seller Womack Publishing. The sale also includes, the Daily Planet's companion weekly, the Norwood Post; the 3,550-circulation daily La Junta (CO) Tribune-Democrat; two companion weeklies, the Bent County Democrat and Fowler Tribune; and Valley Offset Printing, based in La Junta.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Santa Fe, N.M.-based Dirks, Van Essen & Murray represented Chatham, Va.-based Womack in the transaction.
Wendy Rodriguez will remain publisher of the Telluride Daily Planet and Norwood Post, and Ed Trainor will continue as publisher of the La Junta Tribune-Democrat, Bent County Democrat, and Fowler Tribune.
Womack purchased the Telluride and Norwood papers in 2001, and an affiliate, Colorado Newspapers Inc., acquired the La Junta, Bent County and Fowler papers in 2002.
It publishes 16 community newspapers in Virginia and North Carolina, with a web printing facility in both states. Womack also publishes telephone directories, real estate magazines, visitors' guides and a number of other publications, and has a commercial printing operation.
Womack President Diane C. White said the company plans to focus on growth in its Virginia and North Carolina newspapers.
The purchase was the first in Colorado for Liberty, which owns more than 270 community papers in 15 states.
?We are excited to add Colorado to our list of states and expect to continue our growth through synergistic acquisitions in Colorado,? Liberty Co-President and Co-COO Scott T. Champion said in a statement.
Liberty was bought in June by New York City-based Fortress Investment Group LLC.
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