Mail Online confirms it is to "as much as double" US staff
Daily Mail & General Trust (DMGT) has revealed its plans to double its US Mail Online operation as part of a multi-million pound investment in its digital business.
Currently Mail Online employs 30 to 40 staff in the US, new staff numbers are likely to be around 80 employees.
The news follows the announcement that DMGT has sold off Northcliffe Media, its regionally focussed division, to Local World.
DMGT's chief executive, Martin Morgan, commented: "We have been very focused on building the Mail business, broadly defined: the Mail brand."
Mail Online, grew revenue by 74 per cent to £28 million in the year to 30 September, reaching profitability for the first time in June.
Stephen Daintith, finance director at DMGT, said the company had been "surprised" but the success of the Mail Online offering and confirmed that the brand was looking at "doubling" its US staff due to the brand's international success.
Daintith continued by adding that the company has worked tirelessly in the last three years to improve the efficiency of its newspaper operation, cutting 3200 staff and downsizing from eight printing sites to two.
Despite reaching profitability in June Daintith added that DMGT did not expect sustained profitability at this stage and was more focussed on investment to grow.
"Largely the online opportunity is an organic growth story," he said. Maybe from time to time we might look at some bolt-ons (acquisitions) but at the moment we are focussed on continuing the way we have."