Polestar Pips Quebecor To Take Associated Titles

Associated Newspapers has agreed new printing arrangements for its principal newspaper supplements and magazines, with the Polestar Group becoming the major supplier.

Associated Newspapers has agreed new printing arrangements for its principal newspaper supplements and magazines, with the Polestar Group becoming the major supplier.

In replacing Quebecor World the new five year contracts will be for printing and finishing 2.6 million copies weekly of 'Night and Day' and 2.6 million copies of 'You Magazine' for the Mail on Sunday.

The deal also includes 3.5 million copies of 'Weekend' for The Daily Mail.

Quebecor World had produced those magazines since 1995.

Murdoch MacLennan, managing director of Associated Newspapers, said that the change in supplier was due to the enormous growth in the circulations of the Associated Newspaper titles over the past nine years and the increasing complexity of the products.

That had resulted in the need to move to gravure production for 'Night and Day', and in splitting the 'Weekend' run, which can at times be close to four million copies, between two printing plants within the Polestar Group.

The majority of the magazines, will, for the first time, be polywrapped by the suppliers, creating an improved product in response to both advertising demand and trends in the retail supply chain said the publisher.

Mr MacLennan said that the move in no way reflected on Quebecor World, which has been the primary supplier to the group for the past nine years and had shown a very high level of commitment and reliability over that time.

He commented: "We have the greatest confidence and respect for our colleagues in Corby but we needed to change the printing process to gain flexibility, and to polywrap to improve the overall package.

This required heavy investment on new plant within the UK." Associated's decision to move to the gravure production process for 'Night and Day' will result in major capital expenditure on new gravure printing, finishing and polywrapping plant for the Polestar Group.

In addition, the transfer of 'Weekend' will require investment in new web offset printing plant.

Polestar chief executive Barry Hibbert said: "We are delighted to be building on and strengthening our relationship with Associated Newspapers and look forward to working with them on the continuing success of these titles.

The continuing support of our shareholders over the last two years has enabled Polestar to pursue an extensive investment programme within our gravure and web-offset businesses, a strategy that will come to fruition over the next 12 months.".

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