Arandell Corp. President and CEO Bradley Hoffman issued the following statement regarding the decision to close the company’s Kentucky facility as a result of business disruption resulting from the economic impacts of COVID-19: This week, we made the difficult decision to close our Kentucky facility as a result of the economic disruption resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to COVID-19, Arandell had been on pace for a strong year and Arandell Kentucky was playing a key role in that growth and success. Unfortunately, the pandemic has had a significant impact on our customers – many of whom have experienced closures, supply chain disruptions and complications from stay-at-home orders. These challenges have affected our production schedules which has led to this week’s difficult decision. Arandell will be consolidating production to its facility in Wisconsin, which will best position the company to continue to meet customer needs while positioning us for long-term success. Our Kentucky facility will ramp down production in the coming weeks, closing operations by July 31, 2020.

In the aftermath of last year’s failed merger of two major publication printers, Quad/Graphics and LSC Communications—a deal that was abandoned after it was challenged by the Department of Justice on anti-trust grounds—both companies were vocal in their opinion that the DOJ’s stance was based on an outdated perception of the printing industry. While each was undoubtedly the other’s largest competitor in magazine, catalog and retail insert printing, Quad and LSC argued that the real competition was in digital media—clients opting to disseminate their publications and marketing materials online rather than in print—and that these same clients would’ve stood to benefit from the increased efficiencies generated by the merger. The DOJ disagreed, arguing that Quad and LSC’s printing and distribution resources constituted the “only realistic options” for many publishers and that eliminating competition between the two would “likely increase the price and reduce the availability of products from popular magazines to grade school textbooks.”

Revenues decreased by $142.3 million, or 18.5%, from $767.4 million in the second quarter of 2019 to $625.1 million in the corresponding period of 2020. This decrease is largely due to the impact of the disposal of our paper packaging operations ($70.8 million), which were sold at the end of the first quarter of 2020, and a decrease in volume in the Printing Sector, mostly due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020. The sale of the specialty media assets and event planning activities also contributed to this decrease. The organic decline in the Packaging Sector of $7.0 million, or 1.7%, is mainly due to the decrease in raw material costs. Operating earnings increased by $1.0 million, or 2.3%, from $43.1 million in the second quarter of 2019 to $44.1 in the second quarter of 2020 following a decrease in restructuring and other costs. Adjusted operating earnings decreased by $15.1 million, or 18.1 %, from $83.6 million in the second quarter of 2019 to $68.5 million in the second quarter of 2020. This decrease is mostly attributable to lower revenues in the Printing Sector. In addition to cost reduction measures related to COVID-19, the operational efficiency initiatives introduced early in the fiscal year helped to mitigate this decline. The Printing Sector's adjusted operating earnings margin decreased from 16.6% in the second quarter of 2019 to 14.9% in the second quarter of 2020. Net earnings attributable to shareholders of the Corporation increased by $3.4 million, or 15.2%, from $22.3 million in the second quarter of 2019 to $25.7 million in the second quarter of 2020. This increase is mainly attributable to the stability of operating earnings combined with the decrease in net financial expenses resulting from a reduction in net indebtedness during the year.

What's a Bellytip? Essentially, a combination of a bellyband and a tip adhered to the front cover of a magazine with two strips of glue. The smaller tip appears to be a bellyband but doesn't actually wrap around the book. What are the benefits of a Bellytip? 1. The two strips of glue allow the piece to mail without the need for a polybag. 2. Allows the opportunity to save costs on manufacturing. 3. Helps reduce your carbon footprint. 4. It's interactive for consumers and is a great way for advertisers to stand out on the front cover.

Royle Printing’s newest installation, a Manroland ROTOMAN S will be operational by the end of June. The press is located at the printer’s newest 120,000 sq. ft. facility on Success Way. The investment utilizes leading Manroland technology and enhances Royle’s diverse manufacturing platform. The press will create ideal conditions for record production times for high-volume jobs with very efficient make-ready numbers. The ROTOMAN S is particularly efficient for the catalog and publication markets; capable of producing digest, standard up-right and tabloid formats. More information on the press can be found on Manroland’s website. Royle has positioned itself for the future by making significant investments in technology, equipment and their most critical resource, people. Today, Royle undoubtedly has one of the more modern, diverse and financially healthy production platforms in print. Royle’s passion is to provide high-quality graphic and distribution solutions to publishing and catalog markets.

Sun Chemical will increase the prices of its solvent-based inks and coatings in North America, effective July 1, 2020. Due to the significant increase in the demand for alcohols and solvents for use in sanitizers and pharmaceutical initiatives, the prices of these materials have increased substantially. In order to secure the needed components for the production of solvent-based inks and coatings, Sun Chemical has experienced raw material cost escalation during the second quarter of 2020. These increases are expected to remain in place and possibly accelerate throughout the remainder of the year.

Sun Chemical and its parent company, DIC Corporation, have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100 percent of the shares of Sensient Imaging Technologies and certain other assets related to the production of inks. The transaction is expected to be finalized in the second quarter of 2020. 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. Inkjet is a strategic segment for Sun Chemical and DIC, and the investment in Sensient Imaging Technologies will demonstrate Sun Chemical and DIC’s commitment in the digital segment.

Shutterfly Inc. announced its efforts to bring joy and much-needed resources to communities across America through its Shutterfly For Good platform. “Our business is built on connecting people and creating more from life’s moments; and in these challenging times, that is more important than ever,” said Jim Hilt, Shutterfly president. “It’s been incredible to see how communities around the globe are coming together to lift one another up. At Shutterfly, we believe we have a responsibility to help amplify these efforts and shine a light on the good in the world, today and every day. We’re very happy to have a platform to do that through Shutterfly For Good. click read more below for details

Allen Press, Inc. is the recipient of five awards from the Printing & Imaging Association’s (PIA) Premier Print Awards Competition. With over 2,000 entries, the PIA Premier Print Awards is the most prestigious international print competition in the world. “These awards are the result of our team’s steadfast commitment to the highest standard of print quality,” said Allen Press CEO Randy Radosevich. “We are honored to be recognized by PIA and will continue to enhance our capabilities and technology to better serve our customers.” Of the winning submissions, three entries won Certificates of Merit and two won Awards of Recognition. Click Read More below for additional information.

A recently purchased EFI™ VUTEk® 5r LED roll-to-roll printer from Electronics For Imaging, Inc. is driving new business opportunities at Italian digital printing company New Decor System. The printer – the Rome-based company’s fourth 5-metre inkjet device – will be used to expand New Decor System’s range of high-quality large format prints as the company works to grow local and national demand. New Decor System is one of Italy’s leading suppliers of digitally printed wideformat signage and graphics, including out-of-home advertising, backlit panels, banners, vehicle wraps and soft signage. The company’s CEO, Angelo Modica, has New Decor System in its 30 years of business, thanks to continuous investments in the most advanced technologies. With a range of machines that includes numerous small-format plotters and three-large format machines, New Decor System is able to guarantee deliveries in 24 hours throughout Italy. Click Read More below for additional information.

Rise Interactive made search marketing history with the first-ever perfect score for its entry at the 2018 Search Engine Land Awards. The awards, which recognize top performers in the SEO and SEM communities, were announced earlier this month at the SMX Advanced Conference in Seattle. Rise Interactive won Best Retail Search Marketing Initiative and was also named Agency of the Year in the Large Agency SEM category. “It is such an honor for Rise to be recognized by Search Engine Land as SEM Agency of the Year,” said Jon Morris, Founder and CEO of Rise Interactive. “This acknowledgement affirms that Rise is delivering truly cutting-edge search strategies that drive business outcomes for our clients. Search will continue to be a channel that we invest heavily in to innovate and differentiate our service offering and solutions.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Ava Middleton learns more about digital printing after tour at Allen Press. School’s out for the summer which normally means vacations, swimming, and hanging out with friends… well, not for these super kids. Ava Middleton, Rider Middleton, and Katherine Cheung have dipped their young toes into the publishing world by writing, designing and publishing their first magazine, proving that kids can certainly conquer what they put their minds to. Mills Farm Magazine Kids’ Edition was launched due in part to an anonymous donation to fund the magazine’s print production. After choosing Allen Press as its printing partner, local Sales Executive, Kathy Lafferty, organized a pressroom tour for Ava, Rider, and her parents, Theresa and Wes Middleton, to see how the magazine was printed and to learn more about magazine publishing and production. Click Read More below for additional information.

Electronics For Imaging, Inc. announced that Aahs Signs in greater Los Angeles has purchased an EFI™ VUTEk® LX3 Pro superwide-format printer with an EFI Fiery® proServer Premium digital front end (DFE). The company plans to leverage the versatility, throughput and speed of the hybrid flatbed/roll-to-roll printing device to expand its already thriving online novelty gift-production business and to meet growing demand for specialty large-format printing in the décor market. “About three years ago we started creating and selling products online, through Amazon and eBay. The business is doing well, but with our previous capacity, we couldn’t keep up with demand. With the new VUTEk, I’ll be able to fulfill the growing demand for our products and grow that business,” said Gurmeet Sawhney, president and CEO of Aahs Signs. Click Read More below for additional information.

Japs Olson of St. Louis Park, Minnesota, is reaping the benefits of its newly installed Speedmaster XL 106-6+LYY-P-6+L from Heidelberg. With the XL 106 LPL (Print, Coat, Perfect, Print, Coat) configuration, Japs Olson has seen increased efficiency and faster makeready times thanks to its ability to coat both sides of a job in a single pass at maximum speeds. Replacing the older Speedmaster SM 102 at Japs Olson, the Speedmaster XL 106 has already made a huge impact in increased productivity only 2 months after installation. With maximum production speeds of up to 15,000 sheets per hour, the peak performance press can handle a wide range of substrates from 27 lb. offset to 32 pt. board. “Our customers require high quality products with lots of colors,” said Bob Murphy, Chairman and CEO of Japs Olson. “The XL 106 is exciting because it’s a 12-color press and allows us to print on both sides. Our customers are now receiving their beloved colorful pieces with industry-leading quality at an incredible speed.” Click Read More below for additional information.

On June 6, 2018, Color Ink's facility in Sussex, Wis., transformed into every child's dream ... a chocolate factory. Well not quite, but there was a bubbling chocolate fountain, cupcakes and candy galore, and Willy Wonka himself. To celebrate its newly installed MGI JETvarnish 3D, Color Ink hosted an open house for 350 customers, prospects, and of course friends and family. The event had a "Golden Ticket" theme and showcased Color Ink's wide range of capabilities. In late 2017, Color Ink purchased the JETvarnish 3D, Todd Meissner, president or Color Ink, explains. When the device was purchased, it was clear an open house would be necessary to showcase its capabilities to customers and prospects. Click Read More below for additional information.

KECAI is a newly established trade shop, who provides high-level processed flexo plates for advanced packaging printing, not limited to printing applications of labels, flexible packaging, folding carton and paper cups. Mr. Guan Heng, the Director of KECAI, has been looking for solutions, which shall deliver not only high quality printing but also which are sustainable. The nyloflex® Xpress Thermal Processing System is very convincing with its focus on innovations such as: •An intelligent configuration of the nyloflex® Xpress Thermal Processor that allows few components which leads to less maintenance, less downtime and lower operating costs •Specially developed nyloflex® Thermal Printing Plates in combination with the unique heating system that ensures high plate and print quality •Engineered fabric of the nyloflex® Developer Rolls is designed to be highly efficient and environmentally friendly. Click Read More below for additional information.

In completing Phase 3, Sun Chemical registered approximately 200 chemical substances with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). These registrations emcompass all chemical substances manufactured or imported by the Performance Pigments division in excess of 1000kg per year. “After more than 10 years of extensive testing and risk evaluations, our broad portfolio of colorants and preparations have proven themselves safe for consumers and the environment,” said Gary Andrzejewski, Corporate Vice President Environmental Affairs. “Sun Chemical will continue to lead in product stewardship for the global pigments industry and institute processes to ensure compliance with future REACH requirements.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Two long-standing industry peer groups, PrintAmerica and The Peer Group, announced that they have merged. PrintAmerica focuses on strategic renewal and growth of its members by providing opportunities for learning, sharing and collaborating. Members of PrintAmerica include Aradius Group (Omaha, Neb.), Best Press (Addison, Texas), Cohber (Rochester, N.Y.), Corporate Communications Group (Upper Marlboro, Md.), DCG One (Seattle, Wash.), The DOT Corporation (Irvine, Calif.), Garlich (Fenton, Mo.), GLS/Next Precision Marketing (Brooklyn Park, Minn.), Graphic Visual Solutions (Greensboro, N.C.), Heeter (Canonsburg, Pa.), Standard Press (Atlanta, Ga.), The Standard Group (Reading, Pa.), Suttle-Straus (Waunakee, Wis.), and Trabon Group (Kansas City, Mo.). Click Read More below for additional information.

The Dallas Morning News reported that Dallas estimated the project would generate more than $1.8 million in net revenue over the course of 10 years. It also explained the proposed incentives in detail: The economic incentives proposal from Dallas includes $1.3 million in property tax abatements for up to 10 years for Vistaprint Manufacturing Texas and project developer Becknell Industrial Operating Partnership. Becknell would develop the land and lease it to Vistaprint for 10 years, with an option for the company to buy the plot outright. The city's economic development incentives package also includes up to $300,000 in Chapter 380 economic development grants to assist Vistaprint with workforce training programs for Dallas workers. On June 13, The Dallas Morning News reported that the Dallas City Council voted in favor of the incentives to prompt Vistaprint to build its facility in the area. Click Read More below for additional information.

Sun Chemical will increase the prices of all ultraviolet (UV) and electron beam (EB) inks in Europe by 4-6 percent, effective July 1, 2018. As announced previously, governmental initiatives and regulations geared toward environmental protection have caused many suppliers of photoinitiators to either cease or reduce production for limited periods of time. Additionally, as outlined by the European Printing Ink Association, photoinitiator supply has also been impacted by major incidents, including a factory fire, unforeseeable events, low stocks, unplanned maintenance and production outages. In addition to the photoinitiators, increases in key oligomers and monomers have impacted pricing for all energy cure systems. Click Read More below for additional information.

