APN flags new print centres in northern heartland

A highlight was the takeover of the 50 per cent ownership of Toowoomba Newspapers not already owned. This plays into the company's home territory of Northern NSW and Queensland with the announcement that it will develop upgraded newspaper production facilities for Toowoomba, Lismore and Rockhampton following the successful development of its showcase Yandina and Bundaberg press centres.

The company is currently bringing all its press facilities under a central services structure, with the idea of allowing the newspaper sites to concentrate on publishing. It flags an aggressive pursuit of new revenues from its expanded heat and cold-set colour capacity.

APN's publishing footprint now extends from Coffs Harbour to Cairns following a number of 'infill acquisitions' during 2006/07 in Brisbane, Logan, Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Sunshine Coast hinterland and Toowoomba. It continues the gentlemen's agreement with Rural Press, now Fairfax Media, not to compete in each others turf. APN has 14 daily titles and over 70 community titles and magazines in Australia with nine daily titles and over 35 community free titles in New Zealand. It also owns the largest metro daily The New Zealand Herald.

(Rural is (was) bigger with 160 regional newspapers and magazines.)

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