As UK-based Kent Messenger Group enters "phase two" of restructuring plans, in which it may outsource printing, distribution and mailroom, more than 150 jobs will be cut, Press Gazette reported Friday. The first phase of restructuring included cutting 59 jobs, of which 30 were editorial.

As a family owned enterprise for more than 150 years, the recent restructuring results in a break from the company's tradition. Chairwoman Geraldine Allinson said in a statement that the proposal to outsource printing "was a particularly difficult one to make with the company's long and successful history of printing our own titles."

The Kent Messenger Group publishes newspapers, such as the Kent Messenger and Medway Messenger, and also runs radio stations and Web sites in the United Kingdom.

Though specifics regarding the downsizing have not been disclosed, Managing Director Graham Mead did admit "photographers, reporters, sports, features, management - everyone is in the pot, basically." Although some district offices may be closed and some employees relocated, none of the group's titles are expected to be shut down or sold, according to Press Gazette.

"If we had any other option but redundancies we would take it - but the reality is we have to restructure our business to be able to operate efficiently in this challenging environment and to position ourselves for the future," Mead said in a statement, Press Gazette reported.

If proposed job cuts take place, employee numbers at Kent Messenger could shrink from 550 to 400 staff members.