February 20, 2003 -- Newsquest Media Group, part of Gannett, and publisher of more than 300 local newspapers in England and Wales, has purchased a GEOMAN press from MAN Roland worth a medium double-digit million EUR amount. Delivery is scheduled for March next year. The six-unit double-width web offset newspaper press, with two folders, will be installed in a new press hall on the Newsquest Oxfordshire site. It will be capable of producing 96 tabloid pages in full colour at 75,000 copies per hour running in straight mode. The new press is to replace the existing 32 years old press and will meet the printing needs of Newsquest’s businesses in Oxfordshire and Wiltshire – as well as wider needs within the Group. Titles to be printed will include two dailies – the Oxford Mail and the Swindon Evening Advertiser – plus The Oxford Times and Wiltshire’s Gazette and Herald series. Paul Davidson, chief executive of Newsquest, said, “with a perfect complete solution MAN Roland put together just the best proposal, and we are looking forward to working with them on this major investment.” Gerd Finkbeiner, chairman of the MAN Roland Group, said, “We are very happy about this mark of confidence we received from such a renowned UK newspaper company. MAN Roland will do everything to turn this exciting challenge into a strong partnership between our companies and into a great economic success for Newsquest.”