As the first company in packaging industry, DS Smith had opted for the revolutionary digital pre-printing technology for medium and large-scale productions in one of their British locations. Now, the company celebrated the commissioning of the second HP T1100S digital pre-printing machine in their site in Fulda, Germany, opening up entirely new possibilities of brand activation and brand protection for their customers. Together with about 180 guests of leading brands, DS Smith celebrated the official commissioning of the digital pre-printing machine at their site in Fulda. In presentations, workshops and during the official commissioning, the new possibilities this revolutionary printing technology provides for the producers of branded articles and for industry were in the centre of attention. Click Read More below for additional information.

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) made significant progress with the Group’s targeted digital transformation in financial year 2017/2018 (April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018). By the beginning of June, several customers had already opted for the new subscription model that offers Heidelberg products and services as part of a usage-based all-in contract running over several years. The total of over 30 contracts being targeted for the new financial year 2018/2019 looks set to generate business worth some €150 million over the standard five-year term of these models. However, as the number of contracts concluded is just starting to pick up, this will only be reflected in the company’s figures to any significant extent from financial year 2019/2020 onward, when it will also help stabilize Group sales. In addition, the series production of digital presses for packaging and label printing (Primefire and Labelfire), which also started in financial year 2017/2018, will have an increasingly positive impact on sales. Click Read More below for additional information.

Company Reaches Agreement with Brigade Capital Management In Support of its Plan of Reorganization - Cenveo, Inc. announced that the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York has approved its amended disclosure statement, paving the way for the Company to commence solicitation of votes for approval of its amended plan of reorganization and emerge from Chapter 11 this summer.

Highlights •Revenues increased by $36.0 million, or 7.2%, from $498.7 million to $534.7 million. •Operating earnings increased by $31.2 million, or 46.0%, from $67.8 million to $99.0 million. •Net earnings increased by $22.5 million, or 48.5%, from $46.4 million to $68.9 million. •Acquired Multifilm Packaging Corporation, a flexible packaging supplier located in Elgin, Illinois. •Sold 33 publications, including 32 local newspapers, of which those sold on June 6, 2018, and the Métro Montréal daily newspaper, as well as their related web properties.Click Read More below for additional information.

Greater specificity and national differences in labelling information on healthcare products across Europe, combined with a growth in precision medicines, are changing customer expectations about how packaging is made. In response, global packaging leader Amcor is continuing to invest to meet customers’ needs across Europe. Amcor’s latest digital printing press is now online at its Cramlington, U.K., site and is the company’s third major investment in new presses across its European operations since 2016. This new press joins two UV-Flexo presses already in operation at Amcor’s sites in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland, and Alzira, Spain, as well as other existing digital printing capabilities. Using the trio of presses, Amcor is manufacturing packages for healthcare-product companies, large and small; offering greater flexibility and achieving lower costs, even in shorter runs. Click Read More below for additional information.

Transcontinental Inc.’s Media Sector, TC Media, announces the sale of three more of its local newspapers, as well as their related web properties, to Groupe Lexis Média inc., a company of which Mr. Frédéric Couture is President. In total, 26 employees of the various publications and 1 employee from TC Media’s Production team are transferred to Groupe Lexis Média inc. TC Transcontinental also concluded a multi-year agreement for the printing and distribution of all of these titles. The publications sold to Groupe Lexis Média inc. are: L’Avantage votre journal (Rimouski), L’Avantage Gaspésien (Matane) and L’Avant-Poste (Amqui). Click Read More below for additional information.

With over 140 years in the printing business, Johnson & Quin has proven that innovation is key to staying ahead of the competition. And yet, while new technologies can add capabilities and open new markets, the progressive direct mail services provider also knows the value of trusted partnerships. As such, Johnson & Quin is looking forward to both growing its partnership with SCREEN Americas and adding new solutions with the early summer installation of the new Truepress Jet520NX inkjet press, its second high-speed solution from the long-time graphic arts equipment manufacturer in just 3 years. Click Read More below for additional information.

Cenveo, Inc. announced that it has reached an agreement with its major stakeholders to clear the path for approval of the Company's first amended plan of reorganization, which will enable the Company to emerge from Chapter 11 this summer. The Plan of Reorganization has the support of over 70% of the Senior Secured Noteholders, the holders of certain funds and accounts under management that collectively own or control a percentage of the Company's senior secured first-in, last-out notes, who also hold a percentage of the first lien notes, second lien notes, and senior unsecured notes, as well as the support of the Unsecured Creditors Committee whose members consist of trade creditors, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, certain unions, and the indenture trustee for the unsecured noteholders. A hearing before the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York is scheduled for June 7, 2018 for the Company to seek approval of its first amended disclosure statement and to establish the voting procedures for the Plan of Reorganization. The terms of the Plan of Reorganization will enable the Company to exit Chapter 11 with a highly deleveraged balance sheet, which will allow the Company to focus on its operations and grow its businesses. Click Read More below for additional information.

With an expanding market and the “best business in years,” Lithographic Industries, a privately-owned, third generation packaging printer located in Broadview, IL, chose to invest in its business by adding a new KBA-Iberica Optima 106 die cutter after thoroughly investigating what was competitively offered in the marketplace. The firm, which is known for its high-quality blister card printing in combination gang runs, has always remained a bit under the radar in its one-story facility on a quiet street in this suburb of Chicago. But its customers have long recognized the firm’s fine heritage as the oldest combination blister card manufacturer in the U.S. since 1961, its superb quality, and its service-oriented philosophy. For nearly six months, the KBA-Iberica Optima 106 has proven its ruggedness, efficiency, and high speed as an integral part of the firm’s production, providing Lithographic Industries with a competitive edge as the demand for blister packs has posted a sharp rise. It is paired with the firm’s unique 11-color Koenig & Bauer Rapida 41-inch sheetfed offset press, the only one of its type in the U.S., offering two sided printing for nine-over-two combination blister card and insert card printing. Click Read More below for additional information.

The future success of every printing company lies in its ability to delight customers. Ripon Printers responded by promoting former Director of Customer Care, Julie Newhouse, to company president. She brings nearly 30-years experience in the graphic arts industry, including management roles in prepress, manufacturing, sales, and customer support. Prior to joining Ripon Printers in March 2016, Newhouse worked for two years at Service Litho-Print, Inc. as an estimator and then as estimator-customer support manager. She also previously spent 23 years at Independent Printing Company where she worked her way up from composition coordinator to vice president of manufacturing, and then general manager–custom products value stream. Click Read More below for additional information.

HP Inc. and Siemens expanded their longstanding collaboration to enable even more advanced functionality across a broader set of Siemens PLM software to change the way users can design and manufacture with HP’s Multi Jet Fusion 3D printing technology. Siemens’ NX and Solid Edge Software deliver support for Full-Color 3D Printing Capabilities through HP Multi Jet Fusion. With the latest releases, Siemens, a leader in digital innovation software, and HP, the global industry leader in 3D printing, will enable users of Siemens’ NX™ software and Solid Edge® software to design and produce full color 3D-printed parts. HP’s Jet Fusion 3D 300/500 series is the industry’s first 3D printing solution for the production of engineering-grade, functional parts in full color, black or white – with voxel-level control – in a fraction of the time of other solutions. Click Read More below for additional information.

It is with heavy hearts we announce that Edwards Brothers Malloy will be closing our doors as of June 15. As you can imagine, this is a difficult time for our employees as we work through the process of shutting down our facilities while finishing projects for our customers with work in-house. We do, however, want to take this moment to thank you for your support and business through the years. Our employees and customers have been the cornerstone of our 125-year history. We wish you all the best going forward. John Edwards and Bill Upton

To create the covers, ELLE selected 50,000 names from their subscriber list, using demographics and other audience data to target those most likely to be Kim Kardashian West fans and ensure the greatest impact. Once the list of subscribers was narrowed to 50,000, the team at ELLE had Kim Kardashian West come in and hand-write each letter of the alphabet, allowing them to create a custom font. Kardashian West also provided several personal sayings - things she would actually say in person. The personalized print cover was created using variable data printing (VDP), which ELLE partnered with HP and printer Quad/Graphics to execute. George Forge, executive director of digital print for Quad/Graphics, says the company has decades of experience producing this type of work. Click Read More below for additional information.

Allen Press, Inc. is excited to announce the purchase of a Muller Martini Tempo 22 Saddle Stitcher. The Tempo 22 is among the world’s fastest saddle stitchers, producing up to 22,000 booklets per hour. The acquisition further cements Allen Press’ position as the most advanced and versatile printing company in Kansas and Missouri. Customers will benefit greatly from this technological marvel which will deliver faster turnaround times, top quality and greater efficiencies on the production of all 8 ½ x 11 range saddle stitched materials. Click Read More below for additional information.

We sometimes tend to forget the sustainable advantages that paper has compared to other materials. The fact that it’s chemical free, biodegradable, has low CO2 emissions and is of sustainable origin are almost taken for granted. With the increasing attention on plastic waste and the scary images of plastic islands floating in our oceans, paper’s being perceived more positively than ever before. Janosch Schenk, Technical Customer Service Engineer, Alfeld Mill reveals just why: “Although there is no recognised certification system for green printing, we can identify trends and standard practices in the different industry segments. The reality from the paper perspective is that green printing doesn’t really bring any new difficulties to the table. We don’t need to adjust our processes because independent certifications already exist for paper that demand certification requirements. For us, green printing is a new name for something we already do.” Here are ways green printing’s already being put into practice: Click Read More below for additional information.

Allen Press, Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of Colleen Gregoire as Marketing Strategist. Colleen brings over 20 years of experience in print and digital marketing, graphic design, direct mail and program development. In her new role, Gregoire will focus on helping Lawrence businesses develop innovative and results-driven marketing strategies. Colleen will be a valuable resource to the local business community and will help grow Allen Press’s in-house marketing agency. Click Read More below for additional information.

Arandell Corp., the trusted leader in premier catalog printing and omni-channel solutions, announced today that V. Clark Vialle has joined the New Business Development Sales Team to enhance the Northeastern/Greater Boston market. Vialle is Arandell’s newest sales executive to join this month, strengthening its sales force to meet the needs of the company’s continued growth plan. In this position, Vialle will be responsible for new client acquisition and client consultation in areas of marketing strategy, quality and color improvements, paper, print production and postal optimization. Vialle will report to Stephen Sanfelippo, Arandell’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Click Read More below for additional information.

Allen Press, Inc. and The Pitch magazine are pleased to announce a new printing relationship. The Pitch will be printed in Lawrence, Kansas by Allen Press beginning with the June 2018 issue. “As local owners ourselves, we’re really pleased to connect with Allen Press to be our exclusive magazine printing partner,” said Stephanie Carey. Carey and her husband Adam, both natives of Kansas City, purchased The Pitch late last year and restored the alternative publication to local ownership again for the first time in nearly twenty years. “We knew of Allen Press by its reputation for high-quality work in the Kansas City area and the region,” said Adam Carey, chief operating officer for The Pitch. “They share our commitment to the Lawrence and Kansas City communities and we think they’re an ideal fit,” he added. Click Read More below for additional information.

Earlier this month, SG360° announced its first outside board of directors member since It was acquired by private equity firm ICV Partners - Patrick R. Donahoe, former Postmaster General of the United States and CEO of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). “He is really going to help us think differently,” said Schneider. “This is just the first step in a much longer-term strategy to bring a broad array of postal optimization strategies to our customers. We already help clients differentiate themselves in the look, feel, design and impact of their mail pieces. We can now leverage our scale to better drive postal efficiencies.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Due to a potential shortage of photoinitiators as reported earlier this week by the European Printing Ink Association (EuPIA), Sun Chemical customers that receive energy curable inks could experience product delivery delays in the future. Governmental initiatives and regulations geared toward environmental protection have led to many suppliers of photoinitiators to either cease or reduce production for limited periods of time. Additionally, the declaration of a force majeure at a variety of manufacturing plants has led to unplanned maintenance and production outages. Click Read More below for additional information.

Currently, there is a specific global raw material shortage affecting UV curing inks. This impacts supply of a UV photoinitiator commonly known as “TPO.” While supply of TPO comes from several different manufacturers, a key chemical feedstock used in the manufacture of TPO (and other similar photoinitiators) comes from one main upstream source in China. The manufacturing of this feedstock has been temporarily halted while inspections are undertaken due to an unrelated incident in the same industrial zone. This incident comes within the wider context of similar unplanned shut downs of UV raw material capacity in China and a tighter regulatory environment in Europe limiting alternative options. This supply disruption means that the feedstock cannot be produced at present and supplies are now at critically low levels globally, which has impacted the availability and production of TPO itself. We anticipate the situation will be resolved in a matter of weeks but are taking actions to cover our supply in the meantime. Please note that this is an industry-wide shortage affecting all UV ink manufacturers. Click Read More below for additional information.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company followed up on the recent creation of their Marketing Solutions group by adding Maureen Powers to the team as the new President of RRD’s Response Marketing Solutions (RMS) team starting on May 21st. Powers comes from Discover Financial Services where she served in a variety of senior leadership positions, most recently as head of their Rewards program. Powers holds a Bachelor’s degree from Northern Illinois University and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Scholl of Management. She will be based in RRD’s headquarters in Chicago, IL and reports to Doug Ryan. Powers will succeed Dan Thornton, who announced his retirement after 22 years of successful leadership on the RRD team. Click Read More below for additional information.

Deluxe Corporation announced that it recently acquired 100 percent of privately held LogoMix, a Boston-based provider of logo design and other small business branding and marketing services. Founded in 2006, LogoMix enables businesses and individuals to create and purchase custom marketing products for use online and offline. On LogoMaker.com, users can create a custom logo in minutes and, in one click, print their logo on business cards, signs, pens and other offline marketing products. LogoMix’s other marketing services include websites, business email, domains and Google Apps for Work. Click Read More below for additional information.

