Newsfax, based in Bow, has advertised in The Daily Mail for a senior production manager, production managers, production technicians and printers.
Tom Johnson, Newsfax managing director, said: "We are expanding our capacity but are not releasing details at this time." He refused to comment on whether the expansion related to the printing of The Guardian. Turnover at fast-gowing Newsfax rose 20% last year, to 22.9m.
The switch to the format represents a 50m investment by the left-leaning newspaper group. The move would also force GMG to cancel its printing contract with West Ferry for The Guardian and The Observer, which is due to run until 2009.
It is unclear which presses will be used to print the new-look papers, the first in the UK to use the European format employed by titles including Le Monde and La Repubblica.
GMG was understood to be in talks with MAN Roland in the summer over installing a Berliner-sized press in Trafford Park, the Manchester print plant which it jointly owns with the Telegraph Group (PrintWeek, 8 July).
GMG has stated that it will launch the downsized paper in the UK in 2006. Editor Alan Rusbridger briefly showed a mock-up of the new size at last week's Stationers' Hall debate on the size of newspapers, describing it as "utterly beautiful".
Production of the papers in the north of England is understood to be staying at Trafford Park. GMG has also revealed plans to relocate its editorial offices to a new building at King's Cross in 2008, from its current seven sites in Farringdon.
A spokeswoman for GMG declined to comment on printing arrangements. West Ferry was unavailable for comment.
The Berliner move will be the culmination of a massive print spend by the group. Yesterday (17 November) GMG and Trinity Mirror announced a joint investment of 45m at Mirror Colour Print's Oldham site, which will print GMG's North Western regional titles. See separate story here. And a further 9m is being spent on upgrading the print capacity at GMG-owned Trader Media Group's Apple Web Offset plant in Warrington. See TMG invests 9m.
Story by Josh Brooks
