The print group has won three titles from the publisher in a two-year deal: monthly La Revue de Vin de France; bi-monthly Votre Beauté, and quarterly Mariages.
All are high-end, perfect bound glossies, and were previously printed on the continent. The titles are being printed at Polestar Chantry in Wakefield.
Benoit Carlier, Groupe Marie Claire director of manufacturing and production, said Polestar had proved itself able to meet the publisher’s exacting requirements: “We are convinced that the manufacturing solution proposed by Polestar Chantry will be able to satisfy the stringent quality demands that our three magazines require. This has been proven by the first issues produced at the site.”
The publisher specialises in upscale women's magazines, and its worldwide publishing activities include around 90 print titles.
The move follows a significant coup for Polestar last year, when it won the deal to print the French version of weekly Stylist for publisher Timar, which is a joint venture between Shortlist Media and Groupe Marie Claire.
Polestar marketing director for UK print James Povey said the firm was delighted with the new win. “We have long wanted to grow our business in France with contractual magazines and are very thankful to Groupe Marie Claire for giving us this opportunity,” he said.
Polestar has an English and French-speaking export manager, Claire Sawyer, who is based in Paris, and has taken on a French employee in the UK to handle customer service.
Sawyer said the latest publishing contract marked an important strategic goal: “This is the result of a lot of hard work behind the scenes. You have to work by the customer’s rules and speak their language.”
Polestar Chantry currently runs six web presses ranging from 16pp to 72pp.
PrintWeek understands that the 64pp Goss M4000 press currently situated at Polestar Colchester will be relocated to Chantry imminently.
Separately, Polestar chief executive Barry Hibbert posted the image below online and described building work on the new extension at its Sheffield facility as being “well underway”.
