The Leeds plant had been earmarked for closure as part of Polestar’s revamp of its web offset manufacturing platform.
With the first two 96pp web presses at its new Sheffield web offset facility now up and running, and the 64pp short-grain press under construction, the Sheffield facility is poised to absorb the fast turnaround weekly titles previously produced at Petty.
The Yorkshire Evening Post reported that some 250 jobs would go in Leeds as a result. It’s not known how many Petty workers have taken up the new positions available at Sheffield.
Petty’s substantial finishing operation will remain open until next summer, the newspaper said. It runs five Ferag Unidrum systems.
The firm’s press hall includes two Manroland Lithoman webs, a Heidelberg M4000 and an old Baker Perkins G14 according to Polestar’s plant list.
It prints newspaper supplement and weekly magazines, including the Radio Times for Immediate Media.
Polestar began consultations with staff over its proposals in May. At the time, chief operating officer Peter Andreou told PrintWeek that potentially the majority of jobs could be retained, if workers were willing to move to Chantry in Wakefield or Sheffield.
Petty was just shy of celebrating its 150th anniversary. It was set up in 1865 as Petty & Sons and lays claim to being the first company UK printer to install colour web offset presses, back in 1963.
Polestar was unavailable for comment at the time of writing.
