Zehnder expands at full steam ahead
Free Newspapers Zehnder Jr. is shaking up the Zehnder publishing house.
Andreas Zehnder, who took over the Zehnder publishing house from his father Rolf Peter Zehnder last November, is clearly serious about revamping the empire with 2 trade journals and 22 free titles and giving its print products a more serious image. The first thing he did (as previously reported) was to hire publishing expert Daniel Sommer (ex-Basler Zeitung) with the task of revamping the publishing house in terms of marketing. However, it has only now become known that Andreas Zehnder also joined the Swiss Press Association at the same time. The move is tantamount to a break with family tradition, as his father was never a member of the association. However, for a long time the association did not want to accept free newspaper publishers into its ranks. And Rolf Peter Zehnder, who founded Switzerland's first free newspaper and was therefore regarded as the enfant terrible of the industry, was even more reluctant to join.
It seems that Andreas Zehnder now wants to draw a line under his father's pioneering days and open a new chapter. To this end, he has registered his two specialist magazines Schützen-König and Active Life as well as the three free newspapers Neue Oltner Zeitung, Wiler Nachrichten and Züri Nachrichten as members of the association on behalf of the publishing house. "I'm curious to see what this will bring me," he said when asked.
Another step also points to a new beginning: Zehnder and Sommer have had Wemf survey the reach of all 22 free titles in the empire since April 1, 2006. The results are shown for the first time in Mach Basic 2007-2. Only six Zehnder titles were included in Mach Basic 2006-1.
Andreas Zehnder is also stepping on the gas in the printing sector: because the Neue Thurgauer Zeitung (TZ) has been printed by Tamedia since the beginning of the year, he took over the newspaper press and Ferag finishing line from TZ publisher Huber & Co. Both will now be installed at Zehnder Print in Rickenbach - together with a second purchased system. The publisher does not want to reveal how the additional capacity will be utilized. However, he does hint that he has won new orders. Among other things, it is known that he was able to take over the Hinterthurgau regional newspaper (5400 copies), which is published five times a week, from TZ as a print customer. The company's own papers also benefit from the TZ printing press: the Winterthurer Zeitung and St. Galler Nachrichten can now be printed in four colors throughout.
Markus Knöpfli
It seems that Andreas Zehnder now wants to draw a line under his father's pioneering days and open a new chapter. To this end, he has registered his two specialist magazines Schützen-König and Active Life as well as the three free newspapers Neue Oltner Zeitung, Wiler Nachrichten and Züri Nachrichten as members of the association on behalf of the publishing house. "I'm curious to see what this will bring me," he said when asked.
Another step also points to a new beginning: Zehnder and Sommer have had Wemf survey the reach of all 22 free titles in the empire since April 1, 2006. The results are shown for the first time in Mach Basic 2007-2. Only six Zehnder titles were included in Mach Basic 2006-1.
Andreas Zehnder is also stepping on the gas in the printing sector: because the Neue Thurgauer Zeitung (TZ) has been printed by Tamedia since the beginning of the year, he took over the newspaper press and Ferag finishing line from TZ publisher Huber & Co. Both will now be installed at Zehnder Print in Rickenbach - together with a second purchased system. The publisher does not want to reveal how the additional capacity will be utilized. However, he does hint that he has won new orders. Among other things, it is known that he was able to take over the Hinterthurgau regional newspaper (5400 copies), which is published five times a week, from TZ as a print customer. The company's own papers also benefit from the TZ printing press: the Winterthurer Zeitung and St. Galler Nachrichten can now be printed in four colors throughout.
Markus Knöpfli
