*Net Sales — Net sales were $706 million in the first quarter of 2021, down 14% from the same period in 2020, primarily due to the economic impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, and ongoing print industry volume pressures. The first quarter decline represents a third quarter of sequential revenue improvement during the pandemic, as compared to a 21% decline in the fourth quarter of 2020, a 28% decline in the third quarter of 2020 and a 38% decline in the second quarter of 2020. *Net Earnings (Loss) From Continuing Operations — Net earnings from continuing operations were $10 million or $0.19 diluted earnings per share in the first quarter of 2021, an increase of $19 million compared to the first quarter of 2020, which recorded a net loss of $9 million or $0.17 diluted loss per share. *Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities — Net cash provided by operating activities increased by $28 million to $73 million in the first quarter of 2021, as compared to $45 million in the same period in 2020, primarily due to improvements in working capital.

With the shrunken American book printing industry enjoying a revival, Wisconsin's Worzalla, an employee-owned book printer specializing in high-quality children’s books, cookbooks, and hardcovers that services many of the country's largest publishers, has begun the final phase of a three-part effort to expand its printing capacity. The last round of upgrades features a $10 million investment that covers the addition of a new casemaker with a wide range of casemaking applications and a non-stop case feeder for cutting and making covers of books. Worzalla has also purchased a Goss Sunday 2000 32-page Double Web Press that provides a broad range of print formats and page configurations. Installation of the press is expected to be complete later this year, and is projected to increase Worzalla’s large book format capacity by 30%. Over the last several years, the company has spent more than $30 million on new manufacturing equipment. In addition, Worzalla is looking to hire 40 new employees for a range of positions.

Commercial printers are well aware of the benefits of offering package printing, and are taking action to add it to their service offerings. Many factors are removing entry barriers and accelerating commercial printers’ migration into packaging. Ongoing progress in technology innovation, digital printing, early adopter successes, process simplification, customer demands, and fierce competition are all forces enticing and enabling commercial printers to offer labels and other types of packaging. Labels, folding cartons, corrugated containers, and flexible packaging are all print applications typically in high demand and cannot be easily replaced by digital media. A recent NAPCO Research survey of brand owners reveals packaging is a growth opportunity. More than half of brand owners participating in the survey report increasing use of labels, folding cartons, corrugated packaging, and flexible packaging (Figure 1). While this survey was conducted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, NAPCO Research’s ongoing 2020 print provider surveys tracking business conditions indicate packaging has been a resilient application.

Ennis, Inc. announced Jeff Monarch as the new General Manager of PrintXcel, located in Fairhope, Alabama. PrintXcel has more than 50 years of experience in printing products and services including checks and forms, direct mail, label form products, multipart mailers, online ordering and print procurement solutions and more. Jeff has been at the PrintXcel facility in Fairhope, Alabama for 31 years. He started in 1990 as a bailer, then became a press operator, and in 2006, he was promoted to Production Manager. In his new role, he will utilize his experience to continue to evolve and grow the business.

Sun Chemical will increase prices across its portfolio of publication inks in North America, effective June 1, 2021. The continued escalation of raw material costs, increasing international and domestic freight rates, and shortages of key material inputs into the printing ink supply chain, have all contributed to this price increase. “These inflationary pressures require us to raise prices in this market,” said Chris Parrilli, President of North American Inks, Sun Chemical. “Our goal is to continue to deliver the world class support and services our customers expect in order for them to meet their business objectives. We understand the pressures the publication markets face and will continue to investigate all opportunities to mitigate these inflationary pressures on an ongoing basis.”

Net sales in the first quarter were $1.17 billion, down $43.8 million or 3.6% from the first quarter of 2020. The decrease includes a $6.5 million impact from the previous closure of our operations in Chile and an increase of nearly $15 million due to changes in foreign exchange. The current period continued to be negatively impacted by the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and last year’s Census project, which was completed mid-2020. Organic net sales declined 4.3%. The Business Services segment was up 3.2% on a GAAP basis and 2.4% on a non-GAAP organic basis while the Marketing Solutions segment was down 22.5% on a GAAP and non-GAAP organic basis from the first quarter of 2020. The Business Services segment experienced growth in several of our strategic focus areas including Packaging, Labels and Supply Chain Management, while net sales in Marketing Services were negatively affected by last year’s Census project. Income from operations was $25.1 million in the first quarter of 2021 compared to income from operations of $33.1 million in the first quarter of last year.

The Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP), the leading authority in sustainable printing certifications, announced today a pilot project to expand its certification program beyond the United States and Canada. SGP has been successfully holding all audits virtually for more than a year. Using this method, the organization can expand internationally, allowing printers and industry suppliers worldwide to achieve SGP certification. Through its cloud-based SGP Impact Tracker, information for a virtual audit is quickly and effectively shared with SGP’s independent auditors. “SGP certified facilities must renew their certification every two years,” said Wendy Nadan, SGP Lead Auditor. “In 2018, SGP released the SGP Impact Tracker which helps facilities monitor sustainability performance over time and benchmarking efforts against an aggregate of other facilities. With enhancements, the Tracker provided a virtual audit solution for the current global situation. The new features of the Impact Tracker inspired us to rethink how we could extend the SGP certification to countries outside of North America. From the initial certification planning meeting to the completion of document review including photographic evidence, all can be accomplished virtually with the local sustainability team. Each facility can meet the expectations of the audit as if an SGP auditor were physically on-site.”

TC Transcontinental is proud to respond to the Québec government's call for businesses to support the health and social services network in its COVID-19 vaccination campaign. According to the order of priority established by public health, the company will offer the supervised vaccination to the local population, TC Transcontinental employees and their families starting at the end of May. The company's vaccination centre will be in Montréal’s Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles borough, given TC Transcontinental’s significant presence in the East end of Montreal. It will be located at the head office of the company’s Distribution activities at 8000 Blaise-Pascal Avenue, Rivière-des-Prairies, close to the Transcontinental Transmag (printing – Anjou), Transcontinental Recycling Montreal (packaging - Anjou) and Transcontinental Flexipak (packaging – Pointe-aux-Trembles) plants.

The Sustainable Green Printing Partnership announced its first quarter 2021 momentum in shaping the future of print with new certified facilities, patrons and other community members. “During the first quarter of 2021, SGP continued to demonstrate its leadership in building a more sustainable future for the printing industry with growth in the SGP Community including certified facilities, patrons, resource partners and brands,” said Doreen Monteleone, SGP co-founder, treasure and FTA representative. “We are proud that all links in the print supply chain are focusing on the benefits of sustainability and participating in our program.” In February, Fortis Solution Group of Merced, CA received SGP certification. “SGP certification validates our commitment, both internally and externally, to providing innovative and differentiating sustainable solutions,” said John O. Wynne, Jr., president and CEO, Fortis. In addition, five other print facilities recertified during the first quarter: Infinity Images, Portland, OR; Specialty Printing LLC, East Windsor, CT; Tweddle Group, Clinton Township, MI; Yunker Industries, Elkhorn, WI

Green is a harbinger of Spring, so it’s only fitting that Earth Day falls during this season. At Allen Press, we strive to be green all year long. A commitment to sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint has long been a part of our company’s mission in operating responsibly. Here are three ways we help our customers print sustainably every day. 1. FSC-Certified Paper: Customers can choose Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper. FSC-certified paper promotes an environmentally managed and sustainability focused supply chain. 2. PrintReleaf Partnership: Allen Press is proud to be a PrintReleaf partner. PrintReleaf offers customers the option to offset paper usage with re-forestation support. 3. Recycling: Did you know Allen Press is one of the largest recyclers in Lawrence, Kansas? We recycle 100% of byproducts like paper, aluminum printing plates and corrugated cardboard.

Deluxe announced an agreement to acquire First American Payment Systems for $960 million in cash, subject to customary adjustments. This transaction is expected to accelerate the company’s transformation into a leading payments technology company as part of its One Deluxe strategy. First American is a privately owned, industry-leading, large-scale payment processor. The company provides partners and merchants with comprehensive in-store, online, and mobile payment solutions, including powerful digital payment processing services that help customers navigate through traditional, mobile, and virtual point-of-sale channels. With the acquisition of First American, Deluxe is expected to double the annual revenue of its Payments segment while maintaining healthy margins, firmly establishing Deluxe as a leader in the payments industry.

Fifty years ago, Richard Wilen founded a small business creating program guides for the then-burgeoning cable television industry. His foresight into the promise of new technology laid the foundation for a company that would, by 2021, be at the forefront of direct mail innovation. Today, the Wilen Group is one of the nation’s leading direct mail companies — using data-driven creative solutions to power cutting-edge printing technologies and create some of the most impactful, targeted, personalized and innovative direct mail in mailboxes across the country. From our humble beginnings in 1971, we’ve grown into one of the most respected full-service direct marketing agencies in the U.S., employing a diverse group of team members and experts in everything from data, strategy and creative development to production and variable technology. And with three locations across the U.S., we are now uniquely positioned to be faster and more responsive than ever before, reaching homes in 1-2 days nationwide.

Quad/Graphics, Inc. announced it is enhancing its integrated marketing solutions offering through a newly expanded relationship with Package InSight, an organization that studies brand packaging performance, consumer attention and shelf impact. Through this partnership, brands and marketers who work with Quad will have access to a unique, data-driven view of how consumers engage with products during the shopping experience to aid in decision-making. Package InSight, a trusted source of consumer research, uses the latest in biometric technology, such as mobile eye-tracking, facial coding and brain activation, to study package performance, consumer attention and shelf impact. The organization uses a strict methodology to provide marketers with the proprietary data they need to optimize ROI on brand creative. This complements Quad’s existing measurement and analytics capabilities, giving brands and marketers an end-to-end view of the customer journey.

With a significant increase in its business due to market leading quality and customer service, Fort Dearborn, a custom label and packaging company with twenty locations nationwide, reached nearly 82 million impressions on its Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 106-8+L in 2020. This high level of productivity was especially critical to Fort Dearborn’s success as demand at grocery stores due to COVID-19 surged. Printing primarily cut and stack labels, the Fort Worth location of Fort Dearborn is equipped with two Speedmaster XL 105s and one other XL 106 in addition to its world-record press, which was installed in July of 2019. In comparison to similar machines in the market, the XL 106 at Fort Dearborn produced more than 2.5x the number of annual gross impressions than the industry average of 32 million. Fort Dearborn credits its record-breaking performance to the overwhelmingly advanced technology of the press, its increased business in 2020, and its overall plant strategy and teamwork mentality.

Royle Printing is pleased to announce the purchase of a late model Goss Sunday 2000 48-Page Press. This investment complements Royle's existing press capacity and will help the company grow its position in the catalog and magazine markets. The press was originally purchased and installed in 2015 and became operational in mid-2016. The 8-unit Goss S2000 48-page press provides a broad range of print formats and page configurations for high-volume catalog and magazine projects. The press has a combination and double form folder capable of producing a 48-page signature or a variety of different page configurations (i.e., 4, 8, 12, 16, 24, 32, and 48). The installation will commence in the coming month, with the start-up and commissioning taking place in September '21.

Print serves as an essential component of the Luckbox magazine audience-acquisition strategy. And when our opportunities to put print copies in front of people change — as they did when the pandemic canceled all live events and closed stores — we have to adapt. Luckbox, a magazine for active investors, lives by its tagline: “The control freak’s guide to life, money, and probability.” Every month, we publish articles that educate, entertain, and inspire securities traders — whether they dabble in the financial markets part time or devote themselves to investing full time. As a magazine brand, we are platform agnostic. Besides publishing in print and online, we reach our audience via email, social media, and podcasts. Our goal is to put actionable advice into readers’ hands in whatever form they wish to consume it. But when it comes to generating new subscribers, the print magazine rises above the rest as a critical tool. It’s our most convincing emissary. much more at: https://www.lanepress.com/print-probability/

Arandell is taking part in a very special opportunity to partner up with local craft brewery Lakefront Brewery in a combined effort to fight cancer that honors fallen members from both organizations. Al Kluth, Warehouse Manager at Lakefront, and Dan Hauser, Bindery Trainer at Arandell, both passed away in 2020 as a result of complications from pancreatic cancer. Before his passing, Al was given the opportunity to develop his own style of beer in line with Lakefront’s My Turn program, which allows every Lakefront employee to select a style of beer that is then brewed and sold into the marketplace. When Al’s number came up after his passing, the team at Lakefront decided to reach out to his brothers Tim and Rob – both team members at Arandell – and his six other siblings to brew the beer in his honor. The result is My Turn Series – Al, #038, which is described as an American Stout that is pitch black and medium-bodied, with strong roasted and caramel malt flavors. According to the label on the side of each six-pack, the story goes that Al wasn’t much a fan of the “latest designer-hop IPAs or fruit salad kettle sours, but never turned down a good stout.” One hundred barrels of it were brewed and $1.00 from every six-pack sold will be donated to the American Cancer Society on behalf of Al by Lakefront.

Royle Printing based in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, is comprised of 285 talented employees, who’ve been offering print solutions to associations, catalogers, publishers, universities and corporate partners since 1948. Royle is excited to roll out a new series of corporate videos on their YouTube and social media channels. https://youtu.be/OiUY1842bjU Meet some of their teams’ friendly faces and see what their culture is all about.

Building on the success of RRD’s diagnostic test kits, the company now offers a wide range of diverse care kits spanning telemedicine prep, COVID-19, diabetes management, asthma, social isolation and more. The end-to-end solution encompasses kit ideation, design, item procurement, packaging, fulfillment and communications -- both inside and outside of the box. RRD has already curated nearly three million care kits on behalf of several dozen clients. A recent Wellframe study found 57% of Americans with chronic conditions have delayed healthcare services and experienced a gap in care due to the pandemic. Meanwhile, the 2021 Medicare Shopping and Switching Study found the use of care kits can help positively impact member impressions. In fact, 59% of Medicare Advantage members said receiving COVID-19 or flu kits improved their opinion of an insurer, demonstrating the ability of care kits to reaffirm company commitment to member and patient wellness.

Johnson & Quin is expanding its capacity to produce full color personalized direct mail packages by adding additional color printing, folding, and inserting equipment at its facility in Niles, Ill., north of Chicago. Johnson & Quin’s clients are seeing increased response when mailing packages with more personalization in color and, as a result, are mailing increased volumes. Based on this higher demand, the company is adding MBO High-Speed Folding Systems, Pitney Bowes Mailstream Direct Ultra-High-Speed Inserters and MCS Condor Color Inkjet Envelope Printers. “With over 40 years of direct mail production experience, Johnson & Quin continues to implement new technology and increase capacity to provide clients with high quality direct mail production to make their marketing programs successful,” said Andrew Henkel, Vice President & Principal at Johnson & Quin. “The addition of this new equipment in combination with high-speed color inkjet presses allow us to produce high volume direct mail programs with full color personalization in quick time frames.”

The BoxMaker, a leading Pacific Northwest manufacturer of corrugated packaging, broke ground on a new production plant in Lowell, Arkansas, on March 16, 2021 as part of a multi-million-dollar investment to effectively address growing demand across the country for digitally produced packaging and displays. The new 60,000-sq.-ft. facility will produce full-color custom corrugated boxes and retail displays using industry-leading digital production equipment, including an HP PageWide C500 printing press and a fleet of high-speed tool-less digital cutting machines. The BoxMaker will be the first company in the United States to operate two C500 machines, the first having been installed and operated in their Seattle, WA plant since 2018.

PRINTING United Alliance announced that Dave Leskusky has been appointed president of PRINTING United Alliance. Leskusky has successfully overseen operations at NAPCO Media, which melded with the Alliance in 2019 to further connect members and the industry at large with a comprehensive platform of the most widespread media brands in the industry, more than 30 combined events, including the largest printing and graphic arts trade show in the Americas – PRINTING United. In this move, Leskusky will retain his role in leading NAPCO Media as part of the PRINTING United Alliance portfolio and will additionally support Alliance efforts to further streamline myriad robust resources and services being offered from the Alliance, including preeminent industry education, training, workshops, events, research, government and legislative representation, safety, and environmental sustainability guidance.

As Lynne and John Regas approach five years in business, no year has been more defining for their Minuteman Press printing franchise than this one. “We both feel very fortunate that we were considered essential and were able to remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic, not only to be there for other local businesses and organizations, but to help us stay sane and keep working,” says Lynne. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Minuteman Press Frankfort has continued to provide high-demand products and services that have been critical in helping local businesses reach out to customers while promoting community solidarity. “Early on in the pandemic, we saw high demand for yard signs. We were able to supply local schools with graduation signs, and now those same school districts are coming back to us since it was so popular. Banners and flags have been in high demand from businesses who simply want to let customers know, ‘We’re Open.’ Restaurants have also come to us for takeout menus as they update their specials, menu items, and safe pickup and delivery options.”

