An US$8 million (A$12 million) plan to replace its 1980s press with single-width will save the Dallas Morning News an estimated US$5 million a year, the publisher says.

With a move from Plano, Texas, to Carrollton, the smaller plant will require 85 fewer staff and enable the current 29-acre site to be sold.

“The annual savings will help DallasNews become profitable again,” president of DallasNews Corp Katy Murray said, adding that they were “looking at all options” for the property including a sale. DallasNews has no debt and a sale would shore up the company’s cash.

The single-width press – details of which have not been announced – is to be supplied by ImPressions Worldwide. The company sells used equipment as well as being Americas agents for Goss Graphic Systems China (Wisprint), which makes the Magnum Compact press.

DallasNews is leasing a 6,220 m2 building in Carrollton, expected to be ready in early 2025, and to cost “significantly less to operate”.

Murray said that while others had opted to outsource print operations to locations outside of their city, “we did not want to do that. And we’re fortunate that we have the opportunity to stay in North Texas.

“We will continue to print seven days a week while many newspapers across the country no longer do so.

“Reading the printed newspaper is a daily habit for our readers, and we want to continue to give them what they want.”

The company says the transition will take about eight months to complete and will include a 60 per cent reduction in staff. Employees were told of the changes and job losses on Tuesday.

The Plano plant was built in the early 1980s and expanded in 1992, when the Dallas Morning News claimed the title of the No. 1 newspaper in the nation in total full-run advertising.

Pictured: The Goss press was installed in more profitable times