The company that invented the copier, laser printing and print-on-demand is announcing another first in the world of print – a high speed, six station color press that combines four-color printing with up to two specialty dry inks in one printing pass. The Xerox Iridesse™ Production Press is the only digital press that can print metallic gold or silver dry ink, CMYK and clear dry ink in a single pass, giving print providers an immediate competitive edge in the growing digital print enhancement market. “Iridesse can do things no other digital production press can do, but it’s what it can do for our customers that’s most important,” said Ragni Mehta, vice president and general manager, Cut Sheet Business, Xerox. “We created the press to produce these special effects and digital enhancements cost effectively and in a simplified workflow so our customers can seize the market opportunity and grow their businesses.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Arandell Corp. announced that James Ford has joined the New Business Development Sales Team. In this position, Ford will be responsible for new client acquisition and client consultation in areas of marketing strategy, quality and color improvements, paper, print production and postal optimization. Ford will report to Stephen Sanfelippo, Arandell’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Jim is a highly reputable sales leader in the print industry with experience in effectively managing customer needs across multiple print facilities,” said Sanfelippo. “He will be instrumental in helping us introduce accounts to the expanded capabilities enabled by our new Kentucky facility and strategic partnerships. I am confident that his passion and abilities will help move Arandell to the next level of success.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Palmer Printing has been the last printer on Printer’s Row since 2007, when Rider Dickerson moved to a different location. But it too has recently made the decision to relocate - a move that President Ed Rossini and his father and former owner Ciro Rossini felt was the next logical step for the company. In December 2017, Ciro Rossini, who owns the building where Palmer Printing is housed, decided to sell it to Chicago residential developer CMK. According to Ed Rossini, the company is in the process of looking for a new location with plans to move this year. In the past 10 years, Ed Rossini says that the Printer’s Row area has evolved into a vibrant, energetic neighborhood with the addition of universities, restaurants, bars and shops. Click Read More below for additional information.

LSC Communications announced a multi-year agreement with Workman Publishing that renews and expands the companies’ relationship. In addition to renewing its printing, warehousing, fulfillment and distribution services, LSC will provide Workman with end-to-end Order-to-Cash (“OTC”) services. LSC’s OTC platform includes customer service, order and credit management, invoicing, cash application, and dispute resolution, as well as sales and inventory analysis reporting. Workman will also join LSC’s digital content management platform Harvest, which provides publishers with opportunities to increase ebook sales through online marketplace monitoring, sales analysis & keyword generation. The relationship between Workman and LSC goes back more than forty years. Since 1973, LSC (originally through Banta/RR Donnelley) has been Workman’s largest print vendor, responding with tremendous creativity to Workman’s needs for unusual formats and display ideas. In 1978 it also became Workman’s warehousing and distribution partner. Click Read More below for additional information.

First quarter net sales were $929 million, up $108 million, or 13.2%, from the first quarter of 2017. After adjusting for acquisitions, changes in foreign exchange rates, pass-through paper sales, and the adoption of new revenue recognition standards, organic net sales decreased 1.7% from the first quarter of 2017 which represents an improvement in the Company’s organic net sales trend. This improvement was driven by sales performance in the Print segment, especially within the book reporting unit, that was more than offset by the impact of customer inventory reductions in the Office Products segment. GAAP Net Income: First quarter 2018 net loss was $11 million, or $0.32 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $1 million, or $0.02 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2017. The first quarter 2018 net loss included after-tax charges of $7 million and first quarter 2017 net income included after-tax charges of $5 million, both of which are excluded from the presentation of non-GAAP net income. Click Read More below for additional information.

Quad/Graphics Inc. announced that it has signed a multi-year, multi-million-dollar contract with U.S. Bank to manage credit card acquisition programs for hundreds of its small and mid-size regional banks. The volume for the U.S. Bank programs is significant: more than 70 million data-driven mailpieces annually. Quad, which began production on the programs earlier this year, is using its state-of-the-art direct mail platform for producing the mailpieces that are hyper-personalized with data elements highly relevant to each individual recipient to increase engagement and inspire action. In addition, Quad will engage its delivery optimization services to lower postage costs, reduce mail handling and cycle times, and offer more predictable, in-home arrival intelligence. Click Read More below for additional information.

LSC Communications and Trend Offset Printing announced today that they have entered into a definitive agreement for Trend to acquire LSC’s retail offset printing facilities. Newspaper inserts, which are traditionally used by retailers to advertise promotional offers, are the main product produced on LSC’s retail offset assets. The agreement is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close during the second quarter. Anthony Lienau, Chairman of the Board of Trend Offset, commented, “This acquisition will further Trend’s commitment to the retail sector of our business. Trend Offset is dedicated to providing all clients with great customer service, superior quality and increasing speed to market across all of our plants and platforms. We look forward to providing a smooth transition for customers and employees alike.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Net sales in the quarter were $1.71 billion, up $48.9 million or 2.9% from the first quarter of 2017. On an organic basis, consolidated net sales increased 1.3% driven by higher volumes in both segments as well as higher fuel surcharges in Business Services, partially offset by price pressure in Business Services. From a products and services perspective, Packaging, Logistics, Direct Mail and Business Process Outsourcing accounted for most of the increase while Commercial Print was down due to ongoing secular pressure and lower specialty card sales. Gross profit in the first quarter of 2018 was $294.7 million or 17.3% of net sales versus $326.8 million or 19.7% of net sales in the prior year quarter. The favorable impact of volume growth and cost reduction initiatives was more than offset by inflationary increases, primarily in paper and costs of transportation, unfavorable changes in foreign exchange rates, operational inefficiencies due to volume reductions from two clients and modest price pressure. Click Read More below for additional information.

Net sales for the first quarter ended March 31, 2018, were $968 million, representing a 3.1% decrease as compared to 2017. Organic sales declined 5.1% due to ongoing print industry volume and pricing pressures after excluding acquisitions (2.0% impact), pass-through paper sales (-0.2% impact) and foreign exchange (0.2% impact), and is consistent with previous guidance. The Company incurred a net loss of $3.5 million, or $0.07 per share, for the three months ended March 31, 2018, which included a special $22 million non-cash employee stock ownership plan contribution as part of the benefit of tax reform. Net cash provided by operating activities was $2 million for the first quarter 2018, compared to $63 million in the first quarter of 2017, and Free Cash Flow decreased $62 million to a negative $22 million. These variances were primarily due to expected timing differences in 2018 versus 2017 for cash generated from working capital, which will be weighted more towards the fourth quarter. Click Read More below for additional information.

LSC Communications and R.R. Donnelley & Son’s Company announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for LSC Communications to acquire the Print Logistics component of RRD’s Logistics business. RRD’s Print Logistics capabilities include a range of logistics services and technologies to optimize the print distribution and mail supply chain, including solutions that drive postal discounts. The acquisition is expected to close in Q3 2018. President of LSC Logistics, George Zengo, commented, “As we continue to strengthen LSC’s logistics solution offering, the combination of RRD’s Print Logistics with our recent acquisitions of Fairrington and The Clark Group greatly expands our national footprint. This gives LSC the natural synergies and scale to improve service and add more value to our current client base, as well as extends our reach deeper into a variety of other industries.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Allen Press, Inc. is the recipient of 19 awards from the Printing & Imaging Association of MidAmerica’s 2018 Graphic Excellence Competition (GraphEx). The 19 awards are the most of any company competing in the 2018 GraphEx competition. Of the winning submissions, 9 entries were Best of Category with the 2018 Alaska by Rail Calendar winning a Best of Kansas City Bronze Award and Orchids winning a Division III Silver Award. Click Read More below for additional information.

“The new Versafire EP delivers extremely stable production at a constantly high speed,” sums up Marcus Unterleider, Managing Director of the Unterleider Medien Gruppe. The company, based in Rödermark, has been testing the new high-performance digital printing system from Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) for several weeks. The Versafire EP is based on the tried-and-tested platform of the Versafire CP and has been systematically enhanced for the needs of customers in the graphics industry. Like the recently introduced Versafire EV (press released from 20 March 2018), the Versafire EP has been developed for flexible production and maximum performance. Both machine models from Heidelberg feature the Prinect Digital Frontend (DFE) and an intuitive user interface that simplifies prepress work. Click Read More below for additional information.

HITRUST CSF (Common Certified Framework) certified status demonstrates that Quad/Graphics’ HealthVision™ Solution and the HiCO Environment have met key regulations and industry-defined requirements and are appropriately managing risk. This achievement places Quad/Graphics in an elite group of organizations worldwide that have earned this certification. By including federal and state regulations, standards and frameworks, and incorporating a risk-based approach, the HITRUST CSF helps organizations address these challenges through a comprehensive and flexible framework of prescriptive and scalable security controls. Click Read More below for additional information.

For the quarter ended March 31, 2018, the Company reported record first quarter revenue of $239.9 million, up 5% compared to first quarter 2017 revenue of $228.7 million. GAAP net loss was $3.6 million compared to GAAP net income of $4.8 million for the same period in 2017 or $(0.08) per diluted share compared to $0.10 per diluted share for the same period in 2017. Non-GAAP net income was $17.2 million, down 33% compared to non-GAAP net income of $25.8 million for the same period in 2017 or $0.38 per diluted share, down 31% compared to $0.55 per diluted share for the same period in 2017. Cash flow from operating activities was $6.3 million compared to $14.9 million during the same period in 2017. Click Read More below for additional information.

VIVO Colour Solutions, Flint Group’s Paper & Board division is proud to be the first ink supplier to offer a cutting edge end to end integrated press room digital colour management service. Adding to this platform, Flint Group announces the launch of VIVO ColourPortal and VIVO ColourCloud. VIVO ColourPortal provides a fast, structured, and professional communication interface between the customer and Flint Group’s Global Colour Centre (GCC). The GCC delivers a centralised colour service supporting a comprehensive range of colour related requests. Services range from individual colour matching and DigiSwatch creation, to group wide, multi-site, colour mapping and private colour cloud management projects. VIVO ColourPortal is how 21st century customers communicate with colour experts. Click Read More below for additional information.

The Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP), the leading authority in sustainable printing certifications for print manufacturers, announced today Heeter has achieved SGP certification. Heeter is a service leader among single-source providers of complex print, direct mail, fulfillment and digital marketing to the casino, healthcare, pharmaceutical, retail and education industries. They focus on delivering marketing communications reliably and securely. Heeter offers innovative print solutions, advanced technology, and cost-effective distribution methods to a multitude of diverse clients. Click Read More below for additional information.

Transcontinental Inc.’s Media Sector, TC Media, announced the sale of 30 publications, including 21 weeklies in the Montréal area, the Métro Montréal weekday newspaper, as well as 8 publications in the Québec City area to a Canadian corporation of which Mr. Michael Raffoul, a Montréal-based businessman, is President. The transaction includes all web properties related to the titles sold as well as the Québec Hebdo website. In total, 119 employees of the various publications and 20 employees from TC Media’s Production team are transferred to the acquirer. TC Transcontinental also concluded a multi-year agreement for the printing of all of these titles, as well as for the distribution, with the exception of Métro Montréal, which is already under contract with Mr. Raffoul’s print media distribution company. In addition to the Métro Montréal newspaper, the Montréal-area publications included in this transaction are: Ambiance/Rendez Vous, L’Avenir de l’Est, Cités Nouvelles, Courrier Ahuntsic, Courrier Bordeaux-Cartierville, Corriere Italiano, L’Express d’Outremont – L’Express Mont-Royal, Le Flambeau Mercier-Anjou, Le Guide Montréal-Nord, Le Magazine de l’Île-des-Soeurs, L’Informateur de Rivière-des-Prairies, Journal de Rosemont, Messager Lachine & Dorval, Le Messager LaSalle, Le Messager Verdun, Nouvelles Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Les Nouvelles Saint-Laurent News, Le Plateau, Progrès Saint-Léonard, Villeray–Parc-Ex Petite Patrie and La Voix Pop. For the Québec City area: L’Actuel, L’Appel, L’Autre Voix, Beauport Express, Charlesbourg Express, Le Jacques-Cartier, Journal Habitation and Le Québec Express, as well as the Québec Hebdo website. Click Read More below for additional information.

“We welcome Spectrum Printing & Graphics to the growing Two Sides network and look forward to working with them to promote the unique sustainable features of print and paper. Our membership now includes several commercial printers from family-owned businesses to large operations – they have been instrumental in educating their stakeholders about the great environmental story of print,” said Two Sides North America President, Phil Riebel. "Getting the facts straight about the positive story that the paper and printing industries have related to the environment and the economy is very important to us – it has been misunderstood for years. We are excited to help Two Sides convey an accurate message to the marketplace, our customers, employees and vendors," says Andrew Berman, President, Spectrum Printing & Graphics.

LSC Communications has embarked on a new strategic relationship with international academic publisher Taylor & Francis Group, a division of Informa plc, to provide print, fulfillment and distribution services. According to Dave McCree, President of Book Sales at LSC Communications, “We are very excited about the opportunity to work with Taylor & Francis. LSC has been diligently focused on creating a scalable, customizable and fully integrated supply chain model for publishers that brings efficiencies to the next level, and we will continue to innovate new ways to support Taylor & Francis and our other global publishing clients.” Click Read More below for additional information.

First Quarter 2018 Highlights • Revenue increased 0.8% year-over-year, driven by Small Business Services growth of 2.7% which includes the results of several small tuck-in acquisitions. Financial Services revenue was flat compared to the prior year. • Gross margin was 61.6% of revenue, compared to 63.2% in the first quarter of 2017. The impact of product and service mix and increased delivery and material costs this year, as well as acquisitions, was only partially offset by previous price increases and continued improvements in manufacturing productivity. • Operating income increased 3.2% year-over-year. Adjusted operating income, which excludes restructuring, integration and transaction costs, as well as asset impairment charges, in both periods, increased 0.9% year-over-year primarily from price increases and continued cost reduction initiatives, partially offset by the continuing decline in check and forms usage. Click Read More below for additional information.

