Union Print Co Ltd (UP) was founded out of necessity. Originally, it had only one purpose – to supply the newly formed General Workers’ Union (GWU) with the printed material it needed, including its bilingual newspaper ‘The Torch’, which was the official mouthpiece of the union. The Second World War was over, in Europe, and the period of post-war reconstruction was just in the beginning. The GWU,
established on the 5th October 1943, had an important role to play. Since that first small printing press housed in a small tenancy overlooking Marsamscietto Harbour, the history of UP has been moulded with the history of the union and that of the Maltese Islands. UP publications have often been the mouthpiece for the progressive and liberal sectors of Maltese society during the long march towards civil and workers’ rights, political independence and the development of Malta as a free nation coming out of post-colonial isolationism. In 1959, ‘The Torch’ was re-baptised ‘It-TORCA’ and soon became Malta’s leading Sunday-paper in the Maltese language. In 1962 the first edition of ‘l-orizzont’ was published. Since then both newspapers have built a reputation for being on the forefront of Maltese journalism. UP has constantly adopted the latest technologies in the making of newspapers, often being a pioneer in the sector. It also attracted some of the best talent in Maltese journalism to work in its newspapers and some of the best skilled technicians who ensured the smooth running of the printing process. With time, the printing department extended to commercial printing, catering for various demands coming from the local market. This required new investment, not only in machinery but also in human resources, developing new departments including design and pre-press. Today, UP has become a one stop shop for all the printing and publishing requirements of our clients with whom we care to build a very personal relationship. We consider, as a sign of our success, not only the six decades of history that we have behind us, but our clients that keep coming to us confident that they’ll get the best deal at UP... and on that we intend to build the future.
