Transcontinental Forms Newspaper Division

MONTREAL—Transcontinental Inc. underscored its commitment to newspaper printing by announcing it is creating a dedicated U.S. division. The division will be responsible for developing Transcontinental’s model for outsourced newspaper printing in North America and managing its U.S. plants in this niche.

Transcontinental will build the first plant in the San Francisco Bay area in order to print the San Francisco Chronicle starting in the spring of 2009.

Ted Markle, formerly vice president of development in the Newspaper Group, has been named senior vice president of the new division.

Luc Desjardins, president and CEO of Transcontinental, says he intends to see the new division reach the same level of excellence the company has attained in integrated direct marketing services. He cites the United States as Transcontinental’s “priority international market” and emphasizes the importance of developing its presence there.

Last November, Transcontinental signed a 15-year contract to print the Chronicle, a year after securing a deal to produce the New York Times for upstate New York and Ontario.