Caller-Times to shift printing operations to Houston starting Feb. 28

The Caller-Times’ printing plant will close effective Feb. 28, forcing a reduction of the local workforce as the printing and packaging of the Caller-Times shift to a facility in Houston.

The last issue to be printed in Corpus Christi will be on Monday, Feb. 27, for the paper on Tuesday, Feb. 28.

The Austin American-Statesman and other products currently printed in Corpus Christi will also transition to Houston.

“With duplicative printing capacity in our region, we had to make some hard choices as we look to invest in our journalism and our growth opportunities,” Gannett, the company that owns the Caller-Times, said in a notice to its management. “The consolidation of production operations has become common within the newspaper industry as a way to save money and journalism jobs.”

All production employees involved with local printing and packaging will be affected as those operations will cease. They will continue to work as scheduled through Feb. 27.

The news and advertising departments will remain in Corpus Christi.

The change is not expected to significantly change delivery times of the newspaper. However, it will require changes to the newsroom’s deadlines for print editions, as the paper will be printed earlier in the day to allow for delivery trucks to bring the paper to Corpus Christi.

Despite changes to the way the Caller-Times produces its printed product, the newsroom intends to continue its focus on exclusive, enterprising journalism. Caller.com will still carry up-to-the-minute reporting.

“Where the newspaper is printed does not impact our ability to provide outstanding journalism and service to our readers, advertisers and communities,” Gannett said in its notice.