Times Herald-Record moving print production to NJ; reporting will remain local

The Times Herald-Record is moving its newspaper printing and production operation from the Town of Wallkill to a sister facility in Rockaway, N.J., which also produces the Daily Record.

The Times Herald-Record news and advertising teams will remain in Middletown and are deeply committed to serving Middletown and Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties, as the Times Herald-Record has done for more than 60 years.

"To maintain our high standards of trusted, local journalism, the Times Herald-Record must adapt to market-driven changes and competition,” said Regional Vice President Terry Cascioli. “We remain deeply committed to our traditional print and rapidly growing digital audiences."

It’s not unusual these days for a newspaper to be printed outside the market where it circulates. In fact, it’s become the norm for operations both small and large.

For the Times Herald-Record, the transition will take place in May.

This move will not affect the daily publication of The Times Herald-Record. Subscribers to the print edition will continue to receive home delivery at the usual time, and the news team will continue to be based at the newspaper’s offices in Middletown.

"This was an enormously difficult decision, and we regret the impact it will have on our employees,” Cascioli said. “The individuals who bring our newspaper to life every day are incredibly skilled and dedicated, and this move was in no way a reflection on their work. We are so appreciative of their many, many years of service.”

The anticipated last newspaper to be produced in the Town of Wallkill will be on May 10, for the May 11, edition. The company will work to connect employees with local resources to assist with seeking new employment, and opportunities will be made available to them, if possible, at other company locations.

As the new printing facility is a distance from Middletown, this will require earlier deadlines in order to ensure prompt delivery of the newspaper each day. While this may hinder some stories from making it to print, the focus on enterprise reporting, in-depth coverage and perspective pieces for the print edition will remain a priority.

“Online and in print, this newspaper continues to be the leading source for trusted, local reporting. That will not change,” Cascioli said. “While deadlines may preclude the publishing of stories and scores that break in later hours, this information will continue to be updated online and can be readily found at recordonline.com.”