Luxury packaging printer JohnsByrne has installed the Eagle Systems Cold Foil system to better serve their client base and increase their ability to innovate. Founded in 1959, the organization remains a family-owned operation, with founder, John B. Gustafson’s four sons: Corey, Jack, Mike and Pate, running the business as President, COO and Executive Vice Presidents, respectively. “We are a very client-centric, customer-focused operation,” said Corey Gustafson. “We look at the marketplace, and look for ways to provide solutions to problems our customers are having, and new ways to enhance their current product lines. We try to be very proactive about getting in front of our clients’ needs and the available technology, and the Eagle Systems Cold Foil system proved to be a great compliment to our offering; it was the right fit, at the right time.” He noted that while they have, and continue to offer, hot stamping technologies, there were some applications where that process wasn’t a perfect fit. They could find a way to get it done, but Cold Foil, said Corey Gustafson, “gives us a great deal of flexibility, now, and nuance to our offerings. We can provide different solutions to the same problem, to find the one that best suits the project, product and customer. It’s a different tool in our belt.” Click Read More below for additional information.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company announced the release of its SuperDoc web statement enhancement. This technology transforms static business statements into interactive dynamic customer communications. Developed by RRD’s Business Communications Solutions (BCS) unit, the SuperDoc enhancement acts as a secure website add-on that embeds customer-facing PDF statements, bills, policies, letters, and other transactional communications with entirely new dimensions of interactivity and activated content. This latest offering from RRD is designed to help organizations across a variety of industries increase their eAdoption rate. The SuperDoc enhancement provides consumers with a variety of widgets that grant a higher level of interactivity than paper statements, such as: • Compare balances month-to-month, quarter-to-quarter, and year-to-year • Search transactions by date, vendor, amount paid, and more • Use payoff and financing calculators • Access local data like weather history, property values, and more • Model future bills • Learn about upgrade details and special offers. Click Read More below for additional information.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company announced new financial reporting segments to align with recent changes to its global operating structure. Effective with the first quarter of 2018, RRD will report its results under two new segments: Marketing Solutions, a preeminent provider of multichannel marketing activation programs, and Business Services, a premier global provider of business communications services. RRD Marketing Solutions leverages an integrated portfolio of data analytics, creative services and multichannel execution to deliver comprehensive, end-to-end solutions that drive marketing ROI. RRD’s key capabilities include: • Data Management • Advanced Analytics • Creative Services • Online Channels • Offline Response • Onsite Services. RRD Business Services provides customized solutions at scale to help clients inform, service and transact with their customers with reduced complexity and increased efficiency. RRD’s key capabilities include: • Commercial Print Services • Customized Customer Communications • Product and Brand Communications • Business Process Services. Click Read More below for additional information.

Komori America recently completed the installation of a six-color Lithrone GX40 (GLX640) at Nosco, a full-service packaging solutions provider serving a roster of household brands in a variety of industries. Headquartered in Gurnee, IL, Nosco is a subsidiary of Holden Industries, Inc., which is a 100 percent employee-owned company. Nosco became familiar with the advanced technology and reliability Komori presses deliver when the company acquired two companies that were already operating Komori presses. Understanding value, total cost of ownership and product lifecycle management are important to Nosco when investing in conventional print technology. Through its recent company acquisitions, Nosco gained an enlightened first-hand experience with Komori’s low maintenance, minimal downtime and productivity performance, leading to the selection of the GLX640 over competitive machines being considered. “We have aggressive growth targets and with this press we are able to meet them,” said Russ Haraf, president of Nosco. “We looked at several options, even some used options. We chose a new Komori Lithrone GX40 because Komori’s value proposition is aligned with an industry where the product lifecycle is changing rapidly." Click Read More below for additional information.

Arandell Corp. announced that Stephen Sanfelippo has joined the Executive Management team as the company’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. He will oversee the development, implementation and execution of Arandell’s sales growth strategies, product and service offerings, and new business opportunities. “Steve is a terrific addition to the company, bringing extensive multi-plant industry experience as an accomplished catalog and retail sales executive,” said Bradley J. Hoffman, president and chief executive officer of Arandell Corporation. “He is uniquely qualified to help us introduce our customers to the expanded capabilities enabled by our new Kentucky facility and our strategic partnership with Continental Web Press.” Click Read More below for additional information.

With increasing demands for colour equity across ever wider geographies and packaging substrates, it is essential that every provider from brand owner specifier, to print and packaging supplier, contribute to establish a consistent and robust colour communication workflow. Flint Group’s Paper & Board business has entered into an exciting new partnership with X-Rite, the global leader in colour science and technology to deliver a colour solution that leverages the X-Rite eXact and NetProfiler to reliably meet the colour management needs of each stakeholder in the package print value and supply chain. Click Read More below for additional information.

Inkjet isn’t like other printing processes, and trying to sell it on anything other than its own terms is a recipe for failure with it. Three inkjet adopters who have learned to sell inkjet the right way freely shared the lessons they’ve learned in a heavily attended panel discussion that kicked off the second day of the 2018 Inkjet Summit. Under the moderation of Barb Pellow (Pellow & Partners), the trio emphasized that properly educating and motivating the sales force is what primarily drives success in a market where the old norms of selling - particularly selling on price - aren’t meaningful in the value proposition that inkjet presents to customers. They also noted that if a printing company wants its customers to get excited about inkjet, the service provider must communicate its own passion for the process in every pitch it makes. Click Read More below for additional information.

What print technology is enjoying double-digit growth while it enables mass customization and changes the entire print business model? Asked at the opening session of the 2018 Inkjet Summit, the question had what may have seemed to be an obvious answer. But keynote speaker and conference chair Marco Boer (I.T. Strategies) wanted the event’s hand-picked audience to be completely clear about why the rise of production inkjet has been so remarkable and what its growth portends for the industry over the next few years. According to Boer, inkjet is coming into its own at a time when the commercial print segment is undergoing a profound structural change because of worsening labor shortages, a “precipitous drop” in revenues and profits, and what are probably permanent changes in the way people consume and buy print. The good news, he said, is that inkjet can help to remedy all of these ills with its automated productivity and its broadly acceptable print quality. Click Read More below for additional information.

Allen Press, Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of Art Vargas as an Account Manager. Vargas brings expertise in direct mail, premedia, digital and offset printing, customer service and account management. With his vast experience in direct mail project management, Art will be a valuable resource to our clients, advising them through best production processes and continuing to position Allen Press as a premium direct mail provider. Click Read More below for additional information.

When Tonya Kowa-Morelli took over the reigns at Huston Patterson, her family’s privately owned package printing business in August 2013, the industry as a whole was still rebounding from economic and digital challenges. But in those past four years, she has re-shaped and re-invigorated the company to compete effectively and efficiently posting double-digit sales and demonstrating that the next generation within the family has the leadership chops to continue its fast-paced growth. Kowa-Morelli, the third generation to operate the business, was named president of the firm after serving in various sales, marketing and leadership roles for nine years. In her first year as president, her sales team notched a 30% increase while reducing spoilage and seeing increased efficiency in the pressroom. Under her guidance both Illinois facilities---Huston Patterson in Decatur and Sigma Graphics in Ottawa---continue to add the latest technology to benefit their clients. This month under her watchful eyes, Kowa-Morelli signed a contract for a new Koenig & Bauer Rapida 164 64-inch eight-color press with coating to be installed later this year at its 110,000 sq ft Decatur facility. Click Read More below for additional information.

Electronics For Imaging, Inc. has announced that Flexpress has purchased an EFI™ Pro 16h LED hybrid flatbed/roll inkjet printer from authorized EFI distributor Konica Minolta® Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. With its new acquisition, the Dallas-based digital printing company can broaden its local and national customer base by offering a much greater range of high-quality signage and graphics work. “We had wanted a wide-format device for a while, partly to broaden our customer base and the services we offer,” said WP Ward, founder of Flexpress. “We also received feedback from our clients that they had wide-format work and would give to us if we had the right device.” In the signage market, the printer gives Flexpress the added ability to capture some of the opportunities that come with being in the rapidly expanding Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) metropolitan area. Click Read More below for additional information.

Cenveo, Inc. announced that it has filed a Chapter 11 plan of reorganization and related disclosure statement with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, White Plains. The Plan outlines a proposed path to strengthen the Company's balance sheet, increase its financial flexibility, and position it for long-term success. "We are continuing to make significant progress as we enter the next phase of our restructuring," said Robert G. Burton, Sr., Cenveo's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "The Company's Plan represents a clear and viable path forward for Cenveo to establish a sustainable capital structure that supports future growth and investment in the business. We will continue to work closely with all of our stakeholders to refine the Plan, as this is a critical step to achieving our timeline of emerging from this restructuring process in the summer of 2018." Click Read More below for additional information.

Quad/Graphics announced the production of ELLE’s first-ever personalized cover for select subscribers using Quad’s data-driven technology. 50,000 covers feature a “handwritten” note addressed to the subscriber, from the April cover star Kim Kardashian West. “While this campaign was focused on engagement and the reader-experience, the future potential of digital technology is compelling as it provides both publishers and marketers the ability to leverage their data to create personalized messages, images and offers in print advertising,” said Brian Hickey, Senior Vice President of Sales. “Quad’s capabilities create the opportunity for brand marketers to partner with publishers by leveraging their data into dynamic, highly personalized ad pages within magazines.” Click Read More below for additional information.

LSC Communications has acquired TriLiteral LLC, a full-service logistics provider specializing in the distribution of books for University Presses and Academic Publishers. Additionally, LSC has signed multi-year fulfillment agreements with Harvard University Press, The MIT Press, and Yale University Press. According to Dave McCree, President of Book Sales at LSC Communications, “TriLiteral is a tremendous strategic fit to our Book Publisher Services platform and expands our leadership position in the Academic Press market. We look forward to providing fulfillment services to three of the leading publishers in this space.”

LSC Communications has signed a multi-year publisher services agreement with America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) to provide print, sourcing, distribution and postal optimization solutions for ATK’s media entities including cookbooks and magazines. ATK has sold more than 10 million cookbooks to date, and has nearly one million subscribers for magazine titles that include Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country, as well as numerous special issues. Dave Cardona, President of LSC Magazine Sales, commented, “America’s Test Kitchen is a prime example of a magazine publisher that has developed into an iconic multimedia brand. We are thrilled that ATK has selected LSC to leverage our publisher services platform to support their publishing model.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Coveris Americas is one of the top ten converters of flexible packaging and other value-added products in North America based on revenues for its fiscal year ended December 31, 2017. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Coveris Americas manufactures a variety of flexible plastic and paper products, including rollstock, bags and pouches, coextruded films, shrink films, coated substrates and labels. As of December 31, 2017, Coveris Americas operated 21 production facilities worldwide, namely in the Americas, the United Kingdom and Australasia. Coveris Americas has over 3,100 employees, the majority of whom are located in the Americas. For its fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, Coveris Americas generated US$966 million in revenues and US$128 million in Adjusted EBITDA. "Today’s announcement marks a turning point in TC Transcontinental’s 42-year history. This transaction crystallizes our strategic shift toward flexible packaging and solidifies our commitment to profitable growth," said Isabelle Marcoux, Chair of the Board of Transcontinental Inc. "We are convinced that this transformational acquisition will be a driver in the creation of long-term value for all of our stakeholders. It is with pride that we begin the next chapter of our successful journey with Coveris Americas, its employees and customers, building on our values of respect, teamwork, performance and innovation." Click Read More below for additional information.

In October 2019, PRINT United will break down the obstructive silos that have been established and will align all segments of printing technology under one roof with the goal of providing significantly increased ROI for exhibitors and attendees. This three-day event will take place in Dallas. In order to solicit feedback and make the exhibitors an integral part of the decision making around PRINT United, partners SGIA and NAPCO Media recently held an Exhibitor Focus Group in Dallas. The key takeaways center around the prospect of convergence, new opportunities, increased ROI and unity in the printing industry.

Thomas Horne calls a print job his company executed this past Valentine’s Day “the hardest day for me as a printer.” It wasn’t the technical aspect of the job that challenged the employees of A-Plus Printing & Graphic Center, located in Plantation, Fla. It was the emotional aspect. On that day, 17 students and teachers from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., were killed in a mass shooting.

The acquisition adds to the $30 million of Webcom’s digital book manufacturing investments and reconfirms its commitment to meet the growing publisher demand for unique casebinding capabilities. This is Webcom’s second major expansion of its casebinding services in 2018, following the recent investment in digital casebinding systems from GP2 Technologies.

Graphic Systems Services (GSS) will be a formal presenter at the annual IJC USA Inkjet Conference on April 12th and 13th. Mr. John Sillies, Executive Vice President of GSS, will be speaking on the critical aspects of a web transport to achieve the optimal performance from high-speed inkjet writing systems.

How do you maintain your annual double-digit growth after going from zero to $3.5 million in revenue in your first eight years of business? For Denver-based i3logix, the answer is to target a new market for transactional printing with a pair of new presses: the Xerox Rialto® 900 Inkjet Press and the Xerox Versant® 3100 Press. “With these two presses, we’re able to move confidently into this new market and maintain our 20 to 25 percent annual growth rate,” said Steve Wolffis, vice president and general manager of the i3output division of i3logix. “The Rialto, in particular, is a great fit for us.”

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Jon Flaxman, HP Inc. Chief Operating Officer, who died peacefully with his family by his side early this morning. Jon joined HP in 1981 and during his 36+ year tenure, touched many lives and created a lasting impact on our business, our partners and our organization. He will be deeply missed. His impact made him one of the rare and defining leaders in HP’s prestigious history. With all of his achievements, his greatest source of pride and accomplishment was his family and he is survived by his wife and three children.

Acquiring companies could be described as mundane for AlphaGraphics Seattle, which has purchased 15 businesses in the past 16 years to help expand their offerings and grow financially. The local commercial printer with four regional storefront locations, which focuses primarily on digital and offset printing, marketing campaign management, digital marketing, data management and promotional products, recently set out on a mission to break into the wide-format sign and banner market.

