'Washington Post" to Close One Plant, Relocate 2 of its 4 Presses

By: Jim Rosenberg The Washington Post announced today that it will close its College Park, Md., printing plant over the next two years, moving two of the press hall's four Mitsubishi presses to its older Springfield, Va., plant, where they will join four other Mitsubishi lines to handle the paper's entire press run.

Comprising 72 towers, the eight presses were purchased in 1995 for $250 million and put into regular production in 1999. The offset presses are the only ones with keyless inking sold by Mitsubishi in the U.S., and represented the world's largest keyless order. The machines also were the manufacturer's first color keyless towers.

The decision was made public along with other changes, including the naming of Post Advertising Vice President Katharine Weymouth, granddaughter of Chairman Katharine Graham, as CEO and publisher, succeeding Boisfeuillet Jones Jr., who becomes Washington Post Co. vice chairman. Buyouts also are to be offered to managers and Newspaper Guild-represented staffers next month.

The fate of those employed at the College Park site and of the two remaining presses remains undetermined, according to a Post spokesperson, who attributed the facility's closing to declining advertising volume and print circulation. Average daily circulation has fallen almost 200,000 copies over the past 15 years, to 635,087 weekdays and 894,428 Sunday.