SCREEN Americas announces its official relocation from Rolling Meadows to Elk Grove Village, Illinois, and celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 2:00pm on March 18, 2021. Guests to the event included the mayor of Elk Grove Village, Mayor Craig B. Johnson along with representatives from the village’s fire and police departments. “We are happy to welcome SCREEN Americas to Elk Grove Village,” said Mayor Johnson. “It is an honor to have such a thriving high-tech company call Elk Grove Village home.” Ken Ingram, president of SCREEN Americas, had the honor of cutting the ribbon in the Inkjet Innovation Center, the 14,000-plus square foot area which has come to be known as the centerpiece of the new facility and the room in which customers will engage in SCREEN Americas’ technology for the commercial, publishing, direct mail, transactional, packaging, folding carton and label industries.

Cedar Graphics, Inc. of Hiawatha has acquired select business assets of J & A Printing, Inc. currently under the ownership of Scott Cadwallader. Printing, finishing and mailing services for J & A customers will transition immediately to the Cedar Graphics plant in Hiawatha, Iowa. J & A’s production facility in Hiawatha is not part of this acquisition. Cedar Graphics is a family and Iowa-owned business focusing on offset and digital printing, packaging, and direct mail for the education, manufacturing, retail, healthcare, and banking industries. Cedar Graphics’ unique mix of advanced UV offset presses, digital printing, and marketing services will make for a smooth transition for J & A’s customers who will now have access to these increased print capabilities.

Worzalla congratulated the winners of their “Reel It In For Reading” ice fishing competition and announced their $1,500 donation to support the Portage County Literacy Council (PCLC). Worzalla’s donation will go towards PCLC’s one-on-one tutoring and small group instruction programs. The winners of the inaugural Reel It In For Reading ice fishing competition are: First-place winner, Zach Fuller of Iola, won $200 and an additional $100 for being the Worzalla associate with the largest catch. Fuller’s catch, a 103-pound sturgeon caught at Lake Winnebago, measured 71.3 inches. Fuller says that the sturgeon he caught is one of just 15 males over 100 pounds since the 1930s, when data first began being recorded. Second-place winner, Kyle Weeks of Iola, won $150. Third-place winner, James Liebe of Stevens Point, won $100.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company was honored with the 2020 3M Supplier of the Year Award in recognition of the company’s contribution to improving 3M’s competitiveness. This year,3M recognized 20 suppliers supporting the U.S. and Canada, among thousands in its global supply base, for world-class performance in providing products and services. These suppliers were identified and rated based on actions taken to improve 3M’s competitiveness and overall supplier performance. A virtual awards ceremony was held Feb. 4, 2021.

We know what you’re thinking – why the heck would a catalog printer print their own catalog? There are three key reasons: 1) To Introduce the New Arandell Brand - Over the last few years we’ve been on quite a journey as an organization. 2) To Show What’s Possible with the Modern-Day Catalog - Nothing against the massive 100+ page behemoths you’re used to seeing, as they can still be effective, but most of today’s cataloging brands opt for a ”look book” approach—coffee table pieces that reinforce their company values. 3) To Put Ourselves in Our Customers’ Shoes - At Arandell our goal is to not just be a catalog printer for our clients but a true partner.

Emphasising its ongoing commitment to sustainability and underlining its position as a technology leader in low energy UV curing, Sun Chemical today announces significant upgrades to its market leading SunWave Lumina UV sheetfed inks for commercial printing. The new, improved inks are available now in the European market. The modified formulations no longer require EU “health hazard” labelling. They also meet the exacting environmental standards of Nordic Swan Ecolabeling and are fully compliant with EuPIA raw material guidelines. Furthermore, SunWave Lumina UV inks are deinkable according to INGEDE (International Association of the Deinking Industry) Method 11 criteria, which assesses the recyclability of printed products. Featuring class-leading lithographic and low-energy-curing performance on all sheetfed press types, the inks are designed for Process Standard Offset printing to ISO12647 and they consistently deliver outstanding levels of productivity at very high print quality, and with excellent dot gain. The latest highly reactive UV resin system offers exceptional curing with UV LED and low energy mercury lamps in both single and double-sided printing.

Based in the Kansas City suburb of New Century, Kansas, Stouse is a trade-only specialty print provider. It supplies applications such as labels, decals, magnets and signs to promotional products distributors, commercial printers and marketing and advertising agencies. The company opened its doors as a screen and flexographic printer in 1977 and has since grown into a market leader with 40+ years of consistent sales growth. At any point in time, there are some 3,000 active jobs in the shop. The Xeikon 3500 is a proven performer in the Xeikon solution line-up as a wide web press for packaging, producing output as wide as 20.3 inches (516 mm) with a resolution of 1200 dots per inch (dpi). It can print on an exceptionally wide range of substrates without pre-coating/treatment. With no frame limitation, folding cartons can be run without concern for length restrictions.

Supremex Inc. announces the bolt-on acquisition of Vista Graphic Communications, LLC, an Indianapolis, Indiana based provider of print and folding carton packaging. “This turn-key operation brings us closer to our growing e-commerce customer base in the U.S. and provides us with much needed print and converting capacity to meet existing and growing demand for our customized patent-protected e-commerce packaging solutions,” said Stewart Emerson, President & CEO of Supremex. “Vista is strategically located, employs a skilled workforce, and with modest planned equipment additions we can quickly build a fully-integrated e-commerce packaging hub.” Vista Graphic Communications, LLC is a printing and packaging solutions manufacturer focused on highly customized folding cartons and micro flute packaging. The Company was founded by Tim Rolfsen in 1985, runs two full production lines, including 40” litho presses, die-cutting and gluing, and serves clients primarily in the medical, dental and publishing markets.

Books endure. We discard newspapers the day after, magazines stick around a bit longer, junk mail not at all, but books we keep. After we read a book, we shelve them, we show off our book collection as backdrops in our Zoom calls, we stack books in corners, we store them in boxes, we might drop them off at a used bookstore, we might even make books into works of art, but we almost never just toss them out. Printed books endure. Book printing company Grafica Veneta, located in the Italian province of Padua, a half hour drive from the causeway to Venice, announced the acquisition of a majority ownership stake in Lake Book Manufacturing. The acquired company is close by Chicago’s O’Hare airport, likely an enabling factor in the decision by an Italian book manufacturer to invest in a US-based partner. The owner of Lake Book, Dan Genovese, noted that his family’s Italian heritage also played a part in the decision to seek and accept an international investment in the company, especially one based in Italy. Both companies are positioned to manufacture a wide range of book products for the publishing trade, with capabilities ranging from one-color to full-color text, paperback and hardcover editions, along with fully decorated book jackets.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company announced a suite of 3D solutions to help manufacturers and retailers create rich user experiences and accelerate go-to-market speed. Designed to leverage the power of emerging technologies, such as 5G and spatial web for the Internet of Everything (IoE), RRD’s end-to-end 3D suite features modeling, animation, rendering, and interactive experiences, which enables simulations and digital prototyping that maximize the potential of augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR). RRD’s 3D solutions enable benefits in multiple areas, such as: *Simulating the in-store shopping experience: 3D solutions can help bridge the gap between e-commerce and brick-and-mortar, especially when options are limited due to social distancing measures. RRD’s solution, coupled with our AR/VR capabilities, can help retailers create highly engaging and measurable immersive experiences. *Optimizing global supply chains: 3D can also help improve business processes and decrease time-to-market. For example, 3D renderings and digital prototyping can eliminate the need for product photography, which can result in major cost savings. These solutions can help product companies build “digital twins” of actual products to aid in planning go-to-market strategies. Simulated product and packaging testing can eliminate the need for large spending on physical prototypes. *Transforming e-learning: both product training and standard operating procedure training are readily transformed with RRD’s 3D suite. Immersive and interactive training improves output quality and contributes toward superior employee and customer experiences.

Konica Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. announced leadership changes to support the company’s internal and customer-focused digital transformation strategy. The changes are designed to augment its Digital Experience-as-a-Service (DX-as-a-Service) and Internet of Things (IoT) strategy to add continuous value to its clients and dealer partners. Patrick Banno, currently the Head of the IoT Business Center in the U.S., will lead the North American business as President and CEO. He is replacing Rick Taylor, who will progress to serve in an independent advisory role to ensure a seamless continuation of the company’s strategies. Sam Errigo, currently serving as Executive Vice President, Sales and Business Development, has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer. Sam will lead the company’s strategy for operational excellence while enhancing digital agility to support a dynamically changing business environment and expansion into new markets.

Mittera has announced its acquisition of select business assets of Creel Printing currently operating in Las Vegas, Nevada. Creel, originally a third-generation family printer founded in 1953, was recently returned to the Creel family after being purchased by LSC in July 2017. Customers of Creel printing will gain access to Mittera’s expanded platform of web, digital and sheetfed printing capabilities, as well as digital, creative, and integrated marketing solution services. “As our industry continues to change, it is critical that print companies continue to evolve to best serve their customers. Finding ways to join with former competitors to offer customers more valuable services with a smaller equipment footprint is the future of our industry. We are excited to partner with Allan and the Creel team to offer their clients a more diverse set of communication solutions while maintaining the exceptional levels of service that have made Creel one of the leaders in the print space for decades.” said Jon Troen, Chief Executive Officer of Mittera. Mittera’s capabilities span full-color web and sheetfed printing, variable digital production, large-format printing, integrated publishing and digital solutions, web-based storefronts, photography and design studio offerings, marketing and print automation, and more. Mittera currently operates in 13 states strategically located throughout the nation. Key members of the Creel team will join Mittera to ensure a seamless customer experience. The Creel production facility in Las Vegas is not being acquired and will be shut down in the coming months.

PRINTING United Alliance and Idealliance today announced that the two organizations have officially merged. Under the guidance and direction of the board of directors at each organization, which are comprised of representative printer and supplier members across the industry; and with the overwhelming support and approval from Idealliance members, PRINTING United Alliance and Idealliance can together bring even more resources and service offerings to its collective membership and the printing industry at large. The merger is a unique opportunity during a challenging time to further collaborate and utilize the strengths of each organization to continue serving the printing industry across market segments. “Idealliance has developed the expertise to build and rollout its traditional color management programs, new standards in training and education, and is a respected leader in this space,” said Ford Bowers, CEO, PRINTING United Alliance.

The recovery in the UK printing and printed packaging industry suffered a setback in Q4 and is now expected to see a decline on the volume of orders and output in Q1. The Covid-19 outbreak hit at the end of Q1, Q2 bore the brunt of the impact and whilst Q3 exhibited a recovery, of sorts, Q4 experienced a halt on that recovery path. Unfortunately forecasts for Q1 suggests that the Covid-19 resurgence and resulting mix of lockdown measures and post-Brexit disruption will be a drag on recovery for many businesses. The latest Printing Outlook survey reveals that 29% of printers managed to increase their output levels in the final quarter of 2020. One-third (33%) were able to hold output steady, whilst 38% were adversely affected by a decline in output. The resulting balance (the difference between the ups and the downs) was -9, only just below the -8 reported in Q3 and just much in-line with the Q4 forecast (-7). Output has yet to return to the positive zone.

Revenues decreased by $83.1 million, or 11.8%, from $705.8 million in the first quarter of 2020 to $622.7 million in the corresponding period of 2021. This decline is mainly attributable to lower volume in the Printing Sector due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the sale of the paper packaging operations, which occurred toward the end of the first quarter of the previous year. This decrease was partially mitigated by the solid organic growth in revenues in the Packaging Sector and the revenues generated by the acquisition of Artisan Complete Limited in the Printing Sector. Operating earnings increased by $6.4 million, or 15.7%, from $40.8 million in the first quarter of 2020 to $47.2 million in the first quarter of 2021. The increase in operating earnings is explained by the organic growth in the Packaging Sector. In addition, in the Printing Sector, initiatives to optimize operational efficiency and the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy offset a majority of the decrease in volume. Net earnings attributable to shareholders of the Corporation increased by $21.3 million, from $6.4 million in the first quarter of 2020 to $27.7 million in the first quarter of 2021. This increase is mostly explained by the income tax expense related to the sale of the paper packaging operations in the first quarter of 2020, higher operating earnings and the decrease in net financial expenses resulting from a reduction in net indebtedness and a lower weighted average interest rate.

Fourth Quarter Financial Highlights and Recent Events * Total revenue increased by 11.1% to $54.6 million, from $49.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2019. * Envelope segment revenue was up 13.2% to $40.5 million, from $35.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2019. * Packaging and specialty products segment revenue increased by 5.4% to $14.2 million, from $13.4 million. * EBITDA1was $4.6 million, down from $6.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2019 resulting primarily from a non-cash asset impairment charge of $2.8 million and a restructuring expense of $1.8 million. * Net Earnings at $0.3 million, down from $2.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2019 from the above mentioned non-recurring items. Fiscal Year Financial Highlights * Total revenue increased by 6.7% to $204.6 million, from $191.7 million in 2019. * Envelope segment revenue was up 6.8% to $146.5 million, from $137.1 million in 2019. * Packaging and specialty products segment revenue was up 6.5% to $58.1 million, from $54.5 million. * EBITDA1 was $27.2 million, which include a fourth quarter non-cash asset impairment charge of $2.8 million and restructuring expenses of $1.8 million, up $1.9 million from $25.3 million in 2019. * Net Earnings were $7.5 million, which include the above mentioned non-recurring items, increased $0.4 million from $7.1 million in 2019.

Results for the three months ended December 31, 2020, included: *Net Sales — Net sales were $843 million in 2020, down 21% from 2019, primarily due to the economic impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, and ongoing print industry volume and pricing pressures. However, the fourth quarter decline represents another quarter of sequential revenue improvement during the pandemic, as compared to a 28% decline in the third quarter of 2020 and a 38% decline in the second quarter of 2020. *Net Earnings (Loss) From Continuing Operations — Net loss from continuing operations was $86 million in 2020, or $1.69 diluted loss per share, as compared to net earnings of $7 million, or $0.14 diluted earnings per share in 2019. This variance was mainly driven by $75 million of restructuring and non-cash impairment expenses due to fourth quarter 2020 plant closure announcements, and lower net sales. Results for full-year ended December 31, 2020, included: *Net Sales — Net sales were $2.9 billion in 2020, down 25% from 2019, primarily due to the economic impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, and ongoing print industry volume and pricing pressures. *Net Loss From Continuing Operations — Net loss from continuing operations was $107 million in 2020, or $2.10 diluted loss per share, as compared to a net loss of $56 million, or $1.11 diluted loss per share in 2019. The increase in net loss is mostly due to $35 million of higher restructuring, impairment and transaction-related charges, and lower net sales. *Free Cash Flow — Free Cash Flow was $129 million in 2020, an increase of $23 million from 2019, primarily due to a $50 million decrease in capital expenditures, partially offset by a $27 million decrease in cash earnings.

Q4 Key messages *GAAP net sales, including the impact of dispositions and FX, decreased 5.6%; Non-GAAP organic net sales decreased 4.8%; both decline rates improved sequentially from the prior two quarters *GAAP earnings per share from continuing operations of $0.46 and Non-GAAP adjusted earnings per share from continuing operations of $0.71 both increased significantly from the prior year *Operating cash flow of $124.6 million in the quarter is down from prior year; 2020 amount includes $47 million paid to terminate 25 deferred compensation plans and cash taxes on the gain from selling the Logistics businesses in addition to the expected impact from accelerating working capital improvements to earlier quarters in 2020 *Gross leverage ratio of 3.7x improves 1.0x from September 30, 2020 and 0.5x from December 31, 2019; net leverage ratio of 3.0x improves 0.7x from both September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019

American Litho, a leading direct mail solutions provider, has installed the first HP PageWide Web Press T250 HD in the U.S. to boost power to deliver personalized direct mail for digital trigger marketing campaigns. The 22-inch continuous inkjet HP PageWide Web Press T250 with HP Brilliant Ink enables new versatility with an expanded color and paper gamut for high-volume commercial, publishing, transaction, and direct mail applications. “At American Litho, we tailor our capabilities to meet the needs of our customers, and in 2020 we found ourselves adapting more than ever. Investing in our equipment to further propel the powerful combination of print and digital services is vital to providing a standout product every time,” said Frank Arostegui, Executive Vice President of Sales.

