Editorial: Great pride in our new newspaper

It was the dawn of a new era yesterday as we launched the new-look Bay of Plenty Times.

The paper was delivered and on sale in the morning and has transformed to its convenient compact size after six months of planning and work.

Our team spent the weekend putting the finishing touches on the launch issue, which included a busy Sunday afternoon and evening in the newsroom.

It was an exciting day as we put the pages together and the adrenalin was flowing as we neared our final deadlines.

I felt a tinge of pride when I picked up the paper yesterday morning and read through it.

The Bay of Plenty Times hosted a launch breakfast for key dignitaries and advertising clients to mark the occasion. The breakfast capped six months of hard work and planning by the Tauranga team.

There was a buzz at the breakfast which reflected the energy the new paper brings.

But there is more to the new paper than just the delivery time and format changes.

We have reviewed every part of the paper, stripped it back and rebuilt it. We have a new focus on bringing readers more unique content they cannot read anywhere else.

We are offering more emphasis on local content - including general news, sport and business. We will also bring you two new liftouts starting this week - your food and drinks liftout flavours on Wednesday, and a Friday motoring liftout Driven.

You will find your favourite regular items such as TV, weather and puzzles in the same spots at the back of the paper.

Thank you everyone who wished us well and gave us super feedback yesterday on how much they liked the new paper. I am proud of the team here and what we have achieved, and we look forward to bringing you plenty more issues of your new-look paper.

I hope you enjoy reading them as much as we will producing them.