CHICAGO, Oct. 20 -- R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company announced today that it is to be awarded, through its wholly-owned UK-based subsidiary Astron, a multi-year agreement to provide facilities management and other services in an operation that will be based near Lille, France. This facility will serve the French government and other public and private sector clients and will complement Astron's existing document management and processing resources in Paris. This agreement will consolidate under Astron's management a number of Imprimerie Nationale facilities in a single operation that provides print fulfillment services, print and mail for billing and other recurring document requirements, document management services and printing and distribution of office documents to European customers. "This important facilities management agreement will expand our ability to deliver to European and global customers a complete range of document-based business process outsourcing services," said Dean E. Cherry, Group President, Integrated Print Solutions. "It is consistent with our strategy of building a more comprehensive platform for serving this fast-growing segment." David Mitchell, President of Astron International added, "We are committed to remaining at the forefront of the Document Services Outsourcing segment in the UK and in continental Europe. This will better position us to serve our pan-European clients with integrated end-to-end solutions." "We are very pleased to have made this arrangement," said Loic de la Cochetiere, President of Imprimerie Nationale. "There are enormous benefits in working together with Astron to deliver multiple services in Europe. Astron is the only outsourcing organization with real European reach and this agreement will be a key factor in maintaining our competitive position. In addition, it will provide opportunities and be of great benefit to our staff to work with the acknowledged experts from Astron." The facility Astron will manage is expected to be fully operational in early 2006.