|
Montreal, February 21, 2007 – Today, on the same day
as its annual meeting, Transcontinental announced that it
has set up a division that will be responsible for developing
its model for outsourced newspaper printing in North America
and managing its U.S. plants in this niche. The first plant
will be built in the San Francisco Bay area in order to print
the San Francisco Chronicle starting in the spring
of 2009. Ted Markle, who until now has been vice president
of development in the Newspaper Group, has been appointed
senior vice president of the new division. His core team of
about ten people will be expanded in the coming months.
“The United States is our priority international market
and it is vital for our growth that we develop our presence
there,” said Luc Desjardins, president and CEO of Transcontinental.
“We are already one of the biggest suppliers of integrated
direct marketing services and we plan to become the same in
newspaper printing through our unique outsourcing model. The
announcement today indicates where we’re headed.”
François Olivier, president of Transcontinental’s
Printing Products and Services sector, added: “Our approach
to the U.S. daily newspaper industry has been a gradual one.
We first developed our model in Canada with The Globe
and Mail and La Presse. The fact that we’ve
been printing The New York Times for the Ontario
and upstate New York markets since November 2005, and, as
announced in November 2006, have signed a 15-year contract
to print the San Francisco Chronicle, has done a
great deal for our credibility and visibility in the industry.
We were already in talks with most of the major players and
now there is even more interest in our model. The potential
growth for Transcontinental is enormous. We needed a full-time
team dedicated to the job.”
Profile
The largest printer in Canada and sixth-largest in North America,
Transcontinental also ranks as the country’s leading
publisher of consumer magazines and French-language educational
resources, and its second-largest community newspaper publisher.
Transcontinental distinguishes itself by creating strategic
partnerships that integrate the company into its customers’
value chain, notably through its unique newspaper printing
outsourcing model and its value-added services. From mass
to highly personalized marketing, the company offers its clients
integrated solutions which include a continent-leading direct
marketing offering, a diverse digital platform and a door-to-door
advertising material distribution network. Transcontinental
is a company whose values, including respect, innovation and
integrity, are central to its operation.
Transcontinental (TSX: TCL.A, TCL.B) has more than 14,500
employees in Canada, the United States and Mexico, and reported
revenues of C$2.2 billion in 2006.
-30-
For information:
Media
Jake Brennan
Media Relations Coordinator
Transcontinental Inc.
Telephone: (514) 954-4000
jake.brennan@transcontinental.ca
Financial Community
Benoît Huard
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Transcontinental Inc.
Telephone: (514) 954-4000
benoit.huard@transcontinental.ca
|
