Mortons of Horncastle

Mortons of Horncastle Ltd

Industry	Publishing
Founded	1885
Founder(s)	William Kirkham Morton
Headquarters	Horncastle, England, UK
Area served	UK, Ireland
Key people	Philip Sharpe (Chairman and CEO)
Products	Newspapers, enthusiast magazines
Services	Printing
Subsidiaries	Mortons Media Group, Mortons Print
Website	Mortons of Horncastle

Mortons of Horncastle Ltd is a publishing company based in Horncastle in East Lindsey, Lincolnshire, England.

History

At the age of 21, WK Morton bought the Horncastle-based printing company owned by D Cousans. He started the Horncastle News in 1887. WK Morton died in 1935, and the company eventually collapsed, being bought by Market Rasen journalist Charles Edward Sharpe in the late 1950s. It then printed the Horncastle News and the Market Rasen Mail.

In 1980 it started the Louth Leader and in 1985, the Skegness News. In 1999, it divided into three companies - the media and print companies, and Mortons Motorcycle Media Ltd.

In February 2001 the company sold its newspaper division, the Lincolnshire Independent Newspaper Group to Welland Valley Newspapers. Its former titles, and those of the former Lincoln Standard Group, are now owned by Johnston Press to concentrate purely on magazine publishing.

Now specialising in classic motorcycle magazines, the company publish 23 titles. They employ around 250 staff including printers, journalists and graphics designers and achieved the Investors in People standard in 1997.^[1]

Divisions

Mortons Media Group Ltd

This division is the hub of the company, with well-established enthusiast magazines concentrating on motorcycling, railways, gardening, traction engines and now classic American cars with the addition of 'Classic American' magazine in November 2009. The most recent addition to the Mortons group of magazines is The Railway Magazine, first published in 1897 it is Britain's oldest and best selling rail title.^{[citation needed]}

Magazines it produces include:

• Classic Bike Guide
• The Classic MotorCycle
• Old Bike Mart
• Classic Motorcycle Mechanics
• Classic Racer
• Classic Dirt Bike
• RealClassic
• Motorcycle Monthly
• Motorcycle Sport & Leisure
• Classic Scooterist Scene
• Scootering
• Twist & Go
• Aviation Classics
• Heritage Commercials
• Old Glory
• Tractor Magazine
• Heritage Railway
• Rail Express
• The Railway Magazine
• Classic American
• Kitchen Garden
• Towpath Talk
• Wrights Farming Register
• Classic Bike Mechaniker

Mortons Print Ltd

This division produces newspapers and one-off print jobs for company brochures and sales literature. The company began in 1968. It prints the Newark Advertiser, since it bought the Newark printing press in 2002. It also prints The Journal, a student newspaper.

Mortons Mailing

In January 2010 Mortons Print Ltd. announced the acquisition of Lincolnshire Mailing Company whose capabilities encompass both polywrapping and lettering services and had been a long standing supplier to the Mortons Group of companies for over 15 years and had relocated its operation to factory units within the Mortons site in 2004. Lincolnshire Mailing is now formally known as Mortons Mailing.

References

1. ^ "Investors in People - Train to Gain News - Issue 6". April 2008. http://readingroom.lsc.gov.uk/lsc/National/nat-traintogainnewsissue6-may08.pdf. Retrieved 29 July 2010. 

External links

• Official website