Quad/Graphics, Inc. and the Quadracci family’s Windhover Foundation are announcing a three-year, $1 million commitment to The BrandLab, a non-profit dedicated to changing the face and voice of the marketing industry by creating opportunities for young people from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. This new partnership will enable The BrandLab to expand into the Milwaukee community and bring together local agencies, corporations and student interns who identify as Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), or who come from low-income families. Already operational in Kansas City and Minneapolis, The BrandLab’s success in bringing young, diverse voices into the creative profession directly aligns with Quad’s decades-long dedication to creating a better way. “The BrandLab starts by exposing students to creative and viable careers before they graduate from high school and then we stay with them on their journey to their first full-time role,” said Ellen Walthour, Chief Executive Officer of The BrandLab. “This is a long-term solution that requires long-range vision from the industry’s top leaders. Quad understands that our work not only advances racial equity, but it makes the creative field so much stronger.”

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company announced its work to create tangible moments for Kindli, a social media alternative focused on positivity and connecting people with acts of kindness. Kindli Cards, printed by RRD, are Kindli’s proprietary, patent-pending method of tracking kind acts all around the world. These cards include a unique, user-specific QR code and personalized messages. Kindli’s strategic partnership with RRD allows for this level of customization. This includes workflows specific to variable programming required for personalized codes and automated order entry, enabling quick speed-to-market regardless of order quantity.

The Phoenix Group of Companies, a full-service provider of comprehensive printing, packaging, mailing, and fulfillment solutions in Philadelphia, announced that its affiliate, Phoenix Lithographing, and long-time industry partner ICS Corp., of West Deptford, N.J., are merging forces to create Phoenix-ICS Group of Companies. The new partnership brings together ICS, a direct mail organization offering strategic development and creative services, and Phoenix Lithographing, one of the largest privately-held commercial printing companies in the marketplace. The group will benefit from ICS’s expertise in mailing and creative development, and Phoenix’s comprehensive print production knowledge.

Worzalla, an employee-owned book printer specializing in printing high-quality children’s books, cookbooks, and hard-cover best sellers, was ranked the fourth largest North American book printer in Printing Impressions’ latest industry rankings titled 2020 Printing Impressions 350. Worzalla was also ranked the 63rd largest book printer by annual sales on the general list that includes all printing companies North America. This is the first time Worzalla has been ranked as a Top 5 Market Segment Leader in the book printing category. Worzalla also rose 24 spots in this year’s general rankings compared to last year. In 2020, Worzalla completed a modernization and expansion plan that added 50,000 square feet to the company’s manufacturing headquarters, upgraded equipment, and added additional associates.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company announces expanded operations in Sacramento, establishing a robust center of excellence for commercial print in Northern California as Pacific Standard Print (PSP). This strategic investment brings new and diverse capabilities to the region for the purpose of serving RRD client needs. After undergoing an extensive year-long renovation, PSP has increased capacity for digital, sheetfed, mailing and print fulfillment services. The new 136,000-square-foot location boasts upgraded, best-in-class digital presses, plus 40-inch offset, sheetfed presses. PSP will offer an elevated security infrastructure for data and mailing services with an increased volume of storage to support critical warehousing and fulfillment needs throughout the region. PSP clients will also benefit from the multitude of complementary services that RRD provides, including advanced analytics, email marketing, content and creative services. PSP has a rich history of delivering on the communication needs of a diverse client base. Whether it’s time-sensitive election-related print, one-to-one direct mail communications, secure healthcare requirements or retail solutions, PSP is uniquely positioned to help clients break through the complexity of their communications while driving out costs, increasing revenue, and mitigating risk.

Sun Chemical will increase prices across a broad portfolio of its packaging and commercial sheetfed inks, coatings, and adhesives in North America (also EMEA and Latin America), effective March 15, 2021. A combination of raw material shortages, including petrochemical, vegetable oils and derivatives, dramatically increased international freight transport costs, and demand due to economic recovery, are all contributing factors for the cost increases in Sun Chemical’s raw material feedstocks.

Moore announces the acquisition of Worcester Envelope Company, an industry leader specializing in custom envelope manufacturing. This acquisition comes less than 12 months from the $31 million investment Moore made in envelope manufacturing with the opening of Richmond Print Group in Virginia. Moore is investing in Worcester Envelope to expand its envelope manufacturing in overall capacity, redundancy and location diversification. Based in Auburn, Massachusetts, Worcester Envelope specializes in the manufacturing of high color direct mail envelopes to service the medium to large volume mail industry.

Mittera, a North American leader in print and integrated marketing services and listed as the 26th largest printing company according to the latest data from Printing Impressions, officially launched its new Koenig & Bauer Rapida 105 PRO eight-color 41˝ press at its New York facility in Ronkonkoma, Long Island, in early December 2020. Mittera CEO Jon Troen joined Michael Clark, the facility’s president, press operators, employees, and management at a special ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the event. Everyone expressed enthusiasm over the capabilities of the new press and the potential for the new business it will generate. “This is not just another sheetfed press investment for Mittera,” says Troen. “It is a game-changer. With two coating towers in addition to a Corona treatment unit and Rainbow printing unit, this press will allow our company to expand further into specialty packaging, as well as plastics printing. The technology Koenig & Bauer was able to deliver on this press will allow us to set a new standard for high quality printing ranging from truly unique marketing and packaging pieces to specialty security printing.”

Full Year 2020 Highlights: *Revenue was $217.9 million lower than the previous year. COVID-19 negatively impacted the company's results, primarily across the Promotional Solutions, Cloud Solutions and Checks segments. *The Payments segment formed at the beginning of the year delivered revenue growth of 12% over the previous year. COVID-19-related delays in customer implementations impacted the growth rate in this segment, which will likely continue into Q1 2021. *Net income of $8.8 million was impacted by COVID-19 and continued costs in support of the company’s transformation. *Cash flow from operations for 2020 was $217.6 million and capital expenditures were $62.6 million. Free cash flow, defined as cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures, was $155.0 million, a decrease of $65.1 million as compared to 2019. *Net debt of $716.9 million was the lowest since June 30, 2018. *During the fourth quarter, the company repaid $200 million on its revolving credit facility under which it borrowed at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In support of the important work underway to advocate for the advancement of diverse talent in the creative industry, Quad is contributing $25,000 to a scholarship program at the Brandcenter at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), a two-year full-time master’s program dedicated to developing the next generation of creative talent. The Brandcenter at VCU is among the preeminent advertising and design programs in the country, and Quad’s donation will directly support the Brandcenter & Rising Endowed Scholarship, which provides need-based assistance to diverse students looking to make an impact in the fields of advertising, marketing, branding and communications.

HP Inc. has introduced a range of new Latex large format print solutions to help print service providers diversify their offerings and meet more challenging customer needs. After a year of business disruption across the large format industry, the HP Latex 700 and 800 series brings a suite of features that enable PSPs to be more agile, tackle ambitious projects and take on the highest value work. The new portfolio also delivers fast workflows that help businesses hit deadlines, while sharpening their sustainability edge. “When you think about HP Latex, imagine the unique ability to say yes to every customer request, regardless of fast-changing schedule or application demands. Help meet deadlines with undisputable operator and environmental safety, as, with HP Latex, every signage & decor decision becomes a sustainable one,” said Guayente Sanmartin, General Manager, Large Format Business, HP. “The new Latex 700 and 800 portfolio will allow PSPs to win big by navigating customer challenges in the next normal and embracing more ambitious projects - safe in the knowledge their work will deliver.”

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company announced it will expand its North American production capabilities to support the trading card and collectible card game industry. Known for exceptional quality and service, Reynosa’s 300,000-square-foot manufacturing space houses 10 sheetfed presses, featuring both UV and conventional printing, and complete finishing capabilities. Investments in the pressroom and specialty finishing capabilities will enable this site to produce cards and their associated packaging by mid-spring of 2021. Additionally, RRD will be installing a 12-color UV press to their Packaging Solutions facility in Durham, North Carolina. RRD’s Durham operation has served top brands and emerging card publishers for over 30 years and is one of the largest producers of trading cards in North America. This will be the second press of its kind at the facility, signaling RRD’s ongoing commitment to support increases in client demand and ability to deliver high-quality products required by both card collectors and game players alike.

Worzalla, an employee-owned book printer specializing in printing high-quality children’s books, cookbooks, and hard-cover best sellers, has launched the “Reel It In For Reading” ice fishing competition in support of the Portage County Literacy Council (PCLC). The competition invites the community to submit photos of their largest ice fishing catches during the month of February. Worzalla has committed to donate $5 per entry, up to $1,500 to the Portage County Literacy Council and will award cash prizes to the entries with the largest catches. To honor the first-place winner, Worzalla will donate $500 to the school or community library of the winner’s choice. “Ice fishing is such a popular winter activity in our community that we decided to organize a friendly competition to support literacy in our greater community,” said Brianne Petruzalek, Vice President of Human Resources at Worzalla. “The Portage County Literacy Council does such important work throughout the year to help adults achieve their literacy goals, a mission that is close to our hearts at Worzalla.”

Xerox Holdings Corporation announced organizational changes to support plans to create three new businesses – Software, Financing and Innovation – aimed at delivering long-term growth in 2021 and beyond. Nicole Torraco has been promoted to senior vice president, Xerox Financial Services (XFS), to lead Xerox’s financing business, reporting directly to Visentin. Sam Waicberg will lead the Software business as vice president and general manager of Digital Services, reporting to President and Chief Operations Officer Steve Bandrowczak. Naresh Shanker, senior vice president and chief technology officer, will lead the PARC Innovation business. Executive Vice President Louie Pastor has been appointed chief corporate development officer and chief legal officer.

PRINTING United Alliance and Idealliance announced the intent to merge the two organizations earlier in January. The proposed merger was approved unanimously by each Board of Directors to be followed by consideration of Idealliance members at a meeting of active members on 1/29/21, in accordance with Idealliance Bylaws. Idealliance Members overwhelmingly approved the Plan of Merger with 96% voting in favor which serves as the final step to effectuate the merger. Dick Ryan, Idealliance CEO said, “The traditional segmentation of print providers has continued to blur and converge, which the shifts in digital printing technologies have accelerated. Over the past few years, PRINTING United Alliance has built an association that addresses all the major segments through expanded membership, an array of events, and industry leading media brands, bringing considerable resources, marketing reach and audiences under one roof. At the same time, Idealliance has developed the expertise to build and rollout not only its traditional color management programs, but new standards training and education on a global platform. This is the right strategic move by Idealliance to better serve the graphic communication industry.”

Deluxe announced that it has finalized a long-term agreement with Truist Financial Corporation. This new agreement is anchored by Deluxe’s world class check products, while also expanding the ongoing relationship across the company’s four business segments. “We are very pleased that Truist is trusting Deluxe to deliver the latest innovations and technology to enhance the exceptional products and service its customers have come to expect,” said Barry McCarthy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Deluxe. “This is a real validation of our One Deluxe approach, being able to provide a wide array of products and services from across all of our segments to our customers. Truist clearly understands that our goal is to collaborate on creating and finding solutions to help their entire portfolio.”

Effective immediately, Wade Brewer has been promoted to the position of Director of Manufacturing. Mr. Brewer has more than thirty-five years of print industry experience, ten of those with Ennis most recently as a Business Unit Director. He will continue to drive plant operations, as well as promote future growth. He will be responsible for all manufacturing operations. Kevin Johnston and Steve Reifel, the existing Business Unit Directors, will report to him. Effective February 1, 2021, Tony Orsello will be promoted to the position of Business Unit Director reporting to Wade Brewer. He will be relocating to the Corporate office in Midlothian, Texas. Effective February 1, 2021, Henry Schultz will assume the duties as General Manager for the Northstar Brooklyn Park facility replacing Tony Orsello. Mr. Schultz will drive the daily sales and production activities of Northstar and will report to Mr. Orsello as his Business Unit Director.

Mittera, a North American leader in print and digital communication strategies, has announced it has acquired the assets of Trend Offset Printing. Headquartered in Los Alamitos, Calif., Trend Offset is a national printer serving retail, magazine, catalog, and direct mail advertising segments. The addition of Trend Offset will enhance Mittera’s presence in retail as well as commercial printing services. The Trend client relationships, personnel and critical infrastructure will join Mittera’s national network of print production and communication solution professionals, allowing for a seamless customer experience with expanded capabilities. “As the landscape of our industry continues to change, it is critical that printers evolve to serve the customer needs of the future and not those of the past. The acquisition of Trend makes great sense for both organizations, as it allows for further consolidation of our industry, and will allow our combined companies to offer a more robust set of marketing solutions to our customers.” said Jon Troen, Chief Executive Officer of Mittera.

Financial Summary • Q4 GAAP earnings per share (EPS) from continuing operations of $0.36, down $0.05 from Q3 and down $0.81 YOY; FY GAAP EPS from continuing operations of $0.84, down $1.94 YOY. • $1.930 billion of Q4 revenue, up 9.2 percent or 8.5 percent in constant currency compared to Q3 and down 21.0 percent or 22.3 percent in constant currency YOY. • $7.022 billion of FY revenue, down 22.5 percent YOY or 22.7 percent in constant currency YOY. • Delivered $450 million of gross savings in 2020 under Project Own It. • Returned 112 percent of free cash flow to shareholders in 2020.

One of the main tenets of buying and owning real estate is location, location, location. The same can be said for the location where skilled workers live when they lose their jobs, and what new opportunities may exist for them within their local communities. So, while it's certainly bad news that on Feb. 18, 2021, LSC Communications will close its eastside Spartanburg, S.C., printing plant located at 300 Jones Rd., the job prospects — albeit in different industries— for the more than 400 workers employed at the one-time RR Donnelley operation appear, at least on the surface, to be better than what's happened elsewhere. "It is never good news to have a longtime company close, but the good news is, if it had to happen in 2021, Spartanburg is the place you want to be," Spartanburg County Councilman David Britt, chairman of the county's economic development committee, told the Spartanburg Herald-Journal following news of the impending closure. "I hate to lose one company that calls Spartanburg home because they became family, but it is a fact that the times and markets are always changing."

The American Meteorological Society (AMS), the leading scientific and professional organization promoting the advancement of atmospheric, oceanic and hydrologic sciences, has launched its new online journals platform on KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd. (KGL)’s PubFactory platform. The new AMS website (journals.ametsoc.org) hosts all content from the Society’s 11 prestigious peer-reviewed scientific journals, including the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (BAMS). Following an extensive review of site requirements with AMS leadership, KGL PubFactory managed the comprehensive web development project and site migration process for the full archive of 117,000 journal articles dating to 1920. In addition to the online hosting platform, AMS is now working closely with KGL to streamline and optimize its journal production workflow and processes, adding services such as web-based proofing to help accelerate publication, contain costs, and improve the author experience.

The desire to expand into the large-format sector and increase capacity without sacrificing quality or speed, led Walton Press to add the Durst P5 350. The addition of this innovative digital printer will be the centerpiece of their wide-format print offering allowing them to expand into new markets. Walton Press located in Monroe, GA began in 1900, originally started in conjunction with the Walton Tribune a hometown newspaper and has been in the printing business for over 120 years. Walton Press is the first in Georgia to add the Durst P5 350 all-in-one hybrid solution for flexible roll and board printing. They take a personal stake in the success of their customers and will do what it takes to support that objective. The Durst P5 350 is an all-in-one hybrid large format UV LED Inkjet press that prints both rigid and roll materials up to 138” (3.5 meters) wide with 1200 dpi output.

Worzalla, an employee-owned book printer specializing in printing high-quality children’s books, cookbooks, and hard-cover best sellers, recently concluded the holiday season with multiple charitable endeavors. As a business with more than 125 years of history in Portage County, Worzalla consistently looks for opportunities to give back to the community. “This past holiday season, Worzalla associates stepped up in a big way to help those in need, and we were happy to see the greater community support our efforts as well,” said Brianne Petruzalek, Vice President of Human Resources at Worzalla. “We thank everyone involved for helping us to make a positive impact in our community.” In December, Worzalla set up a Community Giving Tree and set up a raffle prize giveaway to encourage the community to contribute donations for the Salvation Army. The drive was successful in collecting hundreds of food items, clothing, household items, and other in-demand items for those in need in Portage County.

