Questex Media Group, which has an office in Duluth, is outsourcing the pre-press production work of 31 of the industry and trade publications it produces.
The production of magazines such as American Spa, Travel Agent and Pest Management Professional is being shifted to Superior Media Solutions. The Lincolnshire, Ill.-based firm founded in 2009 also has offices in New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts.
Questex, a global business-to-business media company, chose SMS for outsourcing because SMS has Internet-based production technology that would allow for greater efficiency, said Tony D'Avino, Questex's executive vice president.
The move, however, further shrinks Questex's staff in Duluth, which was at 60 in early 2007.
Of Questex's current 28 Duluth employees, 14 of them will become employees of SMS, a new production services company that will handle digital pre-press and production of the 31 magazines. An additional Questex employee in the company's New York office also becomes part of the SMS team, said Michele Mitchell, a Questex media representative.
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The magazine production workers who ready the publications for printing will continue to work from Questex's Duluth office at 306 W. Michigan St. for six months, when another location will be arranged.
But the jobs won't be lost in Duluth.
"After six months, they will either be given the ability to work from home or we will find office space for them in Duluth," said CEO Bill Walker of SMS. "They're not leaving the area. They will continue to be gainfully employed in the Duluth area."
That will leave Questex's Duluth office housing technical and support staff and its registration team for the trade shows the company also produces. Questex has been in Duluth for five years. It was spun off from Advanstar Communications in May 2005.
