BR Printers Acquires Venerable Book and Catalog Printer C.J. Krehbiel Co. of Cincinnati (piworld.com)

ABS Graphics, Itasca, Ill., opened its doors approximately 30 years ago and over time has evolved into a full-service operation that can handle a wide range of commercial print work, from design to offset and digital print to finishing, mailing and fulfillment. Recently, the company installed a new six-color Komori Lithrone G40 (GL640) with LED/UV to expand its already considerable capabilities and to add greater value to its bottom line. The new press replaces a 16-year-old Komori GL640 offset press with H-UV. While the older press continued to run well and produce quality images, the decision to upgrade became a matter of economics from a maintenance standpoint. Comparing those operating costs to the benefits of investing in a new press, the new press won hands down. “The purchase of a new press was really an economic decision. It just made sense from many different standpoints. It offered the technology, run speed and efficiency that we needed to continue on our growth path,” said Russ Babka, president and owner of ABS Graphics.

Worzalla, an employee-owned book printer specializing in printing high-quality children’s books, cookbooks, and hard-cover best sellers is inviting the community to discuss solutions to the child care shortage in Central Wisconsin. Worzalla, along with childcare company KinderCare, are inviting community members and employers to a one-hour virtual event on Tuesday, April 5 at 9:00 a.m. to discuss possible solutions. As an employer of more than 350 employees at their Stevens Point facility, Worzalla recognizes the current childcare challenge many community members are facing and the impact it has on the workforce. “With quality childcare in high demand and low supply, finding childcare can be a major stressor for employees and it can also be a barrier to employment,” said Brianne Petruzalek, Vice President of Human Resources at Worzalla. “In talking with parents regarding childcare, you will hear two primary concerns–wait lists are long and childcare is costly.”

Back in February, Dan Marx had the pleasure of speaking with three commercial printing providers to see how they were experiencing, and what the were doing to mitigate the effect of, the ongoing paper shortage. That piece, “Printing Companies Share Their Experiences with Paper Shortages and What They're Doing in Response”, was featured in Printing Impressions. As the paper crisis is much more a moving target than a moment in time, he reached back out to one of the printers, Christina Esparza, VP of operations for InfoIMAGE, a transactional printer (locations in Coppell, Texas, and Brisbane, California), to see how that company’s experience and approach has changed over the last three months.