Israel Hayom enters new era with inauguration of own printing press

Israel Hayom hit another milestone on Wednesday when its newly acquired printing press was officially inaugurated. After years of relying on others, Israel Hayom is on the verge of running its own print and distribution operation.

The new facility, situated in Bat Yam, was all but obsolete after it stopped servicing Maariv, another Israeli daily. After that paper changed ownership, it put the plant on the market.


Credit:Moshe Ben-Simhon, Kobi Meiri

Israel Hayom took over the plant about two months ago, and immediately began hiring new recruits and purchasing additional equipment. In addition, the printing press was upgraded so that it could meet the paper's needs. Israel Hayom's weekday edition is the most widely read daily publication in Israel, according to successive market surveys.

Some of the copies of Wednesday's edition were printed in the new plant. If all goes according to plan, the Bat Yam plant will gradually print a greater share of the total copies.

Plant workers, delivery personnel, executives, reporters and guests were all invited to the inauguration, with excitement running high. "The inauguration of the printing press is an important milestone as Israel Hayom continues to grow and maintain its status as the leading media outlet in this country," Israel Hayom said in a statement Wednesday. "It reflects the paper's popularity and the continued readership; this consolidates its status as the country's most widely read paper."