Snap will expand its outsourcing strategy after revealing Queensland's production hub will close.

A spokesperson told ProPrint the hub would shut its doors in December. It handles the "full range of short-run offset, digital and colour printing, including four-colour, spot colour, NCR, digital and finishing."

The hub's main production equipment is a five-colour Shinohara press, four-colour Shinohara press, several two-colour Heidelberg Speedmasters, and Konica Minolta colour and black-and-white digital devices. These machines are listed for sale, the spokesperson said.

The print centre opened in 2001 and services 22 Snap centres. It is owned by the Queensland franchise owners, who can no longer afford the "ever-increasing investment into equipment and technology required to keep up-to-date with the industry", according to Snap.

Head office said it was working with the hub's shareholders to establish a new supply chain.

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Chief executive Stephen Edwards told ProPrint: "Predominantly we are outsourcing to best-of-breed suppliers in the industry. We have some great relationships and offerings in our extended network, and look forward to using them wherever possible."

Snap's corporate strategy includes increased diversification and outsourcing. The group opened a new franchise in Sydney last month that was the first of a new breed of sales and marketing centres. That franchise will outsource its production.

Edwards said the closure of the Queensland hub "gives us the opportunity to evolve our supply chain model with the latest technology".

"This will also allow us to shift our manufacturing model towards expertise in print, design and website services, becoming specialists in cross-marketing channels," he said.

"Snap have some wonderful gold partners and industry relationships and look forward to contributing to the further development of the supply chain in the state of Queensland."

Snap said the closure was not expected to produce any disruption for its Queensland clients. It added that its two hubs in Sydney and Perth would not be affected by the closure.

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