Mark Andy, the Total Solutions Partner to the label and packaging industry, today announced its acquisition of Presstek, a well-known global supplier of DI (direct imaging) offset plates and presses, CTP solutions and world-class service for commercial and in-plant customers. With the Presstek acquisition, Mark Andy now serves as one of the only full-complement solutions providers to the global graphic arts and print industry. Presstek’s team of over 60 technical professionals will be integrated within Mark Andy’s world-class service infrastructure, making it the largest, regionally-staffed service organization in North America. Certified technicians will support equipment service for brands such as Presstek, ABDick, Ryobi, Heidelberg, Xerox, KBA, Epson and more.

Allen Press, Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of Tim Rinda as Scholarly Sales Executive. Rinda has nearly 30 years of experience in the scholarly publishing and information industries and is tasked with growing Allen Press’s scholarly publisher services. “Allen Press continues to invest in scholarly publishing by recruiting top talent and adding new technologies,” said Randy Radosevich, Allen Press CEO. “We’re well-positioned to be the premier on-shore provider of full author-to-reader services,” he added.

Arandell Corp., the trusted leader in premier catalog printing and omni-channel solutions, announced today that the company is expanding through the acquisition of a second facility in Walton, Kentucky. “With the addition of our Kentucky facility, we will have additional capacity and expanded capabilities,” said Bradley J. Hoffman, president and chief executive officer of Arandell Corporation. “As a result, we will remain nimble, flexible and responsive to the evolving needs of our customers.”

HP Wonderland at Dscoop Dallas 2018 is a new inspirational experience for print service providers, brands and creatives to see how the latest HP digital innovations can create virtually any print imaginable. Visitors to Dscoop Unleashing Print- Dallas, March 25-28, will have an immersive creative print experience at the curated HP showcase of amazing worlds of print using the latest HP Indigo and HP PageWide technology. “In HP’s #wonderofprint any idea can be printed to life - in any setting. This celebration of our customers’ innovation is made possible by the quality and versatility of HP digital print technology,” said Dave Prezzano, General Manager, Graphic Solutions Business Americas, HP Inc. “We created this print playground by bringing together the best creative minds and technology to help inspire PSPs, brands, and designers with the multitude of opportunities to grow business.”

During FTA INFOFLEX 2018, Sun Chemical will highlight a new ink with excellent smear resistance and its portfolio of eco-friendly inks, while showing how its full line of coatings, inks, and adhesives can produce packaging that pops off the shelf and enhances pressroom efficiency.

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) has further optimized its financing structure and agreed on a new syndicated credit line with improved conditions with its banking group. By taking out the credit line with a higher total of €320 million and a term that runs until March 2023, the company is creating financial flexibility and longer-term planning certainty. Besides supporting the day-to-day operational business of the global organization, the new credit facility underpins the strategy of further expanding new digital business models, such as the newly established subscription portfolio.

Today at Dscoop Dallas, HP Inc. announced the winners of the 3rd annual HP Inkspiration Americas Awards, recognizing the most innovative brand experience produced with HP digital printing technology, and Rod Key Marketing Excellence Awards for the companies with the most creative marketing campaigns to promote their businesses. “HP digital printing technology is disrupting print applications across industries, sparking creative ideas for designers and brands and improving efficiencies,” said Dave Prezzano, General Manager, HP Graphics Solutions Business Americas, HP inc. “These award-winning prints are an inspiration to the HP Graphic Arts community. With leading-edge technology from HP Indigo, PSP can capture the growing power of digital print in almost every area of life and work and realize new revenue opportunities.”

The enhancement of the new Versafire digital printing generation is fully focused on customer benefit and the market requirements. With the Versafire EV, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) now offers a truly versatile digital production system, designed for use at entry level as well as by experienced digital printing providers. “The Versafire EV gives our customers a flexible production system that is specially designed to ideally meet the requirements in the graphic arts industry and that they can use to further enhance their digital business model as a result of diversification and optimization,” explains Stephan Plenz, Member of the Management Board responsible for Digital Technology at Heidelberg.

Today at ISA Sign Expo, HP Inc. announced the HP Latex R Series, the first, true hybrid latex technology that merges HP’s renowned flexible printing capabilities into rigid printing. The HP Latex R Series brings the most vibrant colors1 into the rigid printing world, and pioneers white ink capabilities with the introduction of HP Latex White Ink. The HP Latex R series brings unparalleled speed and quality to a wide range of rigid materials, such as foamboards, foam PVC, cardboard, fluted polypropylene, solid plastics, aluminum, wood and glass among others. Unlike UV printing technology, which creates a thick layer of ink that completely covers the material, HP’s water-based Latex Inks preserve the look and feel of the media, and delivers odorless prints that are both safe for the environment and the printer operator.

Quad/Graphics announced that it has increased its equity position in Rise Interactive, acquiring a majority ownership stake in the award-winning digital marketing agency. Quad/Graphics has owned a non-controlling interest in Rise since July 2016. The investment accelerates Quad’s ongoing transformation to leverage its strong print foundation as part of a much larger integrated marketing platform that addresses clients’ increasing need to reduce complexity and improve process efficiencies and marketing spend effectiveness. This industry-differentiating platform allows Quad to fulfill traditional agency functions, such as data and media strategy, while also providing integrated marketing execution across multiple channels – both online and offline. “We are pleased to strengthen our strategic partnership with Rise, which shares our Quad 3.0 vision for reinventing how clients plan, integrate, execute and measure campaigns more efficiently and effectively across all media channels,” said Joel Quadracci, Chairman, President & CEO of Quad/Graphics. Click Read More below for additional information.

Allen Press, Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of Kathy Lafferty to our local sales team. Lafferty joins Allen Press with over 33 years of experience in print publishing, advertising sales and marketing. In her role as Sales Executive, Lafferty will leverage her vast experience and industry knowledge to grow Allen Press’s digital printing, direct mail and marketing services in Lawrence and surrounding areas. “Kathy is an excellent addition to our sales team as she has immense business knowledge with magazines, niche publications, newspapers and integrated marketing,” said Maria Preston-Cargill, Allen Press Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “She has been a leader in the Lawrence and Topeka communities for over 30 years and will be an important asset as Allen Press expands its local presence.” Click Read More below for additional information.

The new Versafire EV is able to print white first and the CMYK process colors on top, creating strong luminous images when printing on colored substrates and achieving new unusual effects. Where previously several processes were required, it is all done now in a single pass. The new automatic inline calibration and inline register provide a high degree of stability, precision and improved quality. Inline color measurement and automatic calibration take place ahead of the printing process and ensure constant color stability across the entire run. Top image quality is achieved thanks to the new resolution of 4,800 × 2,400 dpi. Click Read More below for additional information.

Members of the printing, publishing and paper-producing industries, which employ more than 600,000 workers, are announcing the formation of Stop Tariffs on Printers & Publishers (STOPP), a coalition to fight proposed countervailing duties (CVD) and anti-dumping duties (AD) on imports of Canadian uncoated groundwood papers, including newsprint and other papers. These preliminary duties, which were assessed by the Department of Commerce in January and March, respectively, are the result of a petition filed by one company, North Pacific Paper Co. (NORPAC), an outlier in the paper industry that is looking to use the U.S. government for its own financial gain. The STOPP coalition is concerned that these CVD and AD duties, which range up to 32 percent combined, will saddle U.S. printing and publishing businesses with increased costs and threaten thousands of American jobs. The Coalition is asking the International Trade Commission (ITC) and the U.S. Congress to reject these newsprint tariffs and protect U.S. jobs. With the announcement, STOPP has launched a new website: www.stopnewsprinttariffs.org and is inviting other interested parties to join in the fight to overturn these tariffs. Click Read More below for additional information.

Sappi North America opened the 20th and final North American Printer of the Year Awards call for entries. As with previous years, winners will be recognized for print excellence and innovation across eleven categories for work produced primarily on Sappi paper and paper-based packaging. The Sappi Printer of the Year Awards program has been regarded as the printing industry's most respected accolade for the past two decades, making its last iteration bittersweet for organizers. "We are so proud of the work that has been accomplished using Sappi products over the last 20 years. Printers continue to surprise us with new and innovative ways to show the power of print in our lives through their work," said Patti Groh, director of marketing communications, Sappi North America. "We are grateful for the ongoing commitment and excitement from our customers that has allowed this program to run for so long. As we look to the future, we're excited to continue our evolution and introduce new resources for printers and creatives." Click Read More below for additional information.

LSC Communications has signed multi-year, multi-million-dollar agreements with Bauer Media Group USA to provide distribution and cooperative mailing services for Bauer's magazines sold through retail and subscription channels. LSC's logistics planning system and state-of-the-art cooperative mailing platform will help Bauer achieve optimal delivery costs and qualify for the best possible postal rates for the publisher’s magazine circulation. According to Dave Cardona, President of Magazine Sales for LSC Communications, “Two key differentiators for LSC include our industry-leading cooperative mailing services and our efficient solutions to reach retailers through the newsstand distribution channel. We are thrilled that Bauer is leveraging our platform to reach their audience more effectively.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Quad/Graphics announces a new technology platform for testing direct marketing that lifts response rates, increasing reliability and shortening time to market at a fraction of the cost of traditional mail testing. The testing platform, called Accelerated Insights, is a virtual platform that can test up to 20 content variables in one pass. It uses a sophisticated persona matrix that combines demographics with emotional characteristics to predict what factors motivate someone to act on an offer. All of this can be accomplished without a physical mailing. Using Accelerated Insights, Quad has helped direct marketers: • Reduce total testing time to 60 days; • Realize 97 percent level (+/-3 percent) accuracy on projections; • Achieve increase in response rates of 18 to 27 percent; and • Lower testing costs by as much as 90 percent. “Marketers have been following the same testing methods for decades, many times with disappointing results,” said Scott Harvey, Quad/Graphics Senior Vice President of Marketing Solutions. “This technology creates a roadmap for campaign creative that tells marketers exactly what is most important to customers and prospects.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Midland Paper, Packaging + Supplies, one of North America's largest independent distributors of media for business communications, will unveil a broad and diverse portfolio of products for HP Indigo series 3 and 4 print technologies at Dscoop 2018 in Dallas TX including several exciting new products. Be sure to stop by Midland Paper booth #85 at DSCOOP 2018 to view HP Indigo printed samples of the following featured RIT certified products: •Diamond Print Glitter - Eye catching, non-flaking, glitter paper that folds without cracking, •Blanks Plastic Paper - Unique waterproof poly film used for menus, ID’s, tags, POP, signage and other graphic applications, •ClingZ and Ztac - Revolutionary wall and window films, •DigiFly HP - Printable canvas material, •Setalux HP - Printable book cover material. Click Read More below for additional information.

Transcontinental Inc. announced that it has acquired Multifilm Packaging Corporation, a flexible packaging supplier located in Elgin, near Chicago, in Illinois, employing over 70 people. The company enjoys a solid reputation in the high-end candy and chocolate packaging verticals in North America, and specializes in piece-wraps and high-barrier laminates for the confectionery, snacks and dry foods markets. Multifilm offers an integrated manufacturing process and distinguishes itself through its expertise in cast film extrusion, metallization and demetallization, as well as aluminum foil printing. “The acquisition of Multifilm Packaging Corporation is aligned with our growth strategy for the packaging division and presents tremendous opportunities,” said François Olivier, President and Chief Executive Officer of TC Transcontinental. “This transaction allows us to enter new high-end confectionery packaging niches and to bolster our offering in this market. Multifilm expands our manufacturing capabilities, namely with aluminum foil printing and demetallization, thereby enabling us to leverage these sought-after processes within our North American packaging platform. We are pleased to acquire such a forward-thinking company, equipped with a state-of-the-art platform and enjoying solid business relationships with its loyal customers, some of whom are internationally renowned. We wish to extend a warm welcome to all of Multifilm’s talented employees who will be joining our team of committed and results-oriented people.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Allen Press, Inc. is excited to announce the purchase of a Brausse 1050SFi Automatic Diecutter and Foil Stamping Machine with Stripping Alternative. The Brausse 1050SFi is the most advanced piece of equipment of its kind on the market, and Allen Press is the first and only commercial printer in North America with the Brausse 1050SFi on its shop floor. This acquisition allows Allen Press to produce superior commercial, publication and direct mail printing materials exclusively in-house and creates unprecedented efficiency and quality-control from start to finish. Our clients will benefit immensely as projects will be completed faster and more seamlessly without compromising quality. Click Read More below for additional information.

Sun Chemical will showcase its full range of screen and offset inks, pre-laid overlays, pre-patched holograms, magnetic tapes, security solutions and electronic materials for credit and laminated cards printing during the 2018 ICMA EXPO in Orlando, Fla. on March 26-29. “Card manufacturers, issuers and branding firms want to partner with a company that can offer a complete range of solutions for credit and laminated card printing,” said Penny Holland, Vice President, Marketing and Industrial Applications, North American Inks, Sun Chemical. “During ICMA EXPO, we look forward to showing how Sun Chemical’s wide range of solutions for card printing can help customers streamline their operations.” Click Read More below for additional information.

The U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) releases its Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2017. In it, Acting Director Jim Bradley reports another year of positive financial results for the agency. GPO’s operations recorded positive net income of $38.3 million for the year. Total revenues for the year equaled $874.3 million. “From the materials used in the Presidential inauguration to the digitization of the entire Congressional Record and our vigorous digital programs, GPO upheld its commitment to serve as the Federal Government’s publisher in FY 2017,” said Acting Director Jim Bradley. “Our positive financial results will allow us to keep pushing our program of modernization forward. We look forward to repeating this record of achievement in FY 2018.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Idealliance, the global communications non-profit organization, with 11 offices around the world, has certified the HP Indigo 1x000, 7x00, 5x00 Press Series and the HP Indigo Label & Packaging Web Press Series with its Master Elite Level ISO/PAS 15339 Certification designations. Idealliance ISO/PAS 15339 Certification is an extended compliance program of the Digital Press Certification for digital printing press manufacturers, allowing OEMs to certify demonstration of press aptitude as it relates to hitting specified color spaces and the ability to hold color tolerance. By achieving both the Idealliance Digital Press and the Master Elite Level of Idealliance ISO/PAS 15339 Certification, the HP Indigo presses demonstrated clearly not only their capability to print to the largest color gamut, Universal Extra Large CRPC 7 within CIEDE2000 tolerances as specified in CGATS TR 016-2014, but also their capability to hold color consistently. Click Read More below for additional information.

