News UK launches unique print, logistics and consultancy service for newspaper and magazine publishers

News UK has today launched a new division for the company called Newssolutions. Offering the newspaper and magazine industry an unrivalled and world-class production and distribution service, it will also provide the opportunity for them significantly to reduce costs and increase margins.

In a market where print sales for some have fallen between five and 12 per cent and consumers are taking advantage of the choice delivered in the digital era, a sustainable future can be secured by maximising economies of scale.

With today’s announcement Newssolutions becomes the parent holding company for News UK’s Newsprinters and Newslogistics businesses. Newsprinters is the largest printer of newspapers in the UK printing 40m newspapers a week of which 16m are for third parties. Newslogistics, which runs all of the company’s distribution services, is already established within and around the M25.

Newssolutions has expertise and services that can help independent publishers looking for support with multiple retail representation, regional titles looking for services in driving acquisition, and national titles developing home news delivery.

The team will offer a new Operations and Technology service that will complement the more traditional print and distribution opportunities. Headed by Tracey Hart, News UK's Commercial Director of Operations, it is keen to share with the industry its expertise in areas such as retail allocations, digital editions, dashboard reporting and cloud management.

Mike Darcey, CEO, News UK, said:

We have invested heavily and intelligently in print production and distribution because we believe there is a sustainable future for printed journalism alongside the digital choices available to consumers. With shrinking print circulation challenging publishers, we have identified the opportunity to collaborate and achieve the economies of scale that will ensure we all have a thriving and profitable future for the printed product.

Tracey Hart, Commercial Director of Operations, News UK said:

We have built a quality and innovative team with the expertise to deliver the savings and margins that publishers are striving for. They are ready to talk and look forward to developing mutually prosperous partnerships across the publishing industry.

Tracey Hart joined News UK in May, 2014. Prior to this she was Head of Sales and Marketing for The Daily Mail and was recruited for her extensive experience in providing revenue generating services to publishers, be that in print, distribution or other related services.

Notes to editors

News UK's print operations are run by its subsidiary, Newsprinters Group Ltd across three print sites (Broxbourne, Knowsley, and Glasgow) where, in addition to its own titles, it prints The Financial Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Metro and The Evening Standard. Key facts include:

• Together the three sites print around 2 billion newspaper a year - that's over 32 per cent of the market and over 42 per cent of the contract print market

• By 06.30 every morning it has delivered 4 million newspapers to 55,000 retail outlets in the UK and Southern Ireland and directly to more than 16,000 homes in London.

• Newsprinters is the largest Newspaper contract printer, by volume, in the UK. Its clients already include Telegraph Media Group, the Metro, The Evening Standard, The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, Johnston Press and Local World.  Its main plant, located at Broxbourne in North London, produces over 1.3 billion newspapers annually, consuming around 300,000 tonnes of newsprint each year. It is the biggest and most productive newspaper plant in the world, capable of printing over 1 million copies every hour.

• News UK’s Logistics team, in conjunction with Telegraph Media Group, controls the largest newspaper distribution operation in the country. As well as distribution through the traditional wholesale route, News UK also distributes direct to over 6,000 retailers in the London area every day and offers a direct to customer service, to readers of The Times and The Sunday Times, with over 60,000 deliveries made directly to customers homes in London every week.