The Austin Co. Hires Michael Craft as Newspaper Consultant

By: E&P Staff The Austin Co., the Cleveland-based international design, engineering, and construction subsidiary of Kajima USA, has appointed Michael Craft as senior consultant, newspaper strategy and planning, a position in which the company said he is expected to "play a leading role" in its "strategy to expand its work for newspapers and media companies beyond traditional facility-oriented solutions."

In his 21-year career in newspaper management, Craft most recently served as president and publisher of The Clarion-Ledger, Jackson, Miss. He previously held publishing positions in Shreveport, La., and Jackson, Tenn. Craft also worked in marketing at the Des Moines (Iowa) Register and St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times.

Announcing Craft's appointment, Austin said he "brings extensive experience in financial and operational management, strategic and long-range planning, niche publications, and new media development" to his new job and clients.

With the newspaper industry in a period of "restructuring and revisioning," Austin President Pat Flanagan said in a statement, bringing Craft to the company "significantly enhances our ability to support newspapers during this period of planning and operational analysis."