2020 Printing Impressions 350 ranking of largest printing companies in the U.S. and Canada.The fact that our 37th annual ranking of the largest printing companies based in the U.S. and Canada, as ranked by annual sales, is now the Printing Impressions 350 — and not the 400 — for 2020 serves as a microcosm of the current, unsettled nature of the printing industry amidst a worldwide pandemic. So, it was quite fitting that we also labeled the most recent list on our December 2020 cover as “The COVID-19 Edition.” Compiling this venerable list was no easy feat — whether it was tracking down the needed information from a $5.5 billion-in-sales commercial printing industry powerhouse like RR Donnelley, to our 350th ranked printer at $5.5 million. Due to the pandemic, printing companies, large and small, have struggled to maintain their sales levels, and to hold on to their skilled workforces through, in some cases, temporary furloughs and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding. see more at: https://www.piworld.com/article/2020-printing-impressions-350-largest-printing-companies/

Modern Litho, a full-service commercial, catalog and publication printer headquartered in Jefferson City, Missouri, announces an exclusive agreement with James Mulligan Printing Co. (Mulligan Printing) of St. Louis for the transfer of its commercial printing and business operations to Modern Litho. "Mulligan Printing has had a successful presence in the St. Louis print industry for many years with well-established customer relationships and high standards of service. We look forward to the opportunity to continue and build on this tradition by bringing an enhanced level of capability and quality to the marketplace,” commented Darrell Moore, Modern Litho President.

Despite all that 2020 heaped on the printing sector, the book manufacturing segment is going strong, driven by an isolated public renewing its connection to reading and, perhaps, by the multitudes of home-bound media experts frantically stocking their “credibility bookcases.” Book manufacturers are managing new ways of serving publishers and the broader market, and embracing new technology where it is advantageous. The segment underwent a drastic shift during 2020, particularly with the divestiture of Quad/Graphics’ book plants from the segment, and the Chapter 11 bankruptcy of LSC Communications. These two developments effectively changed the playing field for U.S.-based book manufacturers, and left numerous book publishers scrambling for available capacity. This article features the insight of four book manufacturing professionals, to provide a better sense of the segment as it is today, and the factors driving opportunity and success. more at: https://www.piworld.com/article/book-manufacturing-outlook-balancing-demand-capacity/#ne=a0dae8603d00a659dbe7da5388ef196c&utm_source=today-on-piworld&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=2021-01-12

Flint Group announced the launch of XSYS, a brand-new division, the result of combining Flint Group Flexographic with Xeikon Prepress. Although the two groups have been working closely for some time in support of the flexographic and letterpress markets, this formal alignment will bring even more collaboration and innovation to the group and to its customers. With the tagline Be Brilliant, the new division will work with its customers to honour its claim of Print Solid. Stay Flexible. “With the integration of Xeikon Prepress with Flint Group Flexographic, we are now connecting the dots and are implementing an important step of our strategy to become a full solution provider for the flexographic prepress industry,” said Dagmar Schmidt, President of XSYS. “In forming this new division, we bring together what belongs together: Plates, Processing Equipment (solvent-and solvent free), Imagers, Sleeves and Adapters. And with this move, we expand our expertise towards our customers. The name derives from ThermoFlexX, nyloflex, Xpress and other brands that feature the X, combined with Systems to form the name XSYS.”

Citing volume declines in an already challenging retail environment and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Sussex, Wis.-based Quad closed out a tumultuous 2020 by announcing it will permanently cease print manufacturing operations at three production facilities in early 2021, impacting approximately 650 workers. Work currently performed in these commercial printing plants will be consolidated into other existing Quad locations. Its Fernley, Nev., plant will close in late January. The facility specializes in retail advertising inserts and employs approximately 75 people. Quad's Oklahoma City plant will be shuttered in early March. Employing approximately 400 workers, the plant produces magazines, catalogs, and retail advertising inserts. The Nashville, Tenn., facility will permanently close by mid-April. The plant specializes in retail advertising inserts and employs approximately 175 people.

National Graphic Solutions (NGS), of Appleton, Wisconsin, a leading print partner to the publishing industry for children’s books, educational products, and the general book market, has been acquired by BR Printers of San Jose, California. NGS web offset and sheet fed print capabilities, coupled with extensive bindery, and finishing operations, allows the company to execute simple to complex projects, short to long runs, and standard to unique trim sizes. The company produced over one hundred million (100,000,000) books last year. In addition, NGS offers kit building and fulfillment solutions coupled with complete project management services.

CJK Group, Inc. has purchased two eight-color Komori Lithrone G40 perfecting presses (GL840P) for installation at two of its printing plants: Sheridan KY in Versailles, Kentucky and Hess Print Solutions in Brimfield, Ohio. CJK Group has been successful in redefining the entire book supply chain to overcome the challenges book and content publishers have experienced in this market. The company believes strongly that advances in print technology that allow for increased customization, shorter runs and faster turnaround will spur dramatic growth in this sector by giving today’s publishers, educators, catalogers and information providers the option to partner with exceptionally creative print providers that can produce their work. With this focus as its driving force, CJK Group has grown quickly over the last decade through numerous acquisitions to build what is now a multifaceted organization with extensive offset, digital and fulfillment production capabilities.

Ennis, Inc. announced that one of its wholly owned subsidiaries has entered into a Letter of Intent to acquire the assets and assume some liabilities of Infoseal LLC (“Infoseal”) in Roanoke, Virginia. Infoseal provides pressure seal and tax forms products to independent print brokers and resellers. The Ennis subsidiary, operating under the Infoseal brand and name, will continue to operate in the current facility with a multi-year lease. Infoseal employees and local management are expected to continue working with the newly acquired Infoseal with no disruption in service. Ennis believes that the acquisition will be accretive to earnings in the current year and expects the transaction to be effective at the close of business on December 31, 2020. Keith Walters, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Ennis, Inc., commented by stating, “We are very pleased to add Infoseal to the Ennis family. Infoseal is a leader in the production of pressure seal documents and this well-known brand brings added capabilities and expertise to our expanding product offering including our existing VersaSeal pressure seal product line.

Sun Chemical’s SunTronic® IME inks are approved for production use in IMSE parts after passing the demanding materials testing program from TactoTek®, a Finland-based company that develops, industrializes and licenses in-mold structural electronics (IMSE™) technology. IMSE parts integrate printed electronics and electronic components within 3D injection molded plastics. They combine structure, electronic functions, and aesthetics in single piece, seamless smart surfaces. In IMSE parts, printed electronics can create many features, including circuitry, capacitive touch controls, proximity sensors and antennas. IMSE parts rely on printed silver-based conductive inks and dielectrics to enable multiple layers of printed electronics. “TactoTek is committed to delivering IMSE technology that is predictable, reliably mass produced and performs well through a lifetime of use,” said Paavo Niskala, SVP Advanced Engineering at TactoTek. “IMSE combines diverse materials into a single integrated materials stack, so those materials must be chemically compatible and maintain their electrical integrity through IMSE processing, including thermoforming and injection molding.

Quad/Graphics Inc. will close three more commercial printing plants — none of which are in Wisconsin — idling 650 employees. The Sussex-based company on Thursday cited “volume declines” for closing the plants in Oklahoma City; Nashville, Tennessee; and Fernley, Nevada. The company attributed the decreased volumes in part to “an already challenging retail environment” that has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company issued the following statement in response to a recent Bloomberg article regarding the potential sale of its Asia Pacific business. “While the Company’s practice is to not comment on speculation or market rumors, RRD clarified today that the Company is not currently engaged in discussions to sell its printing and packaging business in Asia Pacific. As management has previously stated, the Company is focused on its strategy to advance RRD as a leading provider of marketing and business communications and remains focused on executing its long-term strategic priorities - including strengthening its core business, driving revenue performance and improving its balance sheet. As part of this long-term strategy, RRD continuously reviews its business portfolio and periodically explores opportunities to sell portions of its business to increase stockholder value. At this time, RRD continues to actively invest for growth in its Asia Pacific business. In addition, the Company may consider one or more strategic transactions for any of its businesses in the future.”

The Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP), the leading authority in sustainable printing certifications, announced today, announced today that Shutterfly, Inc. has joined the SGP community by certifying its first facility in Fort Mill, South Carolina. Shutterfly, the leading digital retailer and manufacturing platform for photography and personalized products, plans to continue to certify more of its print locations in the near future. “As a leading manufacturer, we are deeply committed to responsible production in all of our facilities, focusing on reducing our overall footprint while helping make our customers’ life’s experiences unforgettable,” said Dwayne Black, Shutterfly Inc. senior vice president and chief operations officer. “I’m extremely proud of our dedicated teams at Fort Mill who are leading the toward progress on our sustainability goals with SGP third party certification.” As the largest of Shutterfly’s manufacturing facilities, Fort Mill was the logical starting place for SGP certification. The company has consistent sustainability practices throughout its fleet and plans to secure further third-party certification with SGP in additional sites.

The commercial printing industry will grow in 2021. Growth will begin during the second quarter, and accelerate through year end. No company, however, should count on the upturn or the shakeout of weak competitors to make everything right. Much will be different in the post-COVID world. And much of the gains ahead will be reserved for companies already thinking about those differences, and how to make them opportunities rather than threats. Those conclusions are based on the COVID-19 Print Business Indicators Survey, conducted every other month by PRINTING United Alliance and NAPCO Research. Nearly 200 commercial printers participate. The diverse group has annual sales ranging from less than $1 million to more than $700 million, and is located across the U.S. and Canada. We measure percent change in sales in two ways. Year-over-year is the first to capture the depth and breadth of the downturn. Among all companies surveyed, sales fell 16.9%, on average, during the first three quarters of 2020 compared with year earlier levels, declining for 81.9% — by at least 20% for more than half and at least 30% for nearly one-third — and increasing for just 17%. One participant speaks for many when he describes what’s happened this year as a “seismic downturn.”

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company announced the activation of its Touchless World solution to support production and distribution for Apple App Clip Codes. App Clips are a way for iPhone users to quickly access and experience a small part of an app and can be discovered in many ways, including the new App Clip Codes. As a leader in dynamic print for a touchless experience, RRD is leveraging its Touchless World solution set to manufacture the code-embedded, multi-layer decal required for this new feature from Apple. In the production of these visually-distinct decals, RRD integrates digital variable text and graphical print with NFC technology plus full dynamic encoding. This single-source combination of capabilities positions RRD as an optimal decal producer for touchless consumer experiences.

Ricoh unveiled a first look at the RICOH Pro Z75, its highly anticipated B2 sheetfed inkjet system. Recognized as a “game changer”, the state-of-the-art, Ricoh-developed press with future-defining technology is built to help businesses reach new benchmarks for productivity, image quality and operating costs. “The Ricoh B2 inkjet press is phenomenal. It is going to be a game changer for the commercial print market,” said Bob Dahlke, Jr., Principal, VISOgraphic, Inc. “Ricoh’s approach to bringing new innovation to market is to do it right. They don’t care about being first; they care about delivering what our businesses need. I’ve been through this process with them in the past, and I believe it has helped commercial printers more confidently and effectively migrate to digital.”

Highlights: *Continued improvement in profitability in the Packaging Sector and maintained rigorous cost control in the Printing Sector. *Revenues of $655.7 million for the quarter ended October 25, 2020; operating earnings of $81.2 million; and net earnings attributable to shareholders of the Corporation of $51.3 million ($0.59 per share). *Solid financial position with liquidities of $241.0 million and access to unused lines of credit of $432.8 million, for total available liquidities of $673.8 million. *Improved net indebtedness ratio(1) to 1.9x as a result of the decrease in long-term debt of $363.0 million and the increase in adjusted operating earnings before depreciation and amortization(1) during the fiscal year. *Launched new packaging made of 30% post-consumer recycled plastic for the case wrap of AHA® Sparkling Water, a brand of The Coca-Cola Company.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company introduces a comprehensive vaccination distribution toolkit — for healthcare providers, government agencies, retail pharmacies, and large enterprise organizations — aimed at delivering quick-turn marketing, communication, and operational support upon the release of an FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine. Immediate production of a vaccine program involves many components, e.g., regulatory compliance, multiple vendor coordination, and speed-to-market challenges. RRD’s vaccination distribution toolkit is designed to provide turnkey support in three key areas: 1) Vaccine awareness – direct mail campaigns, digital communications, employee training materials, content and creative translations 2) Clinician and retailer operational needs – signage and wayfinding, prep kits, temperature labels, POP displays, branded promotions and labels 3) Post-vaccination support – care kits, proof of vaccination, second-dose reminders, tip sheets

Flint Group Packaging Inks has signed up to the HolyGrail 2.0 project that seeks to solve the complexities surrounding the recycling of post-consumer plastic packaging. Project HolyGrail was established in 2017 to speed up the transition to a global circular economy for plastics by improving recycling rates through more effective, high quality sorting of materials. In 2020, the second phase of the project, HolyGrail 2.0, was launched to open it up as a cross-value chain initiative with greater scale and scope. Partners involved in the project are exploring the viability of tagging packaging with unique, machine-readable codes to improve automated detection and sorting within current recycling systems.

Quad/Graphics, Inc. announced that Julie Currie has joined the Company as its new Executive Vice President & Chief Revenue Officer. Currie succeeds Renee Badura, Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing, who is retiring from Quad after 34 years of service to the Company. Currie brings a wealth of marketing, retail and CPG client services knowledge to Quad, a marketing solutions partner with a unique integrated service platform that helps clients reduce the complexity of working with multiple agency partners, increase content workflow efficiencies, and improve the effectiveness of their overall marketing spend. Currie’s experience leading organizational change and transformation, and her keen understanding of data and analytics, will provide immeasurable value to Quad and its clientele.

Arandell Holdings, Inc. announced that it has finalized an agreement approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware that calls for Saothair Capital Partners to invest in the business, clearing the way for emergence from Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. “Saothair’s investment is a testament to the overall strength of our business model and market position,” said Brad Hoffman, President and CEO of Arandell. “We’re excited to complete the process and move forward as a company, continuing our recent growth into 2021 and beyond.” Under the agreement, an affiliate of Saothair, a private equity firm based in the Philadelphia area, will become the controlling shareholder of the Company’s business and assets.

Atlas Holdings announced that it has completed its acquisition of substantially all of the assets of LSC Communications, Inc. The transaction concludes a court-supervised sale process, pursuant to Section 363 of the U.S. Bankruptcy code. LSC is the largest producer of books in the United States and a leading manufacturer and distributor of magazines, catalogs and office products. With more than 14,000 dedicated associates across more than 50 facilities, the company is organized around four business segments, Magazine, Catalog & Logistics, Books, TOPS Products and its Mexico Print operations, which collectively service the traditional and digital print, printrelated services and office products markets. LSC begins its new chapter with a strong balance sheet, an optimized manufacturing footprint and a more competitive cost structure. As a leaner and more efficient organization, LSC is positioned to continue investing in innovation and sustainable growth with the support of Atlas’ financial strength and sector knowledge.

Following close consultation with exhibitors and partners, the 2021 edition of drupa, the world’s leading trade fair for printing technologies, will be cancelled due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The next event will take place as scheduled from May 28 – June 7, 2024 in Düsseldorf, Germany. To maintain the momentum until then, the organizers will offer “virtual.drupa”, a four-day digital event from April 20 – 23, 2021 during the time frame drupa was originally scheduled for. “The pandemic has caused great uncertainty among exhibitors and visitors regarding participation in drupa 2021. Travel restrictions and budget pressure have increasingly intensified the situation in the print industry," explained Erhard Wienkamp, Managing Director of Messe Düsseldorf. “We have made this decision together with our partners who support this step. It was preceded by a detailed process of considering the current conditions and the needs of the industry.”

Sun Chemical has further enhanced its online troubleshooting guide by adding potential solutions to common pressroom challenges in coldset and metal package printing processes. After choosing the printing process, the mobile-friendly website uses both photos and defect terms (dot gain, pinholes, feathering, comets, etc.) to help the press worker, while in the pressroom, identify which technical problem they are facing. They can either read the solution provided by Sun Chemical to resolve their particular challenge using their smartphone or can use a print function tool for a clean review of the problems/solutions on paper—whatever option is most convenient for them. Sun Chemical’s troubleshooting website has translations in Italian, Spanish and Turkish and can be accessed easily from Sun Chemical’s Ink + Pressroom section of its website.

TC Transcontinental announces the appointment of Eric Morisset as Chief Development Officer effective today, December 1, 2020. Based in Montréal, Mr. Morisset will report to François Olivier, President and Chief Executive Officer of TC Transcontinental, and will be part of the Executive Management Committee. Since 2018, the role of Corporate Development Officer had been held by Sam Bendavid, who was appointed earlier this year as Senior Vice President, TC Transcontinental Advanced Coatings and Procurement within TC Transcontinental Packaging. Mr. Morisset will be responsible for the Corporation’s M&A strategy and all aspects of acquisitions, divestitures and partnerships, as well as for overseeing company strategy. “We are extremely pleased to welcome Eric Morisset as Chief Development Officer at a time when, with our solid financial situation, we are well positioned to pursue growth opportunities through strategic, targeted acquisitions,” said François Olivier, President and Chief Executive Officer of TC Transcontinental. “Passionate about building and growing businesses, Eric is an accomplished senior executive who comes to us with a stellar background and extensive M&A and capital markets experience.”

