Sun Chemical agreed to name Icaro International, a distributor of woven metallic wire mesh and synthetic mesh for different screen printing applications such as printed electronics, as its distributor for Sun Chemical’s conductive and dielectric inks as well as other electronic materials in Mexico. The three-year agreement allows Sun Chemical to expand its reach to the biosensor, automotive, white goods, and electronic assembly markets across Mexico using a well-respected and widely known partner.

LSC Communications filed a WARN notice with the Indiana Department of Workforce Development on Sept. 1 announcing its intention to begin shuttering its Kendallville book manufacturing facility located on Marion Drive effective Oct. 1, impacting all 307 employees who work there. The Chicago-based printer's operation on Lester Drive in the same roughly-10,000-resident town in northeast Indiana will remain open. "At this time, the company anticipates that all employees will be permanently separated from employment with the company by December 23, 2020," wrote Rebecca Robertson, VP of human resources, in the WARN notice. "In connection with the plant closure, no employees will have bumping rights to displace other employees working for the company," she added. "We appreciate any support or assistance you or your office can provide to help employees affected by the plant closing in finding new positions."

Despite the negative impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the economy and within the printing industry, Marquis is announcing two significant investments at its Toronto plant. These investments aim to increase the production capacity of monochrome and color books for trade, educational and professional publishing markets. "These investments demonstrate the trust we have in the publishing world. We sincerely believe that the paper book is resilient and will go through future crises and technological developments to remain the refuge of knowledge and imagination. We have dedicated and very professional employees who operate our equipment and the existing management team created the confidence to enable Marquis to continue to invest in the operations of Marquis Toronto," said Serge Loubier, President and Chief Executive Officer of Marquis Book Printing. click read more below for details

The auction to acquire the assets of LSC Communications, which had been planned to take place on September 3, has been postponed until September 9. Bids for the company were due August 26, but no filings disclosing what bids have been received have not yet been made public. Although no filing has been made about the bids, a recent disclosure by LSC investment bank Evercore indicates there was quite a bit of initial interest. According to the filing, made by Evercore to get court approval to be paid for its work, the bank said it contacted 163 prospective buyers, signed 60 nondisclosure agreements, and had continuing talks with 21 potential bidders.

Sun Chemical and its parent company, DIC Corporation, have acquired Seller Ink Industria e Comércio de Tintas e Vernizes Ltda., a specialty inks and coatings manufacturer based in São Paulo, Brazil. With over 25 years of experience, Seller Ink has a strong market presence in both the security ink and the metal decorating markets. With the acquisition of the Brazilian-based company, Sun Chemical will increase its specialty inks and coatings offering in Latin America and will obtain a local manufacturing platform for security inks to provide first-class service.

In response to election-year political gridlock on common sense reform for the struggling United States Postal Service, I sent the following letter to roughly 300 U.S. Senators and Representatives this week. This isn’t just a matter for the postal industry — it’s in the best interest of the nation’s overall economy. Dear Senator: Quad was founded by my father in 1971, when he took out a second mortgage on our home and he along with a handful of dedicated partners opened the doors to what today has grown into the nation’s largest long-run printer with nearly 20,000 employees spanning across 20 states. I was two years old when Quad began, so I have quite literally grown up as part of the industry. My father’s vision has transformed many lives through hard work, dedication and smart business. However, that vision would not have happened without the tremendous partnership Quad has forged with the United States Postal Service. Today, Quad mails more than 10 billion pieces of mail each year on behalf of our clients. This accounts for 13% of the overall marketing mail volume in the country. The USPS continues to be a vital partner to the mailing/marketing industry — an industry that is comprised of retailers, marketers, catalogers, directories, direct mailers, magazine and book publishers along with paper manufacturers, timber producers and many others. The industry employs over 7 million people and accounts for $1.6 trillion of economic activity on par with industries such as air travel, automotive and oil and gas. The industry provides family supporting jobs throughout the country and over 90% of the Postal Service’s revenue. Leading Quad at this critical time gives me a sense of urgency in knowing that the future of our industry is at stake if our leaders do not act in our best interest.

Creative Graphics Services (CGS), a U.S. large-format graphics communications specialist, has expanded its print capabilities with the addition of a fleet of new HP Latex R series printers. The new technology is enabling customers to enjoy high-impact graphics on virtually any rigid surface for limitless design possibilities and to fill urgent signage needs. Today, CGS is mobilized to help equip local businesses, communities and hospitals with signage to communicate social distancing, wayfinding and public health awareness as they reopen amid the continued COVID-19 pandemic.

