Gazette Media Company’s plans to re-equip its Teesside operation with a new press facility have been confirmed and contracts have been signed with suppliers.

Building work will commence later this year and the new press is scheduled to print live copies of the Evening Gazette and the company’s Herald & Post series from October 2003.

Goss will be constructing the new press with four Colorliner towers, four reelstands, digital inking and automatic blanket wash facilities.

It will be located in a new press hall to be constructed at the current Borough Road premises and will be capable of printing 70,000 copies per hour and will be able to produce up to 128 tabloid pages in full colour.

The total investment will be around £11m and is part of a £90m investment by the Gazette’s parent company Trinity Mirror, which will also see new newspaper presses in Cardiff and Birmingham.

Gazette Media Company managing director Alastair MacColl said: “This major investment in the Tees Valley is extremely good news for our customers, our readers and the area generally. It demonstrates the confidence which we have in our business and the long term economic development of the Tees Valley.”

Assistant managing director Ian Swain, responsible for production operations at Teesside, commented: “I am particularly pleased that Goss have been contracted to provide the new press from its British manufacturing base in Preston.

“A new ‘state of the art’ press will ensure that we can continue to expand the range of services that we offer, and provide exceptional quality and service to all our customers.”

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