The trends in packaging printing are obvious: ever-declining run lengths, an increasing number of stock keeping units (SKUs) and more demanding embellishments to attract consumer attention – all of this against the backdrop of extremely short delivery times and sustainability. Special applications and the need for flawless production also add to the complexity. How can folding carton manufacturers manage this in a cost-effective way, even in Covid-19 pandemic times? Seeking an answer to this question, packaging printers in North America are increasingly investing in Heidelberg solutions for cost-effective production. “Since the onset of Covid-19 in March 2020, Packaging and Label Printers in North America have been very resilient against the downturn of the economy due to increased consumer demand for packaged goods in both grocery stores and pharmacies. Many of these printers have even grown during the crisis and are looking to invest or have recently invested in new machines and workflow from Heidelberg,” explains Felix Mueller, President of Heidelberg Americas.

Xerox announced a suite of production print innovations including new presses, technology enhancements for existing printers as well as artificial intelligence and automation features that aid speed and productivity. Xerox unveiled the following innovations: *A Color Accelerator module for Baltoro, expanding inkjet applications and adding ink-saving automation *Addition of fluorescent pink to the Iridesse Production Press, enhancing its metallics, white and clear color palette *Three new printers capable of higher volumes, more media and extended color options in the VersaLink and Versant family *Two Xerox Nuvera print speed upgrades that best competition *AI-enabled media manager software that enables high-quality images with minimal set-up and staff time *Automated workflow updates to seamlessly print embellishments with FreeFlow Core 6.0

Tidewater Direct announced that it has doubled down on its inkjet strategy with the purchase of a Screen 520NX inkjet press, which was installed in September and is currently operational. With an emphasis on uncoated stocks, the new press complements its existing 520HD which has now been in service for over 3 years. Both presses are located in Centreville, Md. and staffed 24 hours per day, and capacity is exclusively and uniquely sold to the trade. Prior to purchasing its first inkjet press, Tidewater saw an opportunity to partner with letter shops that were being asked to provide inkjet printing but did not have substantial volume to justify the investment in inkjet. This model which Tidewater calls an “inkjet revolution”, sought to supply the same wholesale customers that purchase forms and direct mail inserts inkjet printed product, to include rolls of forms, folded personalized letters, self-mailers, and post cards. With the 2nd inkjet press, Tidewater not only increases its capacity which improves flexibility, but the Screen NX adds a new economy and capability for uncoated direct mail letters.

Deluxe announced that demand for its small business incorporation services increased 10 percent in 2020 over 2019. The increase was driven by incorporations of construction, trucking, cleaning services, online sales, consulting, food trucks, landscaping and real estate companies. The acceleration of entrepreneurship coincides with an increase in COVID-19 related unemployment and desire by more people to control their financial future by starting businesses. “Small business owners are starting new ventures and careers in the middle of a pandemic,” said Barry McCarthy, President and CEO of Deluxe. “We think the increased use of Deluxe incorporation services is a leading indicator of small business futures and shows optimism in the small business market going into 2021. These entrepreneurs are risking it all, even at such an uncertain time. Deluxe has proudly supported the incredible pioneering spirit of small business owners for 105 years.”

Digital marketing runs at remarkable speeds. To help customers not only activate their deep data sets but do it exponentially faster, direct mail powerhouse SG360° found a powerful solution in production inkjet. With this technology, SG360° is pushing the envelope of what direct mail — and their business — can do. see more at: https://www.piworld.com/xchange/production-inkjet-printing/sg360-powering-direct-mail-communications-with-digital-print-and-next-generation-inkjet/#ne=d7f0e6e16b0d037f71fc050491da5623&utm_source=today-on-piworld&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=2020-11-16

The Kansas City Star will leave its iconic glass building downtown and look for a new home, the newspaper announced Tuesday. The Star will vacate its building at 1601 McGee St. by the end of 2021. As part of the transition, the newspaper will move printing to a third party, beginning in the first quarter of 2021. The changes come after parent company McClatchy, which owns 30 U.S. news organizations, including The Star, The Miami Herald and The Sacramento Bee, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February. The reorganization, which was approved by a federal judge in early August, allowed the company to renegotiate leases. Publications across McClatchy and the news industry have seen similar print consolidations.

Walsworth announced the full integration of The Ovid Bell Press in Fulton, Mo., into the Walsworth brand. This integration will lead to enhanced printing capabilities and available services across all Walsworth facilities. “This is the right time for the integration of The Ovid Bell Press into Walsworth. More than uniting our name, this move will make it easy to do business across all Walsworth locations. Our customers will benefit from more flexibility and enhanced capabilities and services, and each facility will be focused on the products they do best,” president Don Walsworth said. Operations at the Fulton facility will continue as normal. In coming under the Walsworth brand, this location joins Walsworth’s other facilities in Marceline and Brookfield, Missouri; St. Joseph, Michigan; Ripon, Wisconsin; and a sales and marketing office in Overland Park, Kansas.

HP Inc. and Shutterfly, the world’s leading online retailer of personalized products, today announced a landmark expansion of their strategic relationship to deliver next-level productivity to supply the growing e-commerce market of photo gifts and photo products. Shutterfly is investing in more than 60 new high-performance HP Indigo Digital Presses to drive higher productivity for its range of high-quality, photo-based and personalized products including photo gifts, photo books, school portraits, holiday cards, and home decor. The agreement with Shutterfly, the leading US supplier of HP Indigo digital print, is the largest single customer order to date for the HP Graphics business. Now underway, the rollout includes next-generation, high-productivity B2 sized HP Indigo 100K digital presses, high versatility HP Indigo 12000 digital presses, as well as significant investment in web-fed photo presses to transform photo portrait printing to digital.

Third Quarter 2020 Highlights: * Total revenue increased by 10.4% to $49.9 million, from $45.2 million in the third quarter of 2019. * EBITDA1 was up 49.3% to $8.1 million, an increase of $2.7 million, from $5.4 million in the third quarter of 2019. EBITDA includes a $0.9 million of assistance from the Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy (“CEWS”) program. * Net Earnings increased to $2.7 million (or $0.10 per share), from $1.2 million (or $0.04 per share) in the third quarter of 2019. * Packaging and Specialty Products segment revenue increased by 18.9% to $15.8 million, up from $13.3 million in the third quarter of 2019. * Envelope segment revenue increased by 6.9% to $34.1 million, up from $31.9 million in the third quarter of 2019. * Net cash flows from operating activities increased to $7.2 million, up from $3.7 million in the third quarter of 2019.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company unveiled ConnectOne by RRD™, an end-to-end communications management platform that can help marketers enhance brand continuity, streamline workflows, and accelerate speed-to-market while driving down costs and improving their ROI. ConnectOne delivers a comprehensive suite of technologies for marketing automation, digital asset management, personalization at scale, and data-driven supply chain management. Combined with RRD’s unmatched communications management resources and expertise, ConnectOne delivers a simplified 360-degree view of enterprise communications through a single portal that can help deliver: *Optimized customer experiences that leverage content, data, and multichannel delivery *Streamlined content creation, production, and delivery *Personalized communications at scale across multiple channels *Automated workflows and data-driven processes that lower costs and improve efficiency

The ultra-high-speed, single-pass EFI™Reggiani BOLT digital textile printer from Electronics For Imaging, Inc. has received the InterTech™ Technology Award from PRINTING United Alliance. The InterTech Technology Awards honor technologies predicted to have a major transformational impact on the printing industry. The groundbreaking EFI Reggiani BOLT is the very first textile printer to receive an InterTech Award. Thanks to its cutting-edge printhead concept and high-performance ink delivery system for direct-to-textile printing, the 71 inch- (1.8 meter-) wide EFI Reggiani BOLT is the fastest digital textile printer available, delivering a top throughput speed of 295 feet (90 meters) per minute at a 600 x 600 dots per inch (dpi) resolution. It features high-end imaging in drop sizes from 5 to 30 picoliters, and also provides premium-quality 600 x 4,800 maximum-dpi resolution printing, allowing customers to address their full range of design needs.

Reach is proposing to close the newest newspaper printing facility in the UK, with two of its print sites set for the chop with the potential loss of 150 jobs. At the end of September Reach, which is the biggest contract newspaper printer in the UK, announced it would review its printing operations due to uncertainty over the levels of future work. It is now proposing to close its Luton and Birmingham sites. Reach Printing Services currently has six sites across the country. The group said that it planned to “balance the production of its national and regional print titles as well as third-party customers across its remaining print network”.

*Revenue was $54.1 million lower than last year. COVID-19 continued to negatively impact our results, primarily across the Promotional Solutions, Cloud Solutions and Checks segments. *The Payments segment delivered strong revenue growth of 15.6% over the same period last year, benefiting from Treasury Management revenue growth of 20.9% in the third quarter driven primarily by December 2019 sales wins. *Net income of $29.4 million was impacted by COVID-19, compared to a net loss of $318.5 million in the third quarter 2019. 2019 results included pre-tax, non-cash asset impairment charges of $391.0 million. The impairment charges related to goodwill, as well as amortizable intangible assets. *Cash flow from operations for the nine months ending September 30, 2020 was $166.8 million and capital expenditures were $42.7 million. Free cash flow, defined as cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures, was $124.1 million, a decrease of $34.2 million as compared to 2019. In addition to COVID-19, free cash flow was impacted by previously disclosed expenditures to support the Company’s business transformation and the ongoing secular decline in checks. These impacts were partially offset by lower income taxes and a legal settlement in the prior year. *At the end of the third quarter, the Company had $1.04 billion of total debt outstanding under its revolving credit facility, compared to $883.5 million at the beginning of 2020. Liquidity was $413.0 million, with cash and cash equivalents totaling $310.4 million at the end of the quarter.

“One of our clients recently referred to us as the ‘Swiss Army Knife’ of direct marketing providers,” John A. Wallace Jr., president and CEO of SG360°, says. If the client had declared the company to be direct marketing’s equivalent of the famous Wenger 16999 Swiss Army Knife Giant — a 2-lb., 12˝-long pocket toolbox containing 87 implements and 141 separate functions — he probably wouldn’t have been embarrassed. The comparison may be exaggerated, but not by much. Wallace points out that the “360°” in the company’s name reflects its determination to give customers everything they need to conduct successful direct marketing campaigns under one roof. In this, he contends, SG360° is unique, because its only business is direct marketing through hyper-targeted mailings, in volumes as massive or as minuscule as the customer desires.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company announced that it has closed on the previously announced sale of its International Mail and Parcel Logistics business to ePost Global LLC. Dan Knotts, RRD’s President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “This sale completes the final step of our previously announced plan to exit our Logistics platform.” Knotts continued, “I want to thank the International Logistics employees for their support of RRD and wish them well as they join ePost Global LLC.”

Results for the three months ended September 30, 2020, included: *Net Sales — Net sales were $679 million in 2020, down 28% from 2019. Sales declined 26% during the quarter, excluding the impact of the January 2020 sale of the Omaha packaging plant, primarily due to the economic impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, and ongoing print industry volume and pricing pressures. *Net Earnings (Loss) From Continuing Operations — Net earnings from continuing operations increased $50 million from the third quarter of 2019, from a net loss of $47 million in 2019 ($0.94 diluted loss per share from continuing operations) to net earnings of $3 million in 2020 ($0.05 diluted earnings per share from continuing operations). Results for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, included: *Net Sales — Net sales were $2.1 billion in 2020, down 27% in 2019. Sales declined 25% during the nine months ended September 30, 2020, after excluding the impact of the January 2020 sale of the Omaha packaging plant, primarily due to the economic impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, and ongoing print industry volume and pricing pressures. *Net Loss From Continuing Operations — Net loss from continuing operations improved $42 million from the first nine months of 2019, from a net loss of $63 million in 2019 ($1.26 diluted loss per share from continuing operations) to a net loss of $21 million in 2020 ($0.41 diluted loss per share from continuing operations).

Quad/Graphics, Inc. announced that it has sold its two remaining Book manufacturing facilities in Fairfield, Penn., and Martinsburg, W.Va., to Berryville Graphics, a division of Bertelsmann Printing Group USA, a leader in hard cover, mass market, trade and digest books, components and specialty finishing. The transaction closed on October 31, 2020. Quad will use proceeds from the sale to pay down debt. With this transaction, Quad has completed the full divestiture of its Book manufacturing platform – part of a previously announced strategic decision to optimize its product portfolio. In July, the company sold its only other book manufacturing facility in Versailles, Ky., to CJK Group, Inc.

Quad/Graphics, Inc. announced the launch of its Quad Direct Marketing Exchange™ (QDMX) – a platform that delivers entirely personalized direct marketing campaigns at a fraction of the cost and at greater speed to market. An industry first, QDMX helps marketers mitigate the impact of rising postage costs and navigate ongoing economic uncertainty through a suite of solutions that integrates sophisticated data application, innovative direct mail production and streamlined mailing. “For years there has been a feeling among marketers that there has to be a more efficient and effective way to reach the consumer through the mailbox,” said Scott Harvey, Quad Senior Vice President for Marketing Solutions. “Through our QDMX platform, we provide marketers with an opportunity to re-imagine their direct marketing strategy – leveraging the scale, technology investments and expansive client base of Quad – to deliver even stronger ROI from the direct mail channel.”

During these challenging times, it is imperative for commercial print companies to offer flexibility, media versatility, and superior print quality to their customers. Since the implementation of inkjet, Taylor Corporation has been able to expand its offerings by migrating higher-volume jobs from offset to digital inkjet, mainstream commercial and digital work at a lower cost of ownership, as well as embed a more targeted approach to market segments with product sets. Since the addition of the Canon ProStream to Taylor Corporation’s print workflow, the press’ capabilities have enabled the organization to boost production levels, reduce turnaround times, and increase profit margins across a wide range of applications, including premium and high-volume direct mail, books, catalogs, and magazines.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company announced that it has closed on the previously announced sale of its DLS Worldwide Logistics business to TFI International Inc. Dan Knotts, RRD’s President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “The sale of DLS Worldwide is an important step forward to optimize our business portfolio and improve balance sheet flexibility. The transaction serves to further enhance our strategic focus as a leading global provider of marketing and business communications.” Knotts continued, “I want to thank the DLS Worldwide employees for their support of RRD and wish them well as they join TFI International.”

Everything that has happened to printing firms as a result of the pandemic is unprecedented. This means everything they have done in response to it has obliged them to improvise. To rethink. To come up with new ways of protecting their employees. To pivot to completely different methods of interacting with customers. In short, to innovate. As we've done the past several years in Printing Impressions, we profiled six companies that remain alive and well in the printing industry. This year, we’re presenting these portraits of Innovators in tribute, not just to the companies themselves, but to every printing business that has survived the trials of 2020 by being innovative. Here is a profile of one of our Best-in-Class Innovators. Does innovation have a distinctive aroma? It does at H&H Graphics. In fact, innovation there smells remarkably like … tacos. That was the olfactory enhancement the Vernon Hills, Ill.-based specialty screen printing business gave to a holiday gift wrap for Taco Bell by infusing the paper with the scents of each of the snack’s principal ingredients. When the wrap was offered on Amazon, reports Michelle Leissner, president and CEO of H&H Graphics, “it sold out in a matter of minutes.”

Our reported revenue and organic constant-currency revenue declined 7% and 10%, respectively, in Q1. The pandemic continues to negatively impact our revenue results, but the year-over-year decline was less severe in Q1 compared to Q4 across all segments Q1 FY2021 GAAP operating income increased $10.6 million year over year to $36.0 million. The negative revenue impact of the pandemic was offset by variable cost controls, advertising efficiency and fixed cost savings. We also had a year-over-year decrease in restructuring charges of $2.3 million. Our GAAP operating income benefited from about $4.0 million of COVID-19-related government incentives, primarily to offset wages for manufacturing and customer service team members in countries where demand decreased but roles were maintained.