Quad/Graphics announced that it has released Marc Jacobs’ newest mascara brand in Quad’s PromoPage™ sampling carrier affixed to a major fashion publication. The publication targeted 50,000 subscribers to receive the full-sized mascara product sample with their home-delivered issue. To see a video of the revolutionary solution, visit http://go.qg.com/publishing-innovation. Product sampling is an important marketing strategy in the United States, accounting for $34 billion in marketing spend in 20161. In addition: • 81% of consumers agreed that experiencing a product increases their comfort level when purchasing2. • 94% of households stated that sampling is a good determining factor of product effectiveness3. • 92% of consumers surveyed reported they bought a product after trying a sample4. Click Read More below for additional information.

Goss International’s printing press business and manroland web systems, both manufacturers and service providers of web offset printing systems for newspapers, commercial products and packaging, are planning to combine their complementary businesses. The combined company will benefit from the companies’ complementary geographic footprints, create extensive synergies, ensure long-term viability, and provide value-oriented solutions, especially in the area of aftermarket services. In the future, the new entity will be a strong business partner to all international web printers. Subject to regulatory approval, the merger is expected to be completed by the middle of 2018. The Contiweb business of Goss International is not included in this transaction (see below for additional details on Contiweb). Click Read More below for additional information.

"I am satisfied with our first quarter financial results, which show that our profitability has increased while we continue the transformation of our organization,” said François Olivier, President and Chief Executive Officer of TC Transcontinental. "In the printing division, the demand for our retailer-related service offering remained relatively stable. Furthermore, we implemented initiatives aimed at continuously optimizing our printing platform, namely the consolidation of our Québec newspaper printing plants. In addition, we will transfer to Hearst the operations of our California facility as of April 2018. Consequently, we will repatriate state-of-the art equipment to some of our Canadian plants, which will generate synergies mainly starting in 2019. "In the packaging division, this year's first quarter results were mainly affected by timing differences in purchases at one of our plants, but we anticipate that organic sales growth in 2018 will be similar to 2017. In addition, we pursued in a very active manner a number of promising acquisition opportunities. Click Read More below for additional information.

Net sales in the quarter were $1.93 billion, up $66.9 million or 3.6% from the fourth quarter of 2016. On an organic basis, consolidated net sales increased 2.6% driven by significant volume growth in the International segment. Gross profit in the fourth quarter of 2017 was $365.0 million or 19.0% of net sales versus $363.7 million or 19.6% of net sales in the prior year quarter. Income from operations was $104.6 million in the fourth quarter compared to a loss from operations of $466.9 million in the 2016 quarter. Net loss attributable to common stockholders from continuing operations of $52.8 million in the fourth quarter compared to a net loss of $488.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2016.

Fourth quarter net sales were $999 million, up $80 million, or 8.7%, from the fourth quarter of 2016. After adjusting for acquisitions, changes in foreign exchange rates, and pass-through paper sales, organic net sales decreased 4.6% from the fourth quarter of 2016. Fourth quarter 2017 net loss was $58 million, or $1.68 per diluted share, compared to net income of $9 million, or $0.26 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2016. The effective tax rate for the fourth quarter of 2017 reflected $24 million of one-time provisional tax expense related to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which will be further detailed in the 2017 Form 10-K, as well as the impact from non-deductible goodwill impairment charges. Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA in the fourth quarter of 2017 was $85 million, or 8.5% of net sales, compared to $80 million, or 8.7% of net sales, in the fourth quarter of 2016. Click Read More below for additional information.

Kingsport Book LLC is excited to announce the launch of its newly built Kingsport Book Commercial. Kingsport Book Commercial was built with the goal of being able to offer the most competitive, short-run four-color book and commercial printing solution available in the industry. Phase 1 of this multi-million expansion continues to build on the goals established by PCC (Printer Consolidation Co.), a Blackford Capital portfolio company to build a world-class company focused on the ever-changing needs of the book printing industry. Kingsport Book, located in Church Hill, Tenn., has developed a strong reputation as a high-end book finishing and fulfillment company. To complement the deluxe bindery operation, a sister company has been built to service short-run offset and digital printing needs as well as to support the surrounding areas with the most advanced equipment available. In the expanded 135,000-sq.-ft. facility, a 10-color Komori perfecting press has been installed along with finishing, prepress and digital equipment. Click Read More below for additional information.

Edwards Brothers Malloy announced that it plans to consolidate all offset printing operations into its Ann Arbor, Mich., location by the end of 2018. As a result, it will be closing its offset printing facility located in Lillington, N.C., which will impact the job positions of approximately 100 workers employed there over the next nine-month period. “This was a very difficult decision,” said John Edwards, Edwards Brothers Malloy president and CEO, in a prepared statement. “We continue to see shrinking demand for offset printing and double-digit growth in digital printing. We want to increase our digital footprint and be sure we’re well-positioned to take advantage of opportunities and new markets.” The phased shutdown of the Lillington offset printing facility is planned to begin in April and should be completed by the end of the year, according to the company. Edwards added that the move will lead to “some” job growth in Michigan and that Lillington employees are encouraged to apply for work at its Ann Arbor location. Click Read More below for additional information.

HP Inc. announced commercial availability of its HP Indigo 12000 HD Digital Press with breakthrough high-definition imaging, the next step in the evolution of HP’s market-leading1 Series 4 large format press platform with more than 700 units installed worldwide. The High Definition Imaging System for the B2-sized HP Indigo 12000 HD Digital Press doubles image resolution, delivering sharper, smoother, finer print, enabling print service providers (PSPs) to surpass offset quality and open new digital possibilities in high-end commercial and photo applications. The press uses an all-new High Definition Imaging System, using 48 parallel laser beams and high screen sets up to 290 LPI. Click Read More below for additional information

Quad/Graphics, Inc. announced it has acquired Ivie & Associates, a premier marketing services provider and one of the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing privately held companies in the country. The business combination creates a powerful marketing solution that addresses clients’ increasing need for improved process efficiency and marketing spend effectiveness. The combined offering, fueled by both companies’ talent, expertise and technology, will provide clients unmatched scale for onsite marketing services, integrated execution, and expanded subject matter expertise in digital, media and creative. Click Read More below for additional information

Net earnings improved during the fourth quarter of 2017 to $55 million, an $18 million year-over-year increase, despite a 2.8% decrease in net sales to $1.2 billion. Organic sales decreased 2.8% due to ongoing industry volume and pricing pressures, after excluding pass-through paper sales (-0.3% impact) and favorable foreign exchange (0.3% impact). Net earnings improved for the year ended December 31, 2017 to $107 million, a $62 million increase from 2016, despite a 4.6% decrease in net sales to $4.1 billion. Organic sales decreased 3.5% due to ongoing industry volume and pricing pressures after excluding pass-through paper sales (-1.1% impact), and is consistent with the Company’s previous guidance. Net cash provided by operating activities was $344 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. Free Cash Flow was $258 million, compared with $246 million for 2016, and was at the top end of the Company’s guidance range. Click Read More below for additional information.

LSC Communications announced a major investment in its Book Platform to boost productivity, capacity and efficiency. LSC will invest in its Willard, OH facility with the installation of a new Goss wide-web press and a new high-speed binding line. This investment will support the continued strength of the 4-color book market category, making LSC’s Willard, OH location the most advanced 4-color plant in the United States. Dave McCree, President of the LSC Book Group commented, “LSC will continue to grow and expand its supply chain and publisher services offerings, yet also strongly believes in the need to continue to advance its core print capabilities. This investment solidifies our position as the category leader, delivering innovative solutions to our Publishing clients.”

Quantum announced industry leader Cheryl Kahanec as its new CEO, effective February 16, 2018. Kahanec has more than 35 years of experience in the marketing communications and digital print industry, including transitioning traditional print companies into early digital success stories. In her leadership role at Quantum, she will drive the company’s strategic vision to continue to develop integrated and innovative solutions to help marketers succeed in today’s technology and data-driven marketplace. “After an extensive national search, we are excited to welcome Cheryl as Quantum’s new chief executive officer,” said Peter Cahall, chairman of the board of directors for Quantum. “She is one of our industry’s top innovators and an authority in our field. Her extensive expertise, demonstrated success and passion fit perfectly with our commitment to providing service and solutions for our customers.” Click Read More below for additional information.

The sixth annual Inkjet Summit will be held at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., April 9-11, 2018. The Inkjet Summit is an invitation-only, hosted event specifically designed for senior managers and business executives at printing companies and corporate enterprises who are looking to develop strategies, understand their options and make major investment decisions around production inkjet digital printing technology. The focus of the 2018 Inkjet Summit will be on sharing insight on key factors of successful production inkjet press adoption. Panels and presentations will include sessions on press implementations, sales requirements, end-to-end workflows and technology options. Application segments covered include everything from Transaction and Direct Mail/Marketing through Publishing (books, catalogs and magazines), General Commercial and In-Plant printing. Click Read More below for additional information.

•Digital transformation bearing fruit – subscription model attracting considerable interest, with further growth in demand for innovative digital packaging and label presses •New Heidelberg Digital Unit to significantly expand e-commerce…

Sun Chemical will increase prices on all offset inks and coatings for its customers across all regions, effective March 1, 2018. The percentage increase will be in the high single…

LSC Communications (NYSE: LKSD) and Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company announced jointly today that they have agreed to enter a supply-chain-services agreement. Beginning in March 2018, LSC will supply a…

From an outsider’s perspective, things seem to be going smoothly for Quad/Graphics, considering it consumes 250 million pounds of ink per year, according to an article recently published by BizTimes. …

Cenveo, Inc. (NASDAQ:  CVO) (the “Company”), a diversified manufacturer of print-related products including envelopes, custom labels, commercial print, and publisher solutions, today announced that it has reached an agreement with…

Electronics For Imaging, Inc. (Nasdaq:EFII), a world leader in customer-focused digital printing innovation, today announced its results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2017. For the quarter…

FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation (“Fujifilm”) (TSE: 4901) and Xerox Corporation (“Xerox”) (NYSE: XRX) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine Xerox and their longstanding Fuji Xerox…

As part of an ongoing commitment to enhance its scholarly publisher services, Allen Press, Inc. is growing the team that delivers those services. This includes the promotion of Mark Kohlhase…

Flint Group’s CPS Inks division announced today that they will implement a global price increase of up to 9% on offset and publication gravure inks, coatings and pressroom consumables effective…

Deluxe Corporation (NYSE: DLX), a leader in providing small businesses and financial institutions with products and services to drive customer revenue, announced its financial results for the fourth quarter ended…

Xerox and Electronics For Imaging (EFI) today demonstrated a new Fiery® digital front end (DFE) that will give print providers a powerful new tool to manage high value jobs that…

François Olivier, President and Chief Executive Officer of TC Transcontinental, is proud to announce the appointment of Pierre Marcoux as President of the Media Sector. TC Media is a leader…

Effective January 21, 2018 the United States Postal Service (USPS) will increase mail and shipping rates across the board. Publishers and marketers who utilize mailing services will be affected by…

Printing company LSC Communications, a Chicago-based spinoff of Fortune 500 company R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co., is closing its plant in Long Prairie, Minn., resulting in the layoff of 236…

Arandell is excited to announce that it is now G7 certified for both proofing and press by Idealliance. A G7 certification is a specific set of industry leading processes that…

Industry thought leader Denise M. Gustavson has been tasked with leading NAPCO Media’s Printing, Packaging, and Publishing Group, which includes Printing Impressions, packagePRINTING and In-plant Graphics magazines, among other brands,…

Andrea Tonin, Innovation Director, makes a case for why off-set printing may be the new choice for brands to get packaging on store shelves with speed and agility. Off-set printing first gained widespread use in the newspaper industry over 100 years ago, thanks to its fast turnaround of large printing quantities. Today brands need to respond almost as quickly as news outlets to put the latest packaging designs in front of consumers. Getting new packaging to store shelves faster is the rationale behind Amcor’s recent investment in EB off-set print technology. Advancements in off-set technology for packaging offer excellent print quality, flexibility in order size and faster speed to market. It’s the latest technique to consider for promotions, editions and even designing current events into packaging – going from artwork to print in a matter of hours or days instead of weeks. Click Read More below for additional information.

A preliminary determination on Jan. 9 by the U.S. Department of Commerce to impose countervailing duties (CVD) ranging from 4.43% to 9.93% has U.S. newspaper, book and commercial printers that buy imported Canadian uncoated groundwood paper seeing red. That's because it will deliver a severe blow to their bottom lines due to what amounts to an average countervailing duty of 6.53%. In its investigation, the Commerce Department calculated a preliminary subsidy rate of 6.09% for Catalyst Paper, 9.93% for Kruger Trois-Rivieres, and 4.42% for Resolute Forest Products Canada. Click Read More below for additional information.

Mohawk, family owned paper makers since 1931, have entered into a strategic partnership with commercial printer Lawton Connect, family owned since 1900, to form Mr. Scratch Off LLC. This partnership has been formed around the introduction of an innovative new technology using HP Indigo printing to produce the first 4-color, scratch off printed products in the world. Currently, printing for scratch off products uses single or multi-color printed images which are covered by a single-color fixed shape, applied with a flexographic press. This new capability allows both the scratch off area and the image beneath to be a multi-color print and fully variable from piece to piece; all using high resolution, HP Indigo printing. Click Read More below for additional information.

