Product lines that serve the print media market for newspapers, inserts, magazines, catalogues, direct mail and stationery, have been integrated into regionalised print media divisions.

These business units can now offer the full range of products and services, such as coldest inks, publication gravure inks, pressroom consumables and blankets.

Flint Group chief executive Charles Knott said the move was not a decision to downsize.

He said: "The primary driver for the realignment is to provide a better service for the customer, which in turn makes it easier for them to do business with us."

Seperately, the company said that in December last year, it made internal announcements to close its Swindon and Slinfol sites.

Knott said: "This decision has resulted in around 100 job losses in the UK, but at the same time we have also invested heavily in our Dundee plant and acquired two companies.

"We have invested heavily, and we aim to keep on accelerating this investment to improve quality and reduce cost."

As a result of the realignment, Dermot Healy, vice president of Day International Europe, has now been appointed president for print media Europe. Bill Miller, Americas president for inks, is now president for print media North America. Dennis Wolters, Day International president, has announced that he will retire at the end of June.

Flint Group has also formed a global packaging and narrow web division, headed up by Dirk Aulbert, who was formerly president of the European ink division of Flint Group.

Knott added that the realignment was not initiated because of the current market conditions.

He said: "However, we are seeing a downturn in the market, but this will just accelerate the changes that would have happened anyway in our industry.

"Inevitably, we all needed to become more cost effective and invest in the right technology and eliminate unnecessary costs."

See also:

Flint Group announces ink price rises