Arizona Republic printing moves to Las Vegas as Phoenix facility to close

By Russ Wiles

Arizona Republic

The Arizona Republic will be printed and packaged in Las Vegas beginning in October as the news organization shifts to a joint-publishing arrangement of the type that has been used to cut costs in the industry for decades.

The transition will result in the layoff of 117 employees at The Republic’s Deer Valley printing facility in north Phoenix, which will be shut down, according to Gannett Co., Inc., the parent company of The Republic and azcentral.com.

The final copies of The Republic printed in Phoenix will roll off the presses Oct. 5.

The change was not expected to significantly change delivery times to print customers.

Breaking news, updates, sports scores and more will continue to be available online at azcentral.com.

The move creates operational savings that can help finance investments in journalism and develop growth businesses, the company said in a message to employees.

“Where our newspaper is printed does not impact our ability to deliver outstanding journalism. The Arizona Republic will continue to provide readers with quality, local content that matters most to them, and to connect our valued advertising partners with the customers they want to reach,” said Lark-Marie Antón, Gannett chief communications and brand officer, in a statement July 22.

“We deeply appreciate the years of service our knowledgeable, skilled staff has dedicated to our Phoenix facility and the local community.”

What will happen to the workers at the plant?

All full- and part-time production employees currently involved in printing and packaging in Phoenix will receive severance packages. Operations were expected to continue as normal through Oct. 5.

Three other Gannett publications now printed in Phoenix — the (Palm Springs) Desert Sun, Ventura County Star and Victorville Daily Press — will be printed in Riverside, California, starting in October.

Beginning in October, print editions of The Republic will be transported via truck from Las Vegas to metro Phoenix and other locations in Arizona.

This will necessitate earlier deadlines for news copy, and advertising deadlines will shift.

Gannett has not yet determined what it will do with the existing printing presses at the Deer Valley plant. After printing ends at the site, a small number of employees will be retained to help relocate equipment, decommission the presses and clean the facility.

Where will The Republic be printed?

The Las Vegas Review-Journal, which will print The Republic, produces the Las Vegas Sun and handles advertising and distribution for both publications.

Newspapers have consolidated print operations for decades. Gannett expects to look for other opportunities to do so, with an eye on efficiency and cost reductions, the company said.

The Detroit Free Press, another Gannett publication, announced earlier this year that it would shut down its local printing facility Aug. 3, shifting the production of 32 newspapers there to other printing facilities.

What will happen to the Deer Valley plant?

Gannett sold its north Phoenix printing facility for $38 million in August 2023, according to Maricopa County records. It entered into a lease to continue printing newspapers at the plant.

Phoenix Newspapers Inc., which was purchased by Gannett in 2000, had owned the site since 1987.

The 300,000-square-foot plant sits on 20 acres near 19th Avenue and Williams Drive, north of Loop 101. It is one of the largest existing industrial buildings in the Deer Valley area.

The property was purchased by a partnership between Scottsdale-based Atlas Capital Partners and New York-based DRA Advisors, a real estate investment firm.

"The location, distinctive building characteristics, lower coverage and proximity to TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.) all added to the allure of this acquisition," Chris Walton, founder and CEO of Atlas, said at the time of the acquisition.