Capacity issues at the two largest printing companies are among the factors creating havoc for authors and publishers. This spring, when the pandemic forced bookstores across the country to close and authors to cancel their tours, many editors and publishers made a gamble. They postponed the publication of dozens of titles, betting that things would be back to normal by the fall. Now, with September approaching, things are far from normal. Books that were bumped from spring and early summer are landing all at once, colliding with long-planned fall releases and making this one of the most crowded fall publishing seasons ever. And now publishers are confronting a new hurdle: how to print all those books. read more at: https://www-nytimes-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.nytimes.com/2020/08/27/books/printing-companies-backlog-book-publishing.amp.html

Royle Printing is pleased to announce Pam Rostagno has joined the Royle team as Director of Operations. Rostagno brings a broad depth of knowledge and experience from her various operations leadership positions she held at Quad. Beginning her career in their Corporate Trainee program, Rostagno spent time as a customer service representative before moving into a leadership position in that department. She advanced in her career, serving as the Plant Director at the Quad Lomira, Wis., facility and Quad Martinsburg, W.V., facility. In 2013, Rostagno accepted the position of Director of Operations at the Quad In-Store Division, where she championed the rapid growth of that business unit. Rostagno has been heavily involved in employee development, process improvement & cost analysis, strategic planning & direction, customer service, quality & production controls, LEAN/6S applications, leadership and mentoring/coaching.

LSC Communications has been granted another extension of the deadlines set for the proposed sale of its assets. The court overseeing the printing giant’s bankruptcy proceedings approved a one-week delay in moving the deadline from when bids are due, from August 19 to August 26. In approving the extension for bids to be filed, the court moved other deadlines back by about one week. The date of the auction has been switched to September 3 from August 25, and the deadline for objecting to any sale is now September 4, rather than August 25. A hearing to consider the proposed sale is now set for September 11.

R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company announced that its Board of Directors has approved an amendment of the Company’s stockholder rights plan (the “Rights Plan”) to extend the final expiration date under the Rights Plan to August 28, 2021. The Rights Plan had been scheduled to expire on August 28, 2020. The Board approved the one-year extension of the Rights Plan based on its determination that circumstances continue to warrant RRD maintaining the protections afforded by the Rights Plan. The Board noted that, given the Company’s depressed stock price and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s business and on financial markets, there is heightened potential for one or more persons or groups to gain undue influence over or control of RRD through open market accumulation or other tactics. The Rights Plan does not prevent any action the Board determines to be in the best interest of the Company and its stockholders.

Just on the heels of closing its Walton, Ky., printing plant the end of July, Arandell Holdings announced that the printing company, along with all its subsidiaries, voluntarily filed for business reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware on Aug. 13. According to the Menomonee Falls, Wis.-based catalog printing specialist — which serves U.S. retailers and online merchandisers — Arandell has sufficient liquidity to continue operating its business. “Given fundamental changes in the industry resulting from COVID-19 and other factors, company management is taking proactive and aggressive steps to improve the organization’s overall business framework, while continuing to pursue new business opportunities,” Brad Hoffman, Arandell’s chairman, president, and CEO, said in a prepared statement.

Royle Printing is pleased to announce Stacie Pike has joined the team as an Inside Sales Representative. Pike spent the majority of her printing career at nearby Arandell Corporation, where for the last 18 years she dedicated her time collaboratively developing sales support efforts to drive expansion and growth of the catalog business. During her time there, Pike supported the sales team as a Sales Support Specialist. In 2011 she was promoted to Sales Administration Manager, serving as an integral part of the sales and marketing team where drove process improvement and client engagement.

Lancaster, Pa.-based Intellicor Communications purchased the assets of the former Cadmus operations in Lancaster, Pa., and in Hurlock, Md., from Cenveo Worldwide on Aug. 8 — effectively marking the final chapter for the storied Cadmus Communications name in the printing industry. In May, Stamford, Conn.-based Cenveo — which appears to be focusing less on commercial printing and more on its label printing and envelope manufacturing businesses — had shuttered the over-century-old Cadmus printing facility, located on Byrdhill Road in Richmond, Va., impacting 184 workers.

INX International Ink has increased the price of all solvent inks and coatings for its North America customers, effective September 1. The company’s management made this decision despite efforts to absorb costs. The expense to manufacture solvents, especially alcohols used in the production of critical sanitizers and medical initiatives to fight the virus, has risen sharply this year. ‘We regret needing to take this action, but it is something that is beyond our control,’ said Ron Deegan, INX International’s senior vice president of sales for North America. ‘We have worked very hard to secure our supply of solvents, even as the increased demand has put unprecedented pressure on the global solvent supply.

The Virtual Inkjet Summit, taking place August 17, 18, 20, and 25, is a conference dedicated to the latest developments in inkjet printing. The targeted event program covers the latest technology offerings, navigating and addressing segment challenges, current economics, and strategies for critical decision-making criteria when it comes to production inkjet printing investments. The deadline to register is August 12 and can be done online at www.ijsummit.com/attend. The Virtual Inkjet Summit goes beyond simply broadcasting content sessions online. The 2020 event offers attendees: *Free educational programming with simple sign-up. *Expert analysis. From emerging trends to next-generation technology that is transforming the commercial, in-plant, transactional, and publishing industries. *User case studies. Users and solution providers will share stories about technology integration in sessions. *Access to the Solutions Showcase & Meeting Zone.