Reach Announces Closure of Glasgow Printing Plant
Newspaper publisher Reach has revealed plans to shut its printing facility located in Glasgow, resulting in approximately 100 job losses.
The Saltire site in Cardonald is scheduled to cease operations in the spring, with printing activities transferring to Reach's Oldham plant.
This change means several of the company’s Scottish titles, including the Daily Record and Sunday Mail, will be printed in England going forward.
The Unite union described the announcement as an "utter shock" to the workforce.
Reach has initiated a consultation process with the employees affected by the proposed closure.
In addition to the Glasgow site, Reach is closing its Watford printing facility. Production from Watford will be moved to the Newsprinters plant in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, under an "outsourcing agreement."
A smaller segment of Reach’s Scottish publications will be printed by DC Thomson in Dundee as part of a consolidation of print operations.
Strategic Rationale Behind the Move
Reach’s chief executive, Piers North, characterised the decision as a "proactive and strategic move," emphasizing that the company’s future is "firmly rooted in digital."
"Print remains an important part of our business, and will continue to drive considerable circulation revenue."
"By refining our print operations, we can focus our attention on content and audiences - the core driver of our business - and accelerate our digital growth opportunities such as our digital subscriptions offering."
The Saltire printing plant was inaugurated in 1994 by then-Labour leader and future Prime Minister Tony Blair, coinciding with the Daily Record's centenary.
Reach currently prints 17 regional newspapers at the Saltire facility, including the Scottish editions of the Daily Express and the Daily Star. The company also operates the Edinburgh and Glasgow Live websites.
In September of the previous year, Reach announced a series of redundancies across its print and digital titles.
Union Response and Workforce Impact
Norman King, Unite’s industrial officer, stated that the closure plans were announced without prior warning.
"There is minimal detail on timeframes and there have been no discussions involving Unite on a potential closure."
"We have urgently called for meetings with Reach plc on whether anything can be done to reverse this decision.
"It would be a bitter irony for the workers and the Scottish printing press if the closure goes ahead only to see flagship publications such as the Daily Record and Sunday Mail, printed in England."
Historical Context and Industry Trends
When the Cardonald printing plant opened, the Daily Record sold approximately 700,000 copies daily. At that time, few anticipated the significant decline in newspaper sales that would follow.
Currently, the Daily Record’s circulation is around 37,000, while the Scottish Daily Express sells about 10,000 copies. This downward trend is consistent across the newspaper industry.
Many established publishers are now prioritizing their digital products, making the consolidation of print operations a likely strategic move for Reach.
The Cardonald plant was originally designed to handle a much larger volume of print production than it currently manages.
There is also historical irony in the situation. In 1974, the Scottish Daily Express moved its printing operations from Glasgow to Manchester, which benefited the Daily Record at the time. Today, both titles are owned by the same company, reflecting the significant changes in the print media landscape.
