Globe to print Ledger, Enterprise

The Boston Globe will soon use its presses at its Dorchester plant to print newspapers for two of its competitors, The Patriot Ledger, of Quincy, and The Enterprise, of Brockton, under a five-year contract announced today.

Terms of the contract between New England Media Group, the division of The New York Times Co. that owns The Globe, and GateHouse Media Inc., which owns the Ledger and the Enterprise, were not disclosed.

Printing will begin in the fall after negotiations with Ledger and Enterprise press unions, said Bob Powers, a Globe spokesman. ``It's a good revenue opportunity for us,'' Powers said.

New England Media Group has three press plants for the Globe, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, and the New England editions of The New York Times. They are in Dorchester, Millbury and Billerica, Powers said.

It has expanded its commercial printing business in recent years, according to a company press release. It began printing the New York Daily News for New England distribution in 2005, and last year added the Boston Metro and some editions of the New York Post.

(By Christopher Rowland, Globe staff)