*GAAP net sales decreased 15.9%; non-GAAP organic net sales decreased 12.1% *GAAP income from operations was down $55.1 million versus the prior year primarily due to a $56.5 million increase in restructuring and other charges; current quarter included a charge for MEPP withdrawal obligations related to the LSC Communications (“LSC”) bankruptcy *GAAP loss per share from continuing operations of $0.13 included third quarter charges of $0.52 per share for restructuring and other *Operating cash flow, including discontinued operations, increased $40.1 million from prior year period, year-to-date improvement now at $113.0 million *Entered into definitive agreement to sell its Logistics DLS Worldwide business for $225 million, expected to close by year end *Launched plan to redeem $83.3 million of principal outstanding on Senior Notes due March 15, 2021

Financial Results • $106 million of operating cash flow from continuing operations, down $242 million year-over-year and up $72 million from the second quarter • $88 million of free cash flow, down $243 million year-over-year and up $73 million from the second quarter • $1.77 billion of revenue, down 18.9 percent year-over-year or 19.7 percent in constant currency and up $302 million from the second quarter • GAAP earnings per share (EPS) from continuing operations of $0.41 per share, down $0.27 yearover-year and up $0.30 from the second quarter, and adjusted EPS of $0.48, down $0.32 yearover-year and up $0.33 from the second quarter

The PRINTING United Digital Experience officially begins on Monday, October 26, with daily programming taking place between 10 am – 2 pm ET through November 12. Registration is free to the entire schedule of daily events at digital.printingunited.com. Attendees can now register and bookmark anticipated sessions, by market segment, and gain access to new product debuts, research, education, case studies, whitepapers, and a complete resource library – all on-demand, anytime, through January 2021. Attendees need only register once to have unlimited access to all content. Over 80 countries are already represented in registration to date. Daily Guides will also be provided each day of the event to highlight the focused topic agenda and new products available from each of the Digital Experience partners. more info at: https://whattheythink.com/news/103034-printing-united-digital-experience-begins-week/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily

Tango Press, headquartered in Springdale, AR, opened in 2016 as an all-digital production plant for corrugated packaging and displays. The company has a reputation in the marketplace for providing high-impact packaging and displays that meet customers’ unique needs, timeframe, and price points. “The acquisition of Tango Press is a perfect complement to The BoxMaker and our web-to-print brand, Fantastapack.com. This addition gives us the opportunity to expand our reach and improve product distribution for digitally printed and finished packaging to businesses throughout the United States,” said Richard Brown, President and Co-Owner of The BoxMaker. “As an all-digital production plant, Tango Press’ business model and culture are a natural fit for The BoxMaker and we look forward to the expanded benefits that our combined facilities will deliver to clients.”

Wallaceburg Bookbinding & Manufacturing Co. Ltd. has joined Two Sides North America, the non-profit organization that promotes and encourages the responsible production, use, and sustainability of print, paper, and paper-based packaging. “Albeit on a different scale, I believe printed books still have a place in this digital world. One cannot deny the benefits of using an actual book for learning purposes. Students should have the choice to utilize the best option for their learning needs, goals, and skillset. We advocate for the option of the printed book and feel that partnering with Two Sides is a good fit for our company mission,” said Suzanne Wiersma, Director of Operations, Wallaceburg Bookbinding & Mfg. Co. Ltd.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company introduced Touchless World by RRD™, a comprehensive set of solutions that leverage the power of dynamic, strategically located, scannable smart tags designed for smartphone engagement. According to a recent consumer survey from the Shekel Group, 87% of consumers prefer shopping in stores with touchless or robust self-checkout options during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even before the virus went global, contactless options were expected to grow by 200% by 2025. RRD’s Touchless World solutions are designed to make consumers feel safe throughout the entire shopping experience, up to and including payments. With Touchless World by RRD, every brand touchpoint can be contactless — and capable of activating powerful data, delivering contextual, personalized messaging.

Worzalla and Bria Bella & Co., a local women’s apparel store, combined efforts to collect socks for families in need during their “Socktember” campaign. During the month of September, associates at both companies solicited donations of socks to help supply this basic need to families ahead of the winter holidays. More than 500 pairs of socks were collected and donated to the Stevens Point Area School District, where District social workers will distribute to children and families who need them. “If I came across a family who needed anything, from socks to toiletries, I would drop these items off to these families to help them stay warm and healthy,” said Peg Bach, recently retired School Social Worker for Stevens Point Area School District who participated in the campaign. “This donation of socks will keep more than 500 pairs of feet warm this winter, thank you to Worzalla and Bria Bella & Co.”

CREEL has completed the acquisition of the offset printing operations in Las Vegas known as Creel Printing from LSC Communications. The acquisition returns control of the offset business to the Creel family who founded it in the 1950s. The new CREEL will operate from the state-of-the-art, 250,000-square-foot Las Vegas facility that previously served as the company’s headquarters. The business has made significant recent investments including a new 55" web press and numerous stitching and inserting lines. The acquisition includes substantially all of the employees in the offset business, including skilled pressmen, plant supervisors, operations staff, and customer service specialists, many of whom have been with the company for over 20 years. CREEL will be managed by industry veterans, and Allan G. Creel will return as its President.

TC Transcontinental Printing, a sector of Transcontinental Inc., is proud to announce that it has invested more than $10 million over the past eight months in its book printing platform in Québec, mainly at its Transcontinental Interglobe plant in the Beauce region. These investments have enabled the plant to improve its manufacturing efficiency to better meet the demand from North American customers and the fast delivery times expected by the market, while reducing its environmental footprint. “These major investments demonstrate our confidence in the future of the North American book market and our desire to build our printing platform in growth verticals like this one,” said Jacques Grégoire, Chief Development Officer, Printing & Media at TC Transcontinental. “The timing is right for these investments with the signing of several contract extensions and new agreements with major educational publishers. They will allow us to remain competitive in the market and take on larger jobs to continually meet the growing demand from our customers.”

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The Philadelphia Inquirer is selling its printing plant, an economic move that will cost an estimated 500 staffers their jobs, the newspaper reported. The newspaper will move production to a New Jersey plant, a union shop owned by Gannett, as it gears up to sell the Schuylkill Printing Plant by year’s end. At present, the Inquirer is in negotiations to unload the 45-acre property, opened in 1992. The buyer and any financial terms were not disclosed. She added many have been with The Philadelphia Inquirer for decades. Almost all of the plant staffers — 500 out of 550 — will be laid off. Two newspapers are published there, The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News, owned by the same parent company, The Philadelphia Foundation.

Electronics For Imaging, Inc.’s two new printers for the high-end, high productivity soft signage market help display graphics producers reach new heights in productivity and extend their capabilities. The EFI™ COLORS 340 printer announced today prints at up to 9,149 square feet per hour (in a four-color x 4 configuration) while providing unmatched color capabilities for premium-quality soft signage. For even higher-volume production environments, the EFI POWER 340 prints up to 16,835 square feet per hour. Leveraging technology from EFI Reggiani’s 70+ year legacy of best-in-class fabric printing, both new offerings have the ability to print with higher quality on a wider range of materials than other soft signage inkjet devices, with 100% penetration on both sides of the material. The printers offer added versatility and economical ink capabilities with their ability to print either direct to fabric or to transfer paper using the same inkset, eliminating the significant cost and downtime related to switching over inks.

In another example of private equity firms targeting investments in distressed companies in the printing industry, Menomonee Falls, Wis.-based catalog printing specialist Arandell has reached a potential asset purchase agreement with Saothair Capital Partners, which is located outside of Philadelphia in Radnor, Pa. On Aug. 13, Arandell Holdings announced that the commercial 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. The investment in Arandell by a private equity concern is similar to the acquisition of Chicago-based LSC Communications last month by another private equity turnaround specialist: Atlas Holdings, of Greenwich, Conn. That transaction, which will take the publicly-held book, catalog, and magazine printing specialist; logistics provider; and office products supplier private, is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Poteet Printing Systems LLC manufactures and sells water-based inks for Flexographic applications to printersd converters across the United States. The company supports the key Paper & Board applications for corrugated post- and pre-print and digital products, as well as targeted water-based paper packaging print demands. Poteet Printing Systems’ main production facilities are located in Charlotte, North Carolina and Fort Worth, Texas; the business has two additional warehouse locations in North Carolina. The company currently employs 60+ people Doug Aldred, President Flint Group Packaging Inks, says, “We warmly welcome the employees of Poteet Printing Systems as they join the Flint Group Packaging Inks community – we are extremely pleased with this addition to our growing Paper & Board business in North America. “The team at Poteet have built a customer focused and responsive organization, dedicated to client success. This culture of teamwork and customer satisfaction fits perfectly with Flint Group Packaging Inks’ vision and strategy. To continue to foster Poteet’s strong customer relationships, we encourage Poteet’s customers to continue to work with their existing contacts within the Poteet organization.”

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company offers a U.S. patented, recyclable mailing solution that helps organizations creatively reach their customers while lowering shipping costs. The Flex Mailer™ is a mailing package that converts items that would normally ship as parcels (i.e., boxes) to United States Postal Service (USPS) automated flats (i.e., large envelopes). Items go into an inner tray that is divided into quadrants for product placement and flexibility. The inner tray fits into a highly flexible outer mailer package, which meets the USPS thickness and flexibility guidelines to qualify as an automated flat — resulting in notable cost savings for companies that can tally into millions of dollars for high-volume distribution while also being environmentally responsible.

Out of an abundance of caution for employees, customers, prospects and partners, Electronics For Imaging, Inc. has canceled its planned exhibit at the drupa 2021 tradeshow taking place in Dusseldorf, Germany, next April. “Our company has a long, positive history with drupa, as do I personally, having also run two companies that have been major drupa exhibitors in the past,” said Jeff Jacobson, chairman and CEO, EFI™. “The show has always represented some of the best of what can be accomplished at an in-person event for the global print industry. “But, with the limited amount of knowledge anyone can have right now about what conditions will be for public gatherings early next year, withdrawing from drupa 2021 is an unfortunate albeit prudent decision,” Jacobson added.

LSC Communications, Inc. announced that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York has approved its previously announced stock and asset purchase agreement, under which an affiliate of Atlas Holdings LLC with the support of certain of LSC’s secured creditors (the “Creditor Group”), will acquire substantially all of the Company’s assets. “With the Court’s approval of the sale, we are able to move forward with this value-maximizing transaction that represents the best path forward for all LSC stakeholders,” said Thomas J. Quinlan III, LSC Communications’ Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. “We are confident that through this partnership with Atlas, LSC will be uniquely well-positioned to strengthen and grow our market-leading position and provide our customers with the same high standards of quality, reliability and innovation. On behalf of the LSC Board and management team, I would like to sincerely thank all of our employees for their hard work and dedication throughout this process.” The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. The transaction is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2020.

TC Transcontinental is proud to have won the Mercure award in the "Innovative Manufacturers – Large Business" category, in recognition of innovation in the Corporation’s Packaging Sector to promote sustainability and a circular economy. The prestigious Mercuriades business competition is held by the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec (FCCQ). The Mercure for "Innovative Manufacturers", presented by Investissement Québec, is awarded to a company that exemplifies strategic vision and capacity for technological innovation to optimize the performance of its products and services. “I’m extremely proud that TC Transcontinental has received this recognition from Québec’s business community,” said François Olivier, President and Chief Executive Officer of TC Transcontinental. “We invest millions of dollars annually in research and development in our Packaging Sector to fund innovation and broaden our offering of recyclable, postconsumer recycled content, or compostable plastic packaging products.

TC Transcontinental announced that it is phasing down the printing activities of Transcontinental LGM – Coronet, located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in anticipation of the complete closure of the facility on January 31st, 2021. Operations will be transferred gradually over the next few months, mainly to Transcontinental RBW Graphics in Ontario and, to a lesser extent, to Transcontinental Calgary in Alberta, to ensure a smooth transition for customers and maintain a top-quality service. "In order to protect the long-term financial health of our sector, our teams are constantly working to align the capacity and costs of our printing platform with our business volumes," said Brian Reid, President of TC Transcontinental Printing. "With this in mind and in light of a thorough analysis of the situation at our Winnipeg plant, it is with regret that we have to close Transcontinental LGM – Coronet and transfer operations to two of our other plants. We thank our employees who have always demonstrated their professionalism and commitment in serving our loyal customers with dedication."

The 2020 Gold Ink Awards recently took place, with winners being announced earlier this month. We are pleased to announce that Arandell was the recipient of eight awards this year, including the Silver award for our work on the Gudrun Sjoden Spring 2020 catalog. Arandell participates in several print industry competitions each year, including the Graphics Excellence Awards, the Premier Print Awards and of course, the Gold Ink Awards. Along with it being the last competition of the year, the Gold Ink Awards competition is also the most prestigious, as it is put on by Printing Impressions – the print industry’s most well-recognized and influential industry publication.

News Corp announced today that it plans to shift the printing of several of its publications in New York to a different facility in the city, a move which will help cut costs and secure production of print editions of The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s and the New York Post for years to come. Under the change, the publications would be printed at The New York Times’ College Point plant in Queens. This plan would result in the closure of the company’s Bronx Print Plant, where the publications are currently printed. Financial details of the arrangement were not released. The company has notified the leadership of the unions representing the employees at the Bronx Print Plant about the plan, and is entering into a period of negotiation with the unions. While the process is underway, the publications will continue to be produced at the Bronx plant.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its DLS Worldwide Logistics business to TFI International for $225 million in cash, subject to a customary working capital adjustment. The agreement stipulates 10 percent of the purchase price will be held in escrow while the remainder will be paid at closing. The transaction does not include RRD’s International Mail and Parcel Logistics business and is expected to close within the next 60 days pending regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. Dan Knotts, RRD’s President and Chief Executive Officer stated, “The sale of our DLS Worldwide business further demonstrates our strategic focus and ongoing commitment to optimize our business portfolio, reduce debt and improve liquidity, all while remaining strongly positioned as an industry leading provider of marketing and business communications. As we move through the final phase of this transaction, we are laser focused on facilitating a smooth transition for our employees while continuing to deliver the exceptional service our DLS Worldwide clients have come to expect from RRD.”

LSC Communications, Inc. announced that the Company has entered into a stock and asset purchase agreement with an affiliate of Atlas Holdings LLC with the support of certain of LSC’s secured creditors. Under the terms of the Purchase Agreement, the Purchaser will acquire substantially all of the Company’s assets through a combination of cash and a credit bid of obligations under the Company’s secured term loan facility and senior secured notes at the direction of the Creditor Group. The Purchaser will also assume certain liabilities of the Company, including, subject to certain prerequisite conditions being satisfied, obligations related to the Company’s qualified pension plan.

Presented by Printing Impressions, the Gold Ink Awards is the industry’s most prestigious printing competition. The competition is open to all creators and producers of printed materials, and encompasses categories within commercial printing, magazines, books, catalogs, digital printing, and packaging. This year, more than 400 entries were submitted in 43 categories. During the course of two days, several judges who — despite the pandemic — came in to Printing Impressions' offices in downtown Philadelphia to pour over the various entries, deliberating on which submissions would be crowned with Gold, Silver, Bronze, or Pewter designations. For the results go to: https://www.piworld.com/extension/gold-ink-awards/2020/

In celebration of International Literacy Day and the 16th anniversary of the founding of MagLiteracy.org this week, Quad announced today that it has donated $25,000 to MagLiteracy.org to kickstart the creation of a first-of-its-kind national literacy marketplace. The marketplace, a nationwide network of regional literacy banks, will facilitate donations of new, recycled or expired magazines and comic books to local literacy programs – an important tool in combatting poverty. Quad’s cornerstone contribution to MagLiteracy.org will be used to: *Establish a Magazine Literacy Lab in Madison, Wisconsin, which will serve as a training, education and resource center for individuals and groups looking to establish or grow literacy programs in their own communities, replicating MagLiteracy.org’s proven best practices, including how to engage volunteers. *Support operations at MagLiteracy.org’s newly established Ohio Literacy Bank, a warehouse in Columbus for processing large-volume magazine donations (from publishers, newsstand returns, etc.). These donations, which are sorted and boxed by volunteers, are delivered to literacy programs in Columbus and other nearby cities, including parts of Appalachia. The warehouse is the first in a planned nationwide network of regional literacy banks that will supply local literacy programs inside women’s shelters, youth mentoring programs, job training centers, meal programs and food pantries.

A typical sheet of paper or cardboard is neither waterproof, interactive or able to harvest energy, but an innovative new printing technology developed at Purdue University can make it all of the above. The researchers demonstrated the technique by transforming a sheet of notebook paper into a music player, and say it could be scaled up to work with larger printing processes for more mainstream uses. “This is the first time a self-powered paper-based electronic device is demonstrated,” says study author Ramses Martinez, an assistant professor in Purdue’s School of Industrial Engineering. “We developed a method to render paper repellent to water, oil and dust by coating it with highly fluorinated molecules. This omniphobic coating allows us to print multiple layers of circuits onto paper without getting the ink to smear from one layer to the next one.” With this omniphobic coating as the starting point, the researchers were able to integrate vertical pressure sensors onto the paper. This not only enables it to become an interactive surface for a variety of applications, but also one that can harvest energy from user’s actions through friction as they apply pressure to the device, which can be used to power wireless Bluetooth communication.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company (RRD) (NYSE: RRD), a leading global provider of marketing and business communications, today released The Pivot Report, which compares pre- and intra-COVID-19 priorities for marketers and their approaches to developing effective campaigns. RRD surveyed 250 U.S. based marketers across a variety of industries in both late 2019 and mid-2020 to conduct a comparative analysis of perception changes driven by COVID-19. These survey results indicate that the global pandemic has significantly impacted marketer attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), the importance of data management, and how companies emotionally connect with consumers. To read the full report, go to: https://www.rrd.com/pivot?utm_medium=link&utm_source=press%20release&utm_campaign=091020%20PR%20-%20Pivot%20Report

Worzalla, an employee-owned company specializing in printing high-quality children’s books, movie tie-in books and cookbooks, announced it is hiring for 35 open positions at its facility in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Worzalla cites an increased demand for books during the coronavirus pandemic for the need to hire additional associates. “Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, we have seen an increase in demand for books of all categories, especially in the children’s books category for both education and entertainment,” said Richard Letchinger, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Worzalla. “Our customers across the country have been reaching out to us to print a variety of projects, both classics and new titles, to help educate and entertain kids at home.”

