Medure Development Co. of New Castle will build the facility and lease it to Community Newspaper Holdings Inc., publisher of The Herald and the New Castle News.

The joint announcement was made by Angelo Medure, president of Medure Development, and Donna Barrett, senior vice president and chief operating officer of CNHI.

When fully operational, the 42,000-square-foot plant will produce the daily editions of the New Castle News and The Herald, as well as a variety of other publications. Editorial, advertising, circulation and business offices of the two newspapers will remain in their current locations in downtown Sharon and New Castle.

Barrett said the company plans to install a new 14-unit DGM offset press. The press is being manufactured by Dauphin Graphic Machines Inc. at its plant near Harrisburg. New equipment for inserting preprinted advertisements into publications also will be installed in the new building. When fully operational in early 2003, the production center will employ more than 75 full- and part-time workers.

The Lawrence County Economic Development Corp. owns Riverview Business Park, located on the east side of Sampson Street, near the city limits.

Birmingham-based CNHI bought the New Castle News from Thomson Newspapers in 1999. The Herald was purchased March 29 from Ottaway Newspapers Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co. The Herald is currently printed by Dow Jones at its Shenango Township plant.

After production is moved from the New Castle News, the newspaper's 35-year-old press will be sold and removed.