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Insiders' Guides' N.C. Offices Closed; 25-30 Laid Off
Kevin Howell and Calvin Reid -- 9/7/98
Falcon Press president Bill Schneider has announced that Insiders' Publishing Inc. (formerly The Insiders' Guides Inc.) will be closing its offices in Manteo, N.C., this month and consolidating that publishing house into Falcon's headquarters in Helena, Mont.
Schneider said, "We have already consolidated the sales, marketing, warehousing and administrative functions in Helena and this is the next logical step." Schneider said that the company's 34 employees will be offered positions in Helena or in Norfolk, Va., where Falcon maintains advertising offices.

"We will be increasing employment in Helena. Some employees in North Carolina will relocate. Others will work with placement firms we've brought in. Some people will be out of a job, but they are getting severance packages."

An Insiders' Guide employee, who declined to be named, told PW that the closing of the Manteo office was completely unforeseen, "a shock to the whole staff. We have been hiring people for the last month who have relocated here. This was a tragic and avoidable situation." According to the source, 25 to 30 people were offered either a severance package or the opportunity to relocate. PW was told that virtually none of the employees plan to make the cross-country move to Montana. The severance package includes a month's salary and one week's pay for every full year employed, plus vacation time. Recently relocated employees get a one-time stipend of $2500. The source noted that at least six people had been recruited and had relocated to Manteo in the last six weeks.

"We are very happy with the Insiders' series and not only will it continue, but we will be expanding those titles," said Schneider. There are 64 Insiders titles in print (which are updated every year or two). "We'll be adding 27 new titles to the Insiders series in 1999," Schneider said, and he noted that moving the Insiders Guides will create 12 new jobs at Falcon's two offices in Helena.

Landmark Communications Inc. purchased Insiders' Publishing in April 1997. Then Falcon purchased Landmark. In January of this year, Insiders became an imprint of Falcon. Schneider is one of the founders of Falcon Press, which was launched in 1978.
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