'The Smithfield Herald' to Cease Print Operations

By: Meg Campbell The Smithfield (N.C.) Herald will print on its own press for the last time on Jan. 4, 2008. After that, the twice-weekly paper serving Johnson County begins printing 30 miles away in Raleigh on the presses of its owner, News and Observer Publishing Co.

The 125-year-old Herald, a McClatchy paper with a circulation of 15,000, is making the shift to take advantage of the additional page and color capacity of the News and Observer's KBA flexo presses, says Herald publisher Teddy Thorndyke. The Herald's own singlewide Goss Community press, reconditioned three years ago, will either be relocated to another McClatchy property or sold, as will its Kansa inserting equipment, Thorndyke says.

Papers printed in Raleigh will be trucked back to the Smithfield offices for distribution to carriers. The empty pressroom will be converted to extra office space, says Thorndyke. Thorndyke would not say how many pressroom and inserting employees are affected by the consolidation, but says that he and the human resources department at the News and Observer will aid the employees in finding new jobs, although not necessarily within the company.