CJK Group, Inc. announced that it has acquired content services business Cenveo Publisher Services and Cenveo Learning from Cenveo Worldwide Limited, and will be merging them with its own content business Sheridan Journal Services and hosting platform Sheridan PubFactory to form KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd. (KGL). The combined entity employs approximately 1,500 people globally with offices in Boston, Mass.; Richmond, Va.; and Waterbury, Vt. in the U.S.; Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, and Noida in India; and London, UK. KGL will operate under the leadership of Atul Goel, formerly President of Cenveo Publisher Services, and he will report to Chris Kurtzman, CEO of CJK Group. Chris Kurtzman said, “The combination of these two organizations, both of whom have strong reputations and venerable histories, will create an important new entity within CJK Group, positioned for growth while delivering value for customers.”

2020 Third Quarter Results: Revenues decreased by $141.5 million, or 19.4%, from $728.9 million in the third quarter of 2019 to $587.4 million in the corresponding period of 2020. Operating earnings increased by $18.7 million, or 33.0%, from $56.6 million in the third quarter of 2019 to $75.3 million in the third quarter of 2020. In the Packaging Sector, adjusted operating earnings increased by $11.5 million, from $34.1 million in the third quarter of 2019 to $45.6 million in the third quarter of 2020. In the Printing Sector, adjusted operating earnings increased by $7.7 million, or 16.4%, from $46.8 million in the third quarter of 2019 to $54.5 million in the third quarter of 2020. Net earnings attributable to shareholders of the Corporation increased by $44.9 million, from $3.4 million in the third quarter of 2019 to $48.3 million in the third quarter of 2020.

thINK, an independent community of Canon Solutions America production inkjet customers, today announced their success in bringing learning and networking to the thINK community via their virtual event platform that reached a record number of attendees across the world at the 6th annual thINK Ahead conference. “I want to congratulate the thINK Board on creating a one-of-a-kind experience for Canon Solution America inkjet customers and partners. We will all remember today for a variety of reasons but most of all for the reminder that we all need to stay connected,” said Francis A. McMahon, Executive Vice President, Production Print Solutions, Canon Solutions America.

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.

The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) has chosen to streamline and optimize the journal production workflow for its flagship publication, The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (AJTMH), by partnering with Sheridan to handle all of its production and online hosting services. Sheridan’s unique offering integrates the production and online hosting stages, eliminating the traditional hand-off between the composition vendor and a third party online hosting platform to further accelerate the publishing process. The comprehensive 5-year agreement, starting in 2021, includes copyediting, composition, author billing, online hosting, printing, subscriber services, reprints, and content sales. With all services consolidated under one company, with one contract, and one relationship, ASTMH is joining a growing number of association and society publishers who are simplifying supplier management, extricating themselves from coordinating multiple vendors, eliminating the delays associated with vendor hand-offs, and containing costs with Sheridan.

Results for the three months ended June 30, 2020, included: *Net Sales (excluding discontinued operations) — Net sales were $585 million in 2020, down 38% from 2019. Sales declined 36% during the quarter, excluding the impact of the January 2020 sale of the Omaha packaging plant primarily due to the economic impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, and ongoing print industry volume and pricing pressures. *Net Loss From Continuing Operations — Excluding the results from discontinued operations, net loss from continuing operations was $15 million in 2020 compared to net loss from continuing operations of $3 million in 2019. Results for the six months ended June 30, 2020, included: *Net Sales (excluding discontinued operations) — Net sales were $1.4 billion in 2020 as compared to $1.9 billion in 2019, down 26%. Sales declined 25% during the six months ended June 30, 2020, after excluding the impact of the January 2020 sale of the Omaha packaging plant primarily due to the economic impact from the COVID-19 pandemic, and ongoing print industry volume and pricing pressures. *Net Loss From Continuing Operations — Excluding the results from discontinued operations, net loss from continuing operations was $24 million in 2020 as compared to net loss from continuing operations of $16 million in 2019.

HP Inc. announced its inkjet production printing solution, PageWide Web Press, has reached a milestone of 500 billion printed pages, as the print platform continues to expand its page capacity driven by global HP print service providers (PSPs). “PSPs operating HP PageWide Web Presses are finding new success and opportunities for more sophisticated and profitable digital print applications, as well as transferring more pages from offset to digital inkjet technology,” said Carles Farre, vice president and general manager, HP PageWide Press. “They have more than doubled the number of pages they print on HP PageWide Presses since drupa 2016 for a growth rate that is nearly twice that of the market. More than half of these customers have printed over 1 billion pages on their devices.” HP PageWide Web Press is an inkjet leader, reaching a share of more than 30% of the 8.8 billion page capacity added in high-volume color inkjet page capacity in the first quarter of 2020.1

*Revenue was $83.6 million lower than last year. COVID-19 negatively impacted our results in the quarter, primarily across our Promotional Solutions, Cloud Solutions and Check segments. *The Payments segment delivered strong revenue growth of 12.6% over the same period last year, benefiting from Treasury Management revenue growth of 20.5% in the second quarter driven primarily by previously announced and continuing business wins. *Net income decreased $17.7 million, driven primarily by the challenging business environment resulting from COVID-19, previously disclosed investments in the Company’s business transformation and a pretax asset impairment charge of $4.9 million related to management's ongoing rationalization of the Company's real estate footprint.

Financial Highlights: *Net sales of $532 million compared to $869 million in the second quarter of 2019 *Organic net sales decrease of 29.1% from the second quarter of 2019 *GAAP net loss of $63 million, or $1.86 per diluted share, compared to net loss of $25 million, or $0.72 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2019 *Cash balance of $97 million as of June 30, 2020, providing sufficient liquidity to continue to fund ongoing operations *No drawings under our debtor-in-possession ("DIP") credit facility

One of the iconic names in the printing industry was laid to rest July 27 with the closure of The Hennegan Co., located just outside Cincinnati in Florence, Ky. The shutdown officially marked the end of the award-winning, marquee printing operation that traced its roots all the way back to 1886, and to the revered Hennegan family name in printing that went along with it. Hennegan's 210,000-sq.-ft. facility, built in 1996, housed six-, eight-, and 12-color sheetfed offset presses; full-size, six- and eight-unit web offset presses; HP and Xerox digital presses; and complete binding, mailing, fulfillment, and warehousing capabilities.

Second quarter key messages: *GAAP net sales decreased 23.0%; non-GAAP organic net sales decreased 17.1%; June net sales performance was the strongest month in the quarter as local economies began to reopen *GAAP (loss) income from operations was down $36.8 million versus the prior year; non-GAAP adjusted income from operations decreased $14.1 million; additional cost-out actions implemented throughout the quarter *Operating cash flow in the quarter increased $22.5 million from the prior year period driven by working capital improvements; year-to-date improvement now at $72.9 million; capital expenditures were down $18.6 million in the quarter

*$34 million of operating cash flow from continuing operations, down $242 million year-over-year, and $15 million of free cash flow, down $245 million year-over-year *$1.47 billion of revenue, a decrease of 35.3 percent year-over-year or 34.6 percent in constant currency *GAAP earnings per share (EPS) from continuing operations of $0.11 per share, down $0.49 year-over-year, and adjusted EPS of $0.15, down $0.64 year-over-year

Taylor Corp. acquired its first production inkjet press in 2009, and it has been a proponent of the technology ever since. But, given that the company — ranked sixth on the 2019 Printing Impressions 400 list of the industry’s leading print service providers — consists of 80 subsidiaries operating in 25 states and nine countries, any technology naturally would need time to make its influence felt throughout an organization of such vast size. Inkjet technology gained a higher profile within the Taylor family when a business unit of one of its companies recently became the first printing site in the world to install an AccurioJet KM-1e sheetfed color production inkjet press from Konica Minolta. The press, an enhanced version of Konica Minolta’s successful AccurioJet KM-1 platform, is expected to broaden the range of what the business unit and its parent company can produce, achieving new levels of quality and cost efficiency for both. The B2+ format, LED-UV AccurioJet KM-1e went into full operation at FolderWorks, a division of Navitor, at Navitor’s North Mankato, Minn., headquarters in March.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company announced that it has unified its Content and Creative Services (CCS) and Global Outsourcing (GO) capabilities to expand and streamline offerings for clients. By aligning these capabilities, the Company will be able to better address client needs through a single, centralized global resource platform for creative communications, managed services, transaction processing, and intelligent digital solutions. “Now, more than ever, companies are in need of compelling content creation, coupled with technology-enabled solutions for their creative communications that empower content production at scale,” said Kiran Shankar, President, RRD GO CreativeTM. “We created this new integrated platform in response to an ongoing need articulated by our clients and that we are seeing in the broader market — that is, to provide a seamless high-velocity content services offering, supported by a best-in-class tech stack.”

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) has set up a dedicated business unit for the industrial development, manufacture, and sale of printed and organic electronics. The company has also started production at its Wiesloch-Walldorf site, investing some five million euros in a complete production line for printed sensors. Sensors developed at InnovationLab (iL) in Heidelberg for use in dental technology are set to be printed first. These innovative printed sensors make it possible, for the first time ever, to digitally record the distribution of masticatory pressure during occlusion, that is to say when the upper and lower jaws come together. 3D visualization on a tablet and data archiving enable malocclusions to be identified and subsequently corrected. Looking further ahead, Heidelberg is to use state-of-the-art printing technology at its high-tech campus to produce sensors for other digital applications – in particular in healthcare and logistics, and also in the retail and automotive sectors.

Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, is pleased to announce the launch of the new Canon ProStream 1800 continuous feed inkjet printer, the newest model in Canon’s ProStream 1000 series. With increased speeds of up to 436 ft/min, the new printer boasts one of the highest resolutions and print quality of any digital printing press at that speed, making it the ideal solution for commercial printers who want to achieve ultimate performance. Supporting customers’ passion for print, the new ProStream 1800 has been designed to push the boundaries of commercial print to meet changing customer demands. Combining new inkjet innovations with proven offset printing techniques, the press strikes a unique balance between high productivity, superior print quality, flexibility, and media versatility.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company introduced a holistic supply chain solution for the production, kitting, and fulfillment of point-of-care and at-home diagnostic test kits. The solution builds upon RRD’s significant experience, processes and systems to address the increased need for end-to-end test kit production. To address this evolving and critical demand, RRD created a diagnostic test kit offering — an end-to-end supply chain solution that integrates and accelerates all stages of test kit production from ideation, development and production to fulfillment and supply chain management. The process also incorporates creative design, packaging and label production, and scalable execution on a global footprint. Given RRD’s existing supply chain solutions and regulatory-compliant facilities, the new solution addresses common industry challenges such as compliance, cost, and speed to market.

Worzalla, an employee-owned company specializing in printing high-quality children’s books, movie tie-in books and coffee table books, announced that two associates had been elected to its Board of Directors. Mary Przybylski was elected to a three-year term and Megan Meyer was elected to a 1-year term. Przybylski joined Worzalla in 1992 and currently works as a Lead Customer Service Representative. Throughout her career at Worzalla, she has held numerous roles with the Finishing, Prep, and Customer Service departments. She had just finished serving a 1-year term on the Board of Directors after previously serving as an interim board member. Meyer joined Worzalla in 2016 and also holds the role Lead Customer Service Representative. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point in 2009, Meyer worked with Sentry Insurance in various roles in commercial claims. Since joining Worzalla, Meyer has been promoted rapidly through different customer service roles and now takes lead managing several customer accounts.

Kansas City, MO-based Richardson Communications Group, a leading printer in the Midwest for nearly a century, has been acquired by Kingston Printing, Eudora, KS, which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary as a premier, independent commercial printer. Graphic Arts Advisors, LLC (GAA), Mountain Lakes, NJ, a strategic financial advisory and consulting firm devoted exclusively to all sectors of the graphic communications industry, represented Richardson in the transaction. GAA Director Michael Wurst served as lead advisor on the engagement, with Mark Hahn, GAA Senior Managing Director, providing support. John Hyde, Esq., GAA Managing Director, is advising Richardson on the post-sale wind-down and creditor settlement negotiations. Combining Richardson’s customer relationships and capabilities with Kingston’s operations creates a full-service, robust company offering clients a broad spectrum of printing and marketing services. With similarities in terms of 2019 sales volume ($5.2 million for Richardson and $6 million for Kingston) and number of employees (Richardson with 35 and Kingston with 36), the two firms had different areas of specialty and equipment.

W+D North America Inc. announces the installation of a “solo tending” 410 Easy Enveloper with MSP in Freedom, PA. The W+D 410 Easy Enveloper offers a reduced manpower solution for running direct mail and transaction letter mail sizes up to 500 envelopes per minute while simultaneously reducing paper waste with its “drier chain run out” capability. The 410 Easy Enveloper’s built-in “Expert On-Line Help” service offers immediate troubleshooting without the need for outside technical support/service visits. According to Doug Wright, Chief Operating Officer of MSP, “the 410 Easy Enveloper has allowed us to optimize our internal web printing process with faster ‘time-to-mailbox’ solutions as we can literally go from web printing to envelope converting to inserting without losing a beat.

The American Meteorological Society (AMS) has chosen to streamline and optimize its journal production workflow by partnering exclusively with Sheridan for all stages between accepted manuscripts and online hosting. Sheridan’s unique offering integrates production and online hosting, eliminating the traditional hand-off between the composition vendor and a third party online hosting platform to further accelerate the publishing process. The new 5-year agreement between AMS and Sheridan, beginning in 2021, adds automated XML composition, web-based author proofing, and a fully integrated online hosting platform to the long-standing production and print services provided by Sheridan.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company introduced a retail solution that streamlines the process of creating in-store promotional materials, while reducing production time and labor costs. Through its work for 52 of the National Retail Federation’s top 100 retailers, RRD found that many retailers still rely on manual processes for creating their visual merchandising materials for floor displays, aisle end caps, window signage, and more. This entails everything from creating the design of materials and converting files from one format to another, to proofing and editing – tasks which are all time and labor intensive. To solve these challenges, which are particularly acute in today’s environment, RRD developed Variable Content Automation for Retail. This new offering enables companies to create tailored-to-location marketing kits while cutting the project cycle from as many as 15 steps down to as few as four.

PRINTING United Alliance, the largest and most comprehensive member-based printing and graphic arts association in the United States, today announces that the call for entries has opened for the annual Product of the Year Awards competition. The competition includes more than 85 categories spanning the printing industry and judging this year will take place over a new virtual event format. The deadline to submit entries online is September 8, 2020. This year, the coveted program features a streamlined entry site along with a new virtual gallery for displaying entries, which will be available at: poy.printingunited.com. The program is open to inkjet output devices as well as non-output products that are currently available for sale. Winning companies achieve worldwide recognition and the ability to market their product as a winner of this prominent contest during PRINTING United Month this October, further highlighting the transition of the previously scheduled show in Atlanta, now taking place digitally over four power-packed weeks of industry engagement.

We recognize it’s a crazy time but with everything happening in the world today, we wanted to make sure you are aware of the two upcoming USPS postal promotions. If you still haven’t read our blog post sharing the full scope of this year’s postal promotions, we highly encourage you to do so here: https://arandell.com/news-events/2020-postal-promotions-calendar-approved-by-usps/ . 2020 Mobile Shopping Postal Promotion (Registration: June 15 — December 31, 2020 | Effective: August 1 — December 31, 2020 | 2% of eligible postage); 2020 Informed Delivery Postal Promotion (Registration: July 15 — November 30, 2020 | Effective: September 1 — November 30, 2020 | 2% of eligible postage)

Xerox announced the Xerox Adaptive CMYK+ Kit for Xerox Versant®, the print market’s first adaptive technology kit that adds seven specialty colors to an existing production press, enabling instant digital print enhancements. The kit transforms a four-color Xerox Versant® 180 Press into an 11-color Beyond CMYK press capable of creating a million color hues and shades by adding gold, silver, white, clear and fluorescent colors of yellow, magenta and cyan. Digital enhancement of print is projected to be a $25 billion market¹, but access to that opportunity usually requires a capital investment in a new press with the ability to print Beyond CMYK. The Xerox Adaptive CMYK+ Kit for Versant gives print providers the ability to simply swap out toners to print colors and enhancements that increase profitability and deliver higher margins without needing a new press.

