Industry News Distribution Type of business Private | Founded 2007 Headquarters Belfast, Dublin | |
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Website www.emnewsdistribution.com | ||
EM News Distribution is a magazine and newspaper distributor which operates in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The company is a joint venture between Eason News Distribution and Menzies News Distribution (owned by John Menzies plc) and was formed in 2007 by the merger of their respective distribution businesses.
Menzies News Distribution have experience in delivering over 4.5 million newspapers and 2.5 million magazines daily to 22,000 customers. Eason, while on a smaller scale have equal experience delivering news titles to thousands of customers throughout Ireland. According to Menzies, the new company will have estimated gross assets of €10million.
Menzies News Distribution has ceased trading in Northern Ireland (due to the joint venture) however they continue to operate in Great Britain. Eason News Distribution as well as its subsidiary Newsbrothers (based in Cork) have stopped trading throughout Ireland.
EM News Distribution is based in Belfast Harbour Estate. Eason News distribution was based on the Boucher Road in Belfast. The forming of the company has made the Eason head office nearly defunct as Eason News distribution was its largest division operating from Belfast. This has led to many job losses.
Eason and Menzies have claimed that since the newspaper and magazine distribution industry over Ireland is heavily diluted, it is logical to join forces. Customers benefit from new advanced technology as well as reduced costs (less suppliers to deal with).
The launch date for the company was put back several times due to union action as jobs were being cut in the process of the merger.
EM News has adopted Menzies systems; the website, cover sheets, recalls dockets, invoices etc. are based on current Menzies technology.
2015 Financial Accounts
The company reported turnover of €95 million in 2015, as against €96.7 million a year earlier. Pretax profits declined from €1.15 million to €532,000, a figure which includes a loss on financial instruments of €489,000. “The commercial environment in which the company operates is expected to remain competitive in the year ahead,” the directors said. “The business is subject to external consumer trends and demands. This is evident in the continued slow decline in national newspaper and magazine volumes.”