The Minnesota Star Tribune announced Monday that it is shutting down its Minneapolis printing facility, resulting in 125 employee layoffs.
The paper will now be printed at a Gannett facility in Des Moines, Iowa, according to a press release from the company posted by Fluence Media CEO Blois Olson. The Star Tribune said it has printed its daily newspaper at the Minneapolis facility for nearly four decades.
The change will take effect Dec. 27. The company cited “declining print circulation and inefficiencies resulting from operating an underutilized print facility” as reasons for the closure.
The daily newspaper said it currently uses only 18% of the Minneapolis facility’s capacity and will save “several million dollars in expenses annually.” Additionally, the outlet said most newspapers nationwide have already “consolidated print operations,” and that it is one of the last publications to “make this kind of strategic move.”
The Star Tribune’s distribution fleet will continue to handle delivery of the paper throughout Minnesota.
“Our industry continues to evolve rapidly, and this change will help us preserve resources, invest in our digital transformation, and continue delivering the high-quality journalism Minnesotans count on,” said Star Tribune CEO Steve Grove.
Grove served in Gov. Tim Walz’s cabinet as commissioner of the Department of Employment and Economic Development before taking the helm at the Star Tribune. In his previous role, he frequently touted Minnesota’s business climate, in one case saying that “people who start things in Minnesota tend to stick to it.”
The Star Tribune’s announcement elicited numerous reactions online, including from the Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus, which said: “Even the Star Tribune knows Tim Walz’s policies are bad for business and is seeking out a better climate across the border in Iowa.”
Anthony Gockowski
Anthony Gockowski is Editor-in-Chief of Alpha News. He previously worked as an editor for The Minnesota Sun and Campus Reform, and wrote for the Daily Caller.
