A partnership between the ‘Chinese Herald’ and APN Print in New Zealand will see the contracter not only print, but supply content and promotion for the paper.

The four-days-a week broadsheet for the NZ market will be printed at APN Print’s Ellerslie plant, where the ‘New Zealand Herald’ is printed, starting next month.

APN Print chief operating officer Brian Hood says this is contract with a difference: “We have committed to a business partnership and have agreed to supply content to the ‘Chinese Herald’ and we will work together on distribution, marketing, circulation and advertising. Both sides will be endeavouring to make the newspaper an even bigger success.”

Hood says he believes this is to be the first time a print customer and the APN Publishing business have worked constructively together in a strategic relationship.

“This is especially important given that we are dealing with a newspaper that reaches out to a growing ethnic community within New Zealand,” he says. “We are hopeful that this significant business cooperation cements our relationship for many years to come.”

NZ operations general manager Dan Blackbourn says that the Ellerslie plant is well-equipped to handle the contact.

Raymond Chen, president of the ‘Chinese Herald’ is “very pleased” with the arrangement: “We believe with the support from the excellent team of APN Print, Chinese Herald can present better-than-ever quality to our readers. I would like to take this opportunity to say thanks for the help given by all the APN Print team, especially Brian Hood.”

Chinese Herald chief executive Maggie Chen said that while technology was important to the paper, people were the most important factor: “When I first meet (APN Print business development manager) Tim Kinvig in 2007, I was impressed by his enthusiasm and motivation, and he has kept in contact with me for more than four years.

“Furthermore, the senior management team from APN Print, Brian Hood and Dan Blackbourn, are always willing to hear, to offer their helping hand, and that impressed me deeply. I am looking forward to working closely with these great people.”

Pictured: (from left) Dan Blackbourn, Maggie Chen, Brian Hood and Raymond Chen