INM centralises print management in Citywest

INDEPENDENT News & Media (INM) is to centralise the management of its three printing facilities on the island of Ireland but is not planning job cuts.

The reorganisation of print and production assets on the island of Ireland will see facilities at Citywest in Dublin, Newry and Belfast managed as a single combined entity from the Citywest plant.

The Dublin printing facility was overhauled and significantly upgraded at the start of this decade. And Newry and Belfast have undergone improvements worth a combined €50m, or so, in the past two years.

The facilities employ around 250 people between them, with the bulk of those working at the Dublin and Belfast bases.

INM said it was not its immediate plan to make changes to its workforce, saying it had no plans to implement job cuts even though it is always looking for cost savings and efficiencies.

It added that this move was mainly to do with enhancing overall efficiencies and improving time to market for its products.

“This new structure allows for a dedicated focus for all of our print and production activities across the island of Ireland. Managing the three plants as one unit will deliver significant efficiencies, improved time to market for our customers, as well as combining best practice production techniques from each of the facilities,” said INM’s newly appointed chief operating officer, Vincent Crowley.

The three printing facilities produce around 40 newspaper titles, including the Irish Independent titles and, in Belfast, the Mirror titles for the Irish market, accounting for 350 million copies per year.