Cheetham joins Allen Press with more than 30 years of experience selling magazine, catalog, insert and direct mail printing to the association, publication and retail markets while Kopp joins Allen Press with over 20 years of experience in B2B business development, serving clients in print, marketing, healthcare and technology. “We are very excited to add Rick and Bill to the Allen Press team and expand our sales presence to new markets,” says Maria Preston-Cargill, Allen Press Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing. “Both Rick and Bill have invaluable knowledge in sales and print which I believe will serve our current and future clients well.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. has announced a partnership with Epic Products International, an Arlington, Texas-based designer and manufacturer of equipment that enhances the quality and productivity of the printing process. The venture will enhance Konica Minolta’s AccurioJet KM-1 program, which markets and promotes the KM-1 to print providers worldwide. Founded more than 40 years ago, Epic specializes in coating systems for offset and digital printing, which run in-line or near-line in both web and sheetfed press configurations. The Epic CT-750 system is known for its high performance and versatility. It supports UV, aqueous and specialty coatings such as soft touch and blister, as well as spot coating. This solution is capable of running near-line or in-line at press speeds. The Epic coater can provide protection and appeal to every printed sheet. Click Read More below for additional information.

Deluxe Corporation announces Deluxe NEBS will officially change its name to Deluxe. For the past several years, Deluxe NEBS has continued to operate as the NEBS brand in Canada, providing exceptional printed products and small business services to its clients across the country. Deluxe NEBS has been a staple of Canadian small business marketing services for the past 35 years, leading the industry in innovative cheque and business printing solutions. In 2004, Deluxe Corporation of Shoreview, Minnesota, purchased New England Business Solutions (NEBS) and continued its strong performance as a trusted and valued company specializing in the design, manufacturing and distribution of personalized business products. Click Read More below for additional information.

Fort Dearborn announced that it has completed its acquisition of NCL Graphic Specialties. The combination enhances Fort Dearborn’s leadership position in the decorative label and packaging marketplace by broadening the company’s geographic footprint, capacity and capabilities. NCL has two facilities located in Waukesha, Wis. and Menomonee Falls, Wis. bringing to a total of seventeen production locations across North America for the combined organization. The combination will broaden both companies’ capabilities to provide an even higher level of service to customers. The company’s product offering will now include: cut and stack, pressure sensitive, roll-fed, shrink sleeve, stretch sleeve and promotional labels, as well as flexible packaging. Click Read More below for additional information.

Transcontinental Inc. announced that, effective April 2, 2018, TC Transcontinental will transfer to Hearst the printing operations of its Fremont, California facility where Hearst's San Francisco Chronicle — the largest newspaper in Northern California and the second largest on the West Coast — and its related products are printed, and post-press services are conducted. Under the terms of the agreement, TC Transcontinental will continue printing the newspaper in Fremont for a transition period. TC Transcontinental will receive a cash payment of US$42.8 million from Hearst as compensation for the early termination of the printing agreement, for the sale of some of its printing equipment, and for services to be rendered as part of a Transitional Service Agreement. The amount will be received mainly in 2017, and the balance in 2018. Click Read More below for additional information.

For those in the magazine and catalog printing and publishing segments, the past year has been nothing short of dynamic. Although there has been considerable consolidation and downsizing, these trends have opened up doors to other possibilities that are being embraced by printers and publishers alike: niche publications are on the rise and catalogs have evolved to tell their own story. Traditionally, magazines were driven by mass-market titles that could appeal to a wide audience, David Pilcher, VP of sales and marketing at Freeport, Ohio-based Freeport Press, explains. The industry has recently seen a shift in the types of titles that are seeing the biggest growth, he says, and its niche titles that are leading the march into 2018. “This year, we’re seeing publishers offloading many of these big titles,” he says. “Some are calling it chaos. We don’t see it that way. We see a definite trend toward niche titles, with viable business models that take advantage of a more selective consumer base.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Transcontinental Inc., announces the sale of its 50% stake in CEDROM-SNi Inc., a Montréal-based firm specializing in digital media monitoring, to CNW Group Ltd., a Cision company delivering Canadian media intelligence and news distribution services. As part of this agreement, the founders of CEDROM-SNi are also selling their stake to CNW Group Ltd., which now becomes the sole owner. CEDROM-SNi's employees, totalling approximately 110 people, remain employed in Montréal and in the satellite offices of Québec City, Ottawa, Toronto and Paris. Nicole Guillot, Cision's President of Canada and Corporate Director of CNW Group Ltd., noted, "We are very proud to acquire CEDROM-SNi, a company whose product and service offering is among the best-performing in the industry and is complementary to ours. By joining forces, we will be able to offer our customers an enhanced and diversified offering that is perfectly aligned with Cision's global vision to be a leading provider of earned media software and services at the crossroads of public relations, digital and social marketing. We are pleased to welcome the talented employees of CEDROM-SNi who bring leading-edge expertise to Cision, in order to pursue our growth together." Click Read More below for additional information.

With increasing demand in the printing industry for equipment that enables more frequent and faster job changes on press, Flint Group introduces a new, lightweight family of rotec® Sleeves and Bridges designed to increase press efficiency. The new rotec® product line provides the same proven polyurethane coating that is well-known for its durability and solvent resistance in a series of sleeves and adapters that are lighter and easier to handle. The rotec® Lightweight Premium Sleeve – a high performance, plate mounting sleeve offering weight savings up to 40% compared to similar premium sleeves – exhibits excellent dimensional stability for high printing speeds, making it particularly effective in the wide web printing sector. The key to its superior all-around performance is the combination of its light weight and ease of use coupled with the premium construction that provides added strength and stability. The sleeve is further enhanced with an aluminum end plate that seals the edges for extra protection against inks, cleaning liquids and humidity and provides optimum performance and longevity to the sleeve life. Click Read More below for additional information.

With the New Year quickly approaching and thoughts of resolutions, FCL Graphics took this time to reflect on all of the changes 2017 had in store: the company added staff to its leadership team, expanded its direct mail, finishing and binding capabilities, as well as capacity. FCL also has a newly designed website. FCL Graphics is pleased to announce that Amy O’Brien and Donna Caldarulo have joined the FCL leadership team. O’Brien joined in late August as controller and Caldarulo joined in late November as VP, sales support. The company hired both O’Brien and Caldarulo to strengthen its business financially and operationally. Click Read More below for additional information.

Fort Dearborn today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire NCL Graphic Specialties. The transaction is subject to the fulfillment of certain conditions and is expected to close by the end of the year. “As the largest cut and stack label supplier in North America, the acquisition of NCL would provide us additional capacity and would expand our footprint in the Midwest. The proposed acquisition would also enhance our product offering with promotional printing capabilities and enter us into the flexible packaging market,” said Fort Dearborn CEO Kevin Kwilinski. “With the anticipated addition of NCL, we’ll have an expanded breadth of products and services to better serve all of our customers.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Fiscal 2017 Highlights: Revenues decreased by $12.3 million, or 0.6%. Operating earnings increased by $89.2 million, from $212.8 million to $302.0 million. Adjusted operating earnings, which exclude restructuring and other costs (gains) and impairment of assets, increased by $9.9 million, from $283.4 million to $293.3 million, or 3.5%. Net earnings increased by $65.2 million, from $146.3 million to $211.5 million. Adjusted net earnings, which exclude restructuring and other costs (gains) and impairment of assets, net of related taxes, increased by $5.9 million, from $196.3 million to $202.2 million, or 3.0%. Maintained a solid financial position, with a net indebtedness ratio of 0.3x. Click Read More below for additional information.

Transcontinental Inc.'s Media Sector, TC Media, announces the sale of 12 of its publications, as well as their related web properties, to Groupe Lexis Média inc., a company owned by Mr. Elie Akoury and Mr. Frédéric Couture, who will act as President. In total, 75 employees of these various publications and 16 employees from TC Media's Production team are transferred to Groupe Lexis Média inc. TC Transcontinental also concluded a multi-year agreement for the printing and distribution of all of these titles as well as for the printing of the magazines already owned by Lexis Média inc. With the completion of this transaction, 60% of the publications included in the sale process of TC Media's local and regional newspapers in Québec and Ontario, launched in April 2017, are now in the hands of local owners. The newspapers sold to Groupe Lexis Média inc. are: Le Citoyen Rouyn-Noranda, Le Citoyen de la Vallée-de-l'Or, L'Écho Abitibien and La Frontière, distributed in Abitibi-Témiscamingue; L'Action D'Autray, L'Action – Wednesday Edition, L'Action – Weekend Edition, L'Express Montcalm and Hebdo Rive-Nord, in Lanaudière; Le Bulletin, La Petite-Nation and La Revue, in Outaouais. Click Read More below for additional information.

Idealliance expects commercial printing industry sales (all sources) to grow 1.5% to 3.0% in 2018, after growing approximately 1.0% in 2017. Where in that range the industry finishes will depend largely on the strength of the American economy which, in turn, will depend on the size and efficiency of the stimulus Washington delivers. A weak package will mean a finish toward the bottom of the range, and a strong package a finish toward the top. If Washington really comes through, we may have to do something we haven’t done in years: revise a forecast up. Print enters 2018 with sales of approximately $84.0 billion, 9.1% above the 2011 low, but still 14.6% below the 2007 pre-Great Recession level. Diversification continues. Participants in the Idealliance “State of the Industry, 15th Edition” report expect, on average, something other than printing (mailing, fulfillment, database management, marketing services, Web service, etc.) to provide 31.6% of their revenue in 2018, up from just 13.3% in 2012. Click Read More below for additional information.

Baldwin Technology - a world leader in providing process automation solutions, consumables and services for the print, packaging, textile and corrugated industries - has acquired QuadTech Inc., from its parent company, Quad/Graphics. With this acquisition, Baldwin adds all of QuadTech’s highly regarded technology and strategic locations across the Americas, Europe, China, Japan and India. QuadTech is a global leader in the design and manufacture of control systems that help commercial, newspaper, packaging and publication gravure printers improve their performance and productivity. Headquartered in Sussex, Wis., QuadTech maintains a worldwide network of sales and service operations, and sells automated systems in more than 100 countries. Click Read More below for additional information.

It’s hard to believe that the 2017 Printing Impressions 400 ranking of the top printers in the U.S. and Canada, as ranked by annual sales volume, marks our 34th annual list. For more than three decades, our compilation has illustrated key industry trends and chronicled the ups and downs - and, in some cases, the demise due to M&A deals - of specific companies. Like past editions, the 2017 PI 400 reveals the current state and future direction of the printing industry, as well as several hot print market segments that remain ripe for further industry consolidation. For instance, the financial performance of the publicly held printing conglomerates that fill the top spots on the PI 400 has largely been flat. RR Donnelley, Quad/Graphics, LSC Communications, Cenveo, Transcontinental and Donnelley Financial Solutions all reported sales declines for their most recently completed fiscal years in comparison to their previous campaigns. Exceptions included Cimpress (Vistaprint), an online-only, Web-to-print specialist, and Multi-Color Corp., a label printer that acquired the label division of Constantia Flexibles for $1.3 billion in October. Click Read More below for additional information.

The 2,000th Speedmaster XL 106 recently left the production line in Wiesloch-Walldorf and is now being installed at Japanese customer Toyama Sugaki. With this, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) is celebrating another milestone for this Peak Performance class press. Packaging printer Toyama Sugaki, based in Toyama in Japan with 270 employees, is taking delivery of a seven-color Speedmaster XL 106 with coating unit and extended delivery. It specializes in packaging for the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. Toyama Sugaki likes the short makeready times, the perfect print quality, and the high production speed of the new press. The Speedmaster XL 106-7+L with anniversary cover on the printing unit will be inaugurated with a certificate on site by Heidelberg Japan and the customer. It will be the company’s second Heidelberg press alongside a Speedmaster SX 74-4-P-H chosen by the customer for its machine fleet. The Speedmaster XL 106 has proven itself in industrial commercial and packaging printers, label printers, and web-to-print printers, which like the wide range of configuration options in the 70x100 format class. Click Read More below for additional information.

Electronics For Imaging, Inc. has announced commercial availability of its newest launched printer, the EFI™ Pro 24f. First exhibited at the recent SGIA Expo, it is the only dedicated flatbed wide-format printer featuring EFI’s proven LED and variable drop grayscale head technologies. It provides precision imaging, fine detail and outstanding image quality for a broad range of applications. Wichita, Kansas-based customer Superior Signs & Engraving is the very first user for the printer. The printer’s premium quality imaging capabilities, with white ink included, and the high versatility and productivity of EFI’s “cool cure” LED technology, have vastly improved throughput and quality at the company. Click Read More below for additional information.

Allen Press, Inc. has upgraded its scholarly journal typesetting platform to Arbortext Publishing Engine Enterprise. The Arbortext Publishing Engine is a cloud-based system that provides the ability to intelligently pull XML and unstructured data from content management systems profile content for targeted audiences and variable deliverable types and automatically generate publications. In addition to the Arbortext Publishing Engine platform, Allen Press improved its workstation-class computers by installing the latest generation hardware and high-resolution video systems. “Upgrading to the Arbortext Publishing Engine helps us accomplish our mission of efficiently producing more jobs,” said Mark Kohlhase, Senior Director of Composition and Training. “This technology will allow Allen Press to enhance our typesetting automation processes, resulting in faster delivery and reduced publishing costs.” Click Read More below for additional information.

