Owen Tindle, Chairman of Tindle Newspapers, has written to staff following the sale of the business:
Dear Colleague
I am writing to share what I believe is positive news about the future of the Tindle newspaper and digital publishing business.
After a great deal of thought and careful consideration, we have agreed to sell the business to a joint venture between two well-established, family-owned, independent publishers: Iliffe Media and the Fowler family. Both are highly experienced media organisations with a deep commitment to the future of local journalism. This decision has been taken jointly with Danny and Scott.
We believe this change of ownership represents the best strategy to enable the local brands you work on to succeed in the years ahead. As part of a larger group with greater combined resources and significant experience in developing digital subscription models, the business will be better positioned to thrive in an increasingly digital world. In turn, we believe this will create new opportunities for you – the teams who have made our brands such an important part of their local communities.
I am pleased that lliffe News & Media and the Fowler family have already demonstrated their commitment to local journalism through their existing businesses and share values very similar to our own. Iliffe Media Group (iliffemedia.co.uk) is at the forefront of digital development and is building a subscription-based future for its local news brands. Like us, they are proud of their heritage while remaining clearly focused on digital growth. In Scotland, Iliffe operates a similar joint venture with the Fowler family and is successfully developing Highland News & Media in Inverness and the surrounding communities.
This has not been an easy decision for my family. As you know, the business was built by my late father, and we are immensely proud of its rich heritage and the important role it has long played in the communities we serve. That legacy has only been possible because of the dedication, professionalism and hard work of you and your colleagues, for which I am sincerely grateful.
However, being a responsible long-term custodian also means recognising when it is time for change. Given the scale and pace of digital transformation within our industry, and the competition from the tech giants, we believe that now is the right moment to pass the baton to an owner with the scale, expertise and resources to ensure the long-term sustainability of quality local journalism.
The transaction will complete on 27th March, at which point the new owners will assume responsibility for the six publishing subsidiary companies.
Thank you once again for your hard work and loyalty. I am truly grateful to each and every one of you as know my father was. I wish you and your families every success for the future.
Yours sincerely
Owen Tindle