Trinity makes second deal in regional press

TRINITY International Holdings, the newspaper publisher that owns the Liverpool Echo and Daily Post, is paying pounds 12.6m to acquire the Huddersfield Daily Examiner and other titles from Joseph Woodhead and Sons, a private company, writes Paul Durman.

The deal comes only two weeks after Trinity agreed to buy Argus Press for pounds 23m. As with all newspaper purchases, both deals require the approval of the Department of Trade and Industry.

The Huddersfield title is a daily paper with a circulation of about 40,000. Joseph Woodhead owns other weekly and monthly titles, and a small retail and commercial stationers in Huddersfield.

Last year Joseph Woodhead made a pre-tax profit of pounds 700,000 on turnover of pounds 9.1m. It had net assets of pounds 8.6m.

After the sale of its paper and packaging interests, Trinity is concentrating on building up its regional newspaper business.