During the early days of the COVID-19 crisis, many printing companies scrambled successfully to be designated as essential businesses. For the future of many of these businesses, this was a life or death move — a valiant effort to protect both the business and the jobs therein. As the crisis has developed over the past few months, numerous companies have proven how truly essential they are to the communities they serve, providing capabilities, expertise, and a lifeline for other businesses. Here are a few ways PSPs are supporting their local communities — both during this crisis and well beyond. 1. Finding the Way - Addressing the need for social distancing, and to apply order to what, before the crisis, was a free-form shopping experience, many PSPs with wide-format printing capabilities are producing floor graphics urging social distancing, specifying “one way” in retail aisles, and signifying spacing in check-out or register queues. 2. Creating Functional Barriers - One of the ways the world of retail shopping has changed due to the COVID-19 crisis is the creation of barriers between customer and cashier.

CJK Group, Inc., announced today that it has completed an agreement with Quad/Graphics, Inc. to acquire the assets associated with its Versailles, Kentucky, book manufacturing facility. The 1,000,000 sq. ft. facility specializes in the production of softcover and hardcover books as well as a variety of other publication types, featuring state-of-the art prepress technology, a fleet of inkjet and web offset presses, all paired with robust bindery and finishing capabilities, distribution, and mailing services. CJK Group will acquire the equipment and assume the customer contracts at the facility. The new entity will operate under the name Sheridan Kentucky and will align under the Sheridan division of the CJK Group. This is an exciting acquisition for CJK Group―one which significantly expands its capacities and capabilities. The facility serves many high profile publishing houses in the areas of educational textbooks, trade books, children’s books, and scientific/technical books.

Recent Actions: *Quad completed the sale of its Versailles, Ky., book manufacturing plant, to CJK Group, Inc., which serves book, magazine, catalog, and journal publishers. This initiative was the first step in the previously announced strategic decision to divest the Company’s book business to optimize its product portfolio. Quad expects to use the proceeds from the sale to reduce debt. *The Company obtained an amendment to its existing April 28, 2014, senior secured credit facility that widens the leverage ratio by an estimated 0.75x to 1.0x turn through the third quarter of 2021. As a part of this agreement, Quad maintains the ability to complete certain acquisitions during the relief period and has agreed to reduce the revolver capacity, which was previously expanded to support a subsequently terminated acquisition, from $800 million to $500 million. The agreement’s maturity remains January 2024, and Quad’s next nearest debt maturity is the 7% senior unsecured notes due May 2022. *Quad recently strengthened its leadership team at its integrated marketing agency, Periscope, with the addition of new President, Cari Bucci-Hulings. Bucci-Hulings is an industry expert who has driven highly successful product development and business growth platforms, and most recently served as President of MARC USA, one of the largest independent agencies in the country. *The Company also continues to scale Accelerated Insights, its proprietary virtual testing platform, to help clients in multiple industry verticals predict which combination of format, offer, message and imagery will be most effective in print. The unparalleled testing methodology drives improved response at a fraction of the time and cost of traditional testing. Quad recently brought aboard senior-level data analytics and business insights talent to expand the solution beyond direct mail and catalogs to packaging and other retail uses.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company introduced an integrated, comprehensive solution in response to COVID-19 for universities and colleges that ensures a safe, in-person return to school for students, faculty, and staff. To ease concerns and contribute to the health and safety of both students and staff, RRD has mobilized its expert resources to offer institutions of higher education a custom-built care package of solutions composed of: *Touchless communications – connecting digital interactions (e.g., payments, registrations, and ticketing) with labels and/or physical signage via Near-Field Communication (NFC) and/or QR-Code (QRC) technologies to accommodate demand for contactless engagement *Custom program support – from integrated email and direct mail campaigns to multichannel billing and payment systems *Signage and wayfinding – production and distribution of high-quality signage and customized graphics for all campus facilities and spaces *Wellness and safety materials – industry-standard safety materials (e.g., face shields, thermastrips, and customized experience kits) for students, visitors, and staff.

Sun Chemical and its parent company, DIC Corporation, have completed the purchase of 100 percent of the shares of Sensient Imaging Technologies and certain other assets related to the production of inks. The strategic investment in Sensient Imaging Technologies, a supplier of digital inks, will allow Sun Chemical and DIC to expand its inkjet ink capabilities and expertise using complementary technologies that will further strengthen the highest standards of services and solutions to its customers and distributor partners. The acquisition also underscores Sun Chemical’s ongoing commitment to sustainability by expanding its offering of inkjet inks for textile and dye sublimation printing – technologies known for their improved sustainability profile. Inkjet is a strategic segment for Sun Chemical and DIC, and the investment in Sensient Imaging Technologies demonstrates Sun Chemical and DIC’s commitment in the digital segment.

Infused with new capital from an unconventional parent company and energized by an expanding client base, Minneapolis-based Periscope is fortifying its executive team in pursuit of double-digit growth. The integrated marketing agency today announced that Cari Bucci-Hulings will join as president, effective July 6, in addition to other recent high-profile hires. Bucci-Hulings most recently served as president of MARC USA, one of the largest independent agencies in the country. In the role, Bucci-Hulings will be responsible for accelerating Periscope’s mission to do things people love and growing the business into new offerings and markets. She will report to Eric Ashworth, vice president of Agency Solutions for Quad, the creative engineering company that acquired Periscope in 2019.

High-graphic, efficient digital inkjet corrugated printing on EFI™ Nozomi C18000 ultra-high-speed single-pass inkjet printers continues to reach new benchmarks for packaging providers, including the achievement of another important certification addressing key recyclability needs. Electronics For Imaging, Inc. has received an additional validation from the Western Michigan University (WMU) Recycling, Paper and Coating Pilot Plant – a leading certification organization for corrugated recycling – that further verifies the recycling and repulpability of boards printed with white EFI Nozomi UV LED inks. The WMU Pilot Plant provided an OCC (old corrugated containers) certification to EFI Nozomi white inks, extending the solid, research-driven evidence that Nozomi inkjet-printed corrugated boards can safely, efficiently and effectively enter recycling streams. This new certification follows the WMU Pilot Plant’s initial OCC certification provided for the EFI Nozomi C18000 printer’s CMYK four-color process ink set.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company introduced The_Loft@RRD, a new innovation platform that connects companies with people, technologies and strategies to accelerate their digital transformation and achieve innovation at scale. Investment in transformational technologies is growing at a 17.5% compound annual growth rate and is expected to reach $7.4 trillion between 2020 and 2023, according to IDC. Yet this investment does not always translate into strategic improvements. In 2018, Gartner found that while 66% of CIOs believed they were transforming their businesses, only 10% actually were doing so, based on their descriptions of the digital initiatives in place. To close this gap and help enterprises execute on their goals, The_Loft @RRD is an “Innovation-as-a-Service” platform physically located in RRD’s Chennai center.

TC Transcontinental is proud to be named once again as one of Canada’s 50 best corporate citizens, placed in 10th position in the renowned Corporate Knights’ 2020 Best 50 Ranking. According to Corporate Knights, TC Transcontinental ranks among the Top 10, overall thanks namely to its high clean revenue score, strong gender diversity at the board and executive levels, its solid safety record, as well as its strong energy and water productivity. “We are very proud to be in Corporate Knights’ prestigious Top Ten ranking for the second year in a row” said François Olivier, President and Chief Executive Officer of TC Transcontinental. “This announcement comes at a time where the pandemic that hits our world reminds us more than ever, of the importance for all stakeholders across the value chain to act together to carry out responsible business strategies. Our Corporation continues to be deeply committed in demonstrating how our business practices can have a positive economic, social and environmental impact on both people and planet for generations to come."

Worzalla has announced the completion of its modernization and expansion plan. In October 2019, Worzalla had declared it would be investing $12.5 million in new machinery and capital improvements to the company’s headquarters in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. “In Worzalla’s long history, we have always adapted and evolved to be leaders in our industry and deliver for our customers,” said Jim Fetherston, President and CEO at Worzalla. “We’re proud to celebrate this milestone and the completion of the modernization and expansion plan as we look ahead to the next 125 years.” Worzalla honored the occasion with a small virtual ribbon cutting ceremony featuring partners and customers from across the book printing industry.

Printing and packaging businesses seeking growth by offering pick-and-pack fulfillment have an important new, automated offering from Electronics For Imaging, Inc. Newly launched EFI™ MarketDirect Fulfillment software is designed for easy implementation. The new inventory management product is part of the MarketDirect suite of web-to-print, eCommerce and cross media solutions. Equipped with intuitive and flexible administration tools, the new fulfillment offering creates a seamless order-to-fulfillment workflow that businesses can use to expand service offerings, create efficiency in warehouse operations, and drive even greater customer loyalty. The new software offering delivers out-of-the-box functionality for existing MarketDirect StoreFront web-to-print/eCommerce users, with a structure designed to reduce the time and complexities needed to start and manage print fulfillment operations. MarketDirect Fulfillment also leverages the latest in web eCommerce technology to provide a brilliantly simple and powerful administrative dashboard to manage both clients and orders.

PRINTING United, originally scheduled to take place at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta on October 21-23, 2020, will now move to a powerful online experience this fall due to constraints surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. The health and safety of all attending and involved with the show remains paramount. The decision to terminate the in-person expo comes after extensive conversations, up-to-the-minute surveys, and projections that the team has been navigating since the onset of the pandemic. Details regarding the new online event experience are forthcoming. PRINTING United has met continuously with experts from the Georgia World Congress Center, the city of Atlanta, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security specializing in mass gatherings, and local authorities on guidance and recommendations on best practices as related to all aspects of the event.

You’ve got a catalog marketing strategy in place that runs like a well-oiled machine. You provide your print partner with the creative, you get your in-home date, your website sees that uptick in web traffic, and you see that spike in sales that’s always so satisfying. As a catalog printer that’s been in business for nearly a century, we can tell you that this is how many long-time catalogers have run their programs. It’s not a bad thing, as consistency, repetition and reinforcement are what creates a brand. However, that isn’t to say there isn’t room to improve – especially when you’re looking to stand out better in the mailbox. If you’re not ready to make those types of changes, there are other options that are easier and free-er. Here are a few ways to improve your catalog marketing strategy that are quick, easy and painless: click read more below

Industry digital inkjet leader Scott Schinlever has re-joined Electronics For Imaging, Inc. in a new role as chief operating officer for EFI’s global inkjet business. Schinlever, who starts in his new position today, has been charged with further expanding EFI’s market-leading industrial inkjet portfolio, while facilitating the analog-to-digital transformation throughout the industry for EFI’s current and future customers. Schinlever will be responsible for all equipment, ink, and service solutions throughout the vast EFI™ portfolio in Display Graphics, Textiles, Packaging and Building Materials. Schinlever, who most recently was president and COO of Automation Solutions for Tolland, Connecticut-based Gerber Technology, had a long career managing the marketing, growth and development of EFI VUTEk® printers and other EFI inkjet technologies. He joined the digital print industry in the late 1990s, working with the Xerox® Office Systems Group. In 2001, he took on a marketing position at the pioneering superwide-format printer manufacturer VUTEk, a company EFI acquired in 2005. Schinlever continued to rise through the ranks at EFI following that acquisition, becoming senior vice president and general manager for EFI Inkjet Solutions – the company’s largest business unit – before joining Gerber Technology in 2018.

Charles "Charlie" Whitaker, a 30-year paper industry veteran who joined Taylor Corporation in 2012 and most recently served there as executive VP, has been named CEO of the North Mankato, Minn.-based international printing conglomerate. He replaces company founder Glen Taylor, who remains as chairman and owner of the privately held, multibillion-dollar company. “Charlie was a trusted supplier and friend to Taylor for many years,” Glen Taylor said in a news release. “We were excited when he joined the Taylor team and his energy, experience, and enthusiasm made an immediate difference for our company. His recent leadership through our business transformation and his guidance through the global pandemic has proven that Charlie is ready for this top leadership role.”

Ronpak has joined Two Sides North America, the non-profit organization that promotes and encourages the responsible production, use, and sustainability of print, paper and paper-based packaging. “Ronpak is pleased to join Two Sides North America and we welcome the opportunity to help promote the sustainability of print, paper, and paper-based packaging. We look forward to working with Two Sides and its members to expand awareness of the benefits of paper for the packaging industry and the world at large,” said Mary Beth Vitale, Director, Client Services, Ronpak.

Color Ink, based in Sussex, Wis., is a family business that has never stopped evolving. From its original roots as an advertising agency in the 1970s, to the decision in the 1980s to branch into commercial printing, to the full-service visual marketing services company it is today, Color Ink embodies the concept of convergence in action. “The company was started in 1975 by my grandfather, Jim,” Austin Meissner, sales and sourcing manager for the shop, says. “He decided to start his own ad agency, but because he was brokering out so much print, he decided to get into commercial printing in 1984. In the late ’80s, the company had become successful enough to move into a dedicated space in Hartland, Wis., before outgrowing that and then eventually moving into its current location, with two buildings and 105,000 sq. ft. of space. But just as Color Ink evolved from an ad agency to a commercial printer, it also embraced new technologies and the shifts in the market as time has progressed. Today, Austin Meissner reveals, they see themselves not as being a commercial printer as much as a boutique printer — heavily involved in a wide mix of projects that include everything from event space, pop-up retail locations, and even interactive elements with light and sound.

Following the June 12 decision by the Coopérative nationale de l’information indépendante (CN2i) to permanently stop publishing its newspapers during the week, TC Transcontinental announces the definitive closure of the printing plants Transcontinental de la Capitale (Québec City) and Transcontinental Qualimax (Gatineau), both located in the province of Québec. These plants were primarily dedicated to printing CN2i’s daily newspapers, formerly owned by Groupe Capitales Médias. These closures unfortunately result in the loss of approximately 30 jobs per plant. TC Transcontinental had maintained these plants in operation at the request of CN2i, publisher of Le Soleil, Le Droit, Le Nouvelliste, Le Quotidien-Le Progrès, La Tribune and La Voix de l'Est, because of their market proximity. Following CN2i's decision at the end of March, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, to cease the publication of its paper editions during the week, TC Transcontinental temporarily closed the abovementioned plants. The business from these plants’ customers, including the Saturday editions of CN2i dailies, was then transferred to Transcontinental Transmag in Montréal, where the company recently invested in highly efficient, state-of-the-art printing presses, and where that business will remain.

Maverick Concepts, a creative design and fabrication business serving top retailers and major consumer packaged goods companies, has completed new investments to drive new opportunities. The Garland, Texas-based company purchased two advanced print technology solutions from Electronics For Imaging, Inc. – an EFI™ VUTEk® FabriVU® 340i dye-sublimation printer and EFI Midmarket Print Suite MIS/ERP workflow software. The new printer – Maverick’s second EFI VUTEk FabriVU 340i model – delivers high efficiency on premium soft-signage textile graphics, with speeds up to 5,381 square feet per hour. The 133-inch wide printer is also the only production-level solution in its class that offers direct-to-fabric production and in-line sublimation without the need for a separate calendar/heat press. As a result, Maverick Concepts’ direct-to-textile prints are immediately ready for finishing and shipping after printing. VUTEk FabriVU printers – which are also available in 70- and 205-inch widths – use aqueous dye-sublimation inks and give Maverick Concepts more firepower to provide its brand clients outstanding quality with a 2,400 dots per inch (dpi) maximum resolution.

Eastman Kodak is stepping up its comeback campaign with the launches of significant new products, including an inkjet press it describes as a potentially game-changing solution for commercial and publication print. The newest star of the lineup is the Kodak PROSPER ULTRA 520, a rollfed inkjet press that Randy Vandagriff, senior vice president, print, called “virtually indistinguishable” from offset lithography in print quality. He said closing the gap with the ULTRA 520 will hasten the migration of work from offset to digital, including jobs requiring heavy ink coverage.

As the popularity of digitally native brands diving headfirst into the world of print continues to grow, we’ve started to notice a common trend: What the heck is the difference between CMYK and RGB? Most people familiar with graphic design or print would be able to tell you that CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black, while RBG stands for the three primary colors in Red, Green and Blue. Yes, some people will argue the “K” in CMYK stands for Key color, but that’s an entirely separate blog. Keep on reading!