More than 300 visitors from around the world and over 40 international trade journalists attended the Packaging Day hosted by Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) at its Wiesloch-Walldorf plant at the beginning of November. The “Pushing the Future in Packaging” event showcased the latest solutions and technologies for packaging printing. The aim of these solutions is to increase the efficiency of all processes through intelligent networking and automation. This applies both to printing high-volume standard packaging as well as highly embellished folding cartons in the luxury segment. Packaging printing is the strongest growing segment in the print media industry. Annual growth rates of around three percent are expected in the coming five years, and around 20 percent for digital printing. Heidelberg announced a broad-based product campaign for this market at drupa 2016, which is now being implemented consistently – in both offset and digital technology. As key note speaker, Steffen Schnizer, Managing Director of Multi Packaging Solutions in Obersulm near Heilbronn, emphasized that demand from brand owners for exclusively finished packaging is on the increase. Nowhere is this truer than in the cosmetics and perfume industry. Purchase decisions are frequently made at the point of sale, where high-quality packaging guarantee the necessary attention. “Heidelberg not only offers its customers the widest range of products for packaging output, but is also the clear market and technological leader in this area,” emphasized company CEO Rainer Hundsdörfer at the opening of the Packaging Day. Click Read More below for additional information.

LSC Communications has signed a multi-year agreement with Bauer Media Group USA, the number one seller of magazines at retail in the country. Beginning in January 2018, LSC will print 17 of Bauer’s popular print titles including Woman’s World, First for Women, In Touch Weekly, Life & Style Weekly, Closer Weekly and J-14, among others. According to Thomas J. Quinlan III, Chairman and CEO of LSC Communications, “With Bauer as one of the most successful magazine publishers in the world, LSC is honored to have been selected for our optimal print production and mailing solutions. We look forward to continuing to support Bauer’s vision for many years.” Click Read More below for additional information.

As many as 200 workers will be out of work by the end of January when the Quad/Graphics facility in Taunton closes, according to the Wisconsin book manufacturer. Emails were sent out Wednesday to workers informing them of the bad news, said spokeswoman Claire Ho. Ho said workers will be offered either a severance package with limited continuation of medical benefits or the chance to work at another of the company’s locations, most of which are in other parts of the country. “We want to take care of them,” she said on Friday from her office in Sussex, Wisconsin. Ho said the plant at 1133 County St., located on Route 140 near the onramp for Route 24, specialized in assembling traditional reading books. Click Read More below for additional information.

Electronics For Imaging, Inc. today reported that Northampton, U.K-based graphics production company Evolution has installed an EFI™ VUTEk® GS3250LX Pro LED hybrid roll/flatbed printer. Evolution chose the 3.2-metre wide printer for its speed, quality of build, and low downtime and running costs. Previously, when its superwide-format graphics work volumes became too large, the company often outsourced to other providers. Now, Evolution can produce that work in-house with a printer that is several times faster than its old flatbed printer. Although Evolution’s machine operators are new to using the printer, they were able to get trained quickly, taking very little time to start producing high volumes of work – more than 200 2440mm x 1220mm panels a day for clients. Click Read More below for additional information.

The National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers (NAPIM) Board of Directors has announced its increased support of Two Sides North America, the non-profit organization that promotes and encourages the responsible production, use and sustainability of print and paper. NAPIM Executive Director, John Copeland and Director Regulatory Affairs and Technology, George Fuchs will be joining Two Sides’ Anti-Greenwash Task Force to ensure that the views of NAPIM members are considered in Two Sides campaign activities. Membership discussions are also underway with specific companies in the ink manufacturing sector to ensure representation within the Two Sides network of companies and governance. Click Read More below for additional information.

LSC Communications announced that it has acquired The Clark Group. Clark is a leading third-party logistics provider of distribution, consolidation, transportation management and international freight forwarding services, with a network of nine strategically located distribution centers in the US. “Continuing to expand LSC’s logistics service offering in ways that add value to our clients’ businesses has been a sharp focus for us,” said Thomas J. Quinlan III, Chairman and CEO of LSC. “The Clark Group brings a range of supply chain services to LSC that position us for growth, including the ability to better provide a full-service offering for magazine clients with newsstand distribution as well as reverse logistics solutions for our book publisher clients.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Kingery Printing, an Effingham, Ill.-based commercial printer that provides a full suite of prepress, sheetfed and web printing, binding, and distribution services, has announced the acquisition, effective December 1st, of Mattoon, Ill.-based United Graphics, a digital and offset printing company that specializes in the manufacturing of books, catalogs, guides and newsletters. Graphic Arts Advisors (GAA), Mountain Lakes, N.J., a strategic financial advisory and consulting firm devoted exclusively to all sectors of the graphic communications industry, represented Kingery Printing in the acquisition, with GAA Director John Hyde, Esq. serving as lead advisor on the purchase. Under the agreement, United Graphics and its Mattoon facility, will become part of the Kingery Printing organization, which, in addition to its Effingham headquarters and manufacturing facility, also includes a plant in Henry, Ill. John Wurtsbaugh, president of United Graphics, becomes COO of Kingery Printing, overseeing operations at all three facilities. Click Read More below for additional information.

Electronics for Imaging, Inc., announced the release of its newest-version EFI™ Fiery® XB digital front end (DFE) platform for ultra-high-speed production inkjet presses. The Fiery DFE meets highly demanding requirements for performance, color and imaging, including advanced variable-data production printing, at speeds of up to 13,000 pages per minute – or the data equivalent of 2 streaming movies each second. The groundbreaking Fiery XB platform used for the new DFE complies with native intelligent production data stream (IPDS) workflows and is certified IS/3 compliant, delivering the performance, functionality and accuracy required for high-volume transactional applications. As one of the most flexible DFEs in the production inkjet market, the Fiery XB DFE platform also consumes all variable data formats and languages, including PDF and PDF/VT. Click Read More below for additional information.

Ohio’s Office of Workforce Development received another WARN notice from Quad/Graphics. Quad/Graphics, which is based out of Sussex, Wisconsin, is a printing company. The company was founded in July of 1971. According to the company’s WARN notice, it will soon be shutting down its Columbus facility and laying off all employees at the facility. The closure and layoffs are expected to be permanent. The employment separations are expected to commence on or around December 8, 2017. In total, Quad/Graphics believes that 116 workers will be impacted by the upcoming closure. The WARN notice can be accessed here. Click Read More below for additional information.

Expanding its range of in-mould label products and presenting non-UV print shops the ability to compete in this growing segment, Flint Group today announces the global availability of Novastar® D 2000 IML BIO for metallised paper and non-absorbent substrates. According to Jürgen Riedlinger, Director Global Product Management, Sheetfed, “Over the last 5 to 6 years global production of in-mould labels has grown at around 4% per year, due in part to the ability of the technology to enhance the product visibility and brand identification in the market. And we believe in-mould labelling will continue to grow significantly as the manufacturing efficiencies and visual quality it brings gets wider endorsement. Currently in-mould accounts for less than 3% of all labelling, so there is plenty of room for it to grow.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Transcontinental Inc.'s Media Sector, TC Media, announces the sale of its weekly Courrier Laval, as well as its related web property, to 2M Média. This company is led by Mr. Martin Olivier, President, and Mr. Martin Routhier, Vice President, who are both former TC Media managers. Fourteen employees of Courrier Laval are transferred to the acquirer, along with two employees from TC Media's Production team. Furthermore, TC Transcontinental also concluded a multi-year agreement for the printing and distribution of this publication. TC Transcontinental therefore hands over the reins to 2M Média to carry on the activities of Courrier Laval, a jewel of the weekly newspaper landscape in Québec. The Corporation would like to thank all the employees who have shown dedication and professionalism over the years and wishes them the very best for the future at 2M Média. Click Read More below for additional information.

Paul Ramirez, president of Barrington Press in Paramus, New Jersey had a problem – his offset presses were offline as much as three hours a shift. The downtime, set-up and overtime costs made it difficult to keep jobs profitable. Knowing that delivering high quality printing with quick turnaround was critical to grow his business, Ramirez looked to Xerox for a solution and the answer was to go digital with the Xerox iGen® 5 Press. “If someone would have told me how much money I’d be saving each month using the Xerox iGen 5 Press, I wouldn’t have believed it,” says Ramirez. ”When we combined the excessive paper waste, overtime wages and offset press supplies, the numbers were staggering.” With its market leading uptime, substrate versatility and job automation features, the iGen 5 created a fundamental turnaround at Barrington Press. The figures tell the story. In the year Barrington Press has owned its iGen 5, the company has saved $10,000-$15,000 per month and has created new opportunities for growth. Click Read More below for additional information.

By offering a combination of trusted brands, consistent products and OEM partnerships combined with ‘Best in Class’ manufacturing, Flint Group was well positioned at IPEX to help printers extend their printing capability in respect to new substrates and targeting new market sectors. The XCURA EVO ink series featured heavily during the show. This ink series has been designed to help printers achieve maximum performance from new LED-UV presses and presses that have been retrofitted with a LED-UV curing system. Following on from IPEX Flint Group is pleased to announce that Fontain, a London based commercial printer, has agreed to Flint Group being the sole supplier of LED-UV ink for its brand new RMGT Ryobi 928P. This four-over-four perfecting press with LED-UV drying was also running live print jobs at IPEX. Click Read More below for additional information.

TC Transcontinental – RBW Graphics recently completed a suite of upgrades to a Goss M-3000 press installed at their RBW Graphics Facility in Owen Sound, ON. The project consisted of a drives and controls system upgrade, an Omni Make-Ready bundle and ink fountain rebuilds. The drives and controls upgrade involved replacing existing consoles with new OmniconTM and OmnicolorTM consoles, new Siemens PLC CPU hardware, controllers and drives. Goss technicians rebuilt the ink fountains on eight existing units and added new four and 16 channel driver boards, embedded controller boards, ink fountain balls, and single piece ink keys. Additionally, the Omni Make Ready package, a combination of hardware and software functions designed to reduce waste, helps TC Transcontinental – RBW Graphics to achieve its commitment to environmental responsibility. These upgrades ensure the long life of the Goss M-3000 while increasing productivity, improving waste reduction and reducing unscheduled press downtime. Click Read More below for additional information.

The Ricoh Commercial & Industrial Printing Business Group (CIPG), established in April, is keenly focused on getting the word out about its commitment to the production printing market. That was the key takeaway for a group of industry press and analysts who recently toured its Customer Experience Center (CEC) that is home to an array of continuous-feed inkjet, toner-based sheetfed and wide-format printers, along with several product development and testing labs, inside its Executive Briefing Center in Boulder, Colo. Ricoh defines industrial as wide-format digital printing and printing done as a part of the manufacturing process to produce finished goods such as garments, textiles, metals and architectural components. And the group’s ambitious goal isn’t merely lip service. According to Dollard, CIPG has nearly doubled its production inkjet printing direct salesforce since April; has created a Production Dealer Advisory Council to build stronger ties with its dealer network for toner-based sheetfed production and wide-format inkjet printer sales; is expanding its service and consulting business; and is fully committed to assuming a leadership role in industry advocacy, education and market advancement. Click Read More below for additional information.

Borderland Advisors CEO John Conley, a 42-year book printing industry veteran with RR Donnelley and then Xerox, describes how Amazon's same-day delivery requirements will totally disrupt today's book publishing, manufacturing, and distribution markets. The supply chain requirement will create new profit models and opportunities for innovative publishers and printers, while displacing those companies that are unable to evolve to the new industry paradigm. To view the video clip go to: http://www.bookbusinessmag.com/article/john-conley-amazon-day-delivery-slas-will-disrupt-book-printing/

Cenveo, Inc. has been awarded the 2020 Census Printing and Mailing Contract from the U.S. Census Bureau. The two-year $61 million contract is one of the largest contracts for printing and mailing ever awarded by the U.S. Government Publishing Office. "Cenveo's award of the 2020 U.S. Census is a reflection of our core capabilities and expertise, manufacturing and fulfillment," said Robert G. Burton, Sr., Cenveo's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We are well-positioned to execute and manage all aspects of this program successfully and with the level of quality and security expected. We are honored to be a part of this program that will achieve a lasting impact to the future of our country." The contract will involve the manufacturing and fulfillment of 1.6 billion pieces, including letters, envelopes, inserts, questionnaires and postcards. The majority of the work will be performed at Cenveo's printing and binding facilities located in Southern California (Los Angeles) locations and other work performed across the United States. Click Read More below for additional information.

Net sales in the third quarter of 2017 were $329.5 million compared to $382.7 million in the same period last year, a decline of 13.9%. The Company generated net sales of $1.01 billion for the nine months ended September 30, 2017, compared to $1.16 billion for the same period last year, a decline of 13.1%. The sales decline for both the three and nine month periods was primarily driven by: (i) lower sales in the envelope segment, primarily due to lower direct mail demand primarily from our financial institution customers and lower demand in our wholesale and generic transactional envelope product lines primarily due to marketplace trends; (ii) lower sales volumes in the commercial print group and the publisher services group, primarily driven by lower customer demand and continued pricing pressures; and (iii) lower sales in the label segment, primarily due to the decision to exit our coating operation which was completed in the second quarter of 2016, and lower sales driven by customer demand and product mix changes. Operating loss was $0.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2017, compared to operating income of $20.2 million in the same period last year. Operating income was $22.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2017, compared to operating income of $51.9 million for the same period last year, a decline of 56.5%. The decline during the three months ended September 30, 2017 was primarily due to lower gross profit resulting from lower sales volumes and intangible asset impairments of $7.7 million driven by our current and expected future operating results for certain product lines. The declines in the nine months ended September 30, 2017 were primarily due to lower gross profit resulting from lower sales volumes, the impact of the decision to exit the coating operation, intangible asset impairments of $7.7 million driven by our current and expected future operating results for certain product lines, and higher restructuring and other charges resulting from the 2017 Profitability Improvement Plan. Click Read More below for additional information.

LSC Communications announced that it has acquired the Quality Park envelope business from Cenveo. Quality Park is a leading producer of quality envelopes, mailing supplies and assorted packaging items. Jim Ellward, President of the TOPS Products division of LSC Communications, commented, “We're excited to bring the strong Quality Park brand into our stable of well respected and widely known brands such as Adams, Ampad, Cardinal, Oxford, Pendaflex and TOPS. Taking advantage of the synergies between TOPS Products and Quality Park will enable us to enhance our office solutions offering to extend deeper into new and existing relationships.”

•Group sales almost the same as previous year at €1,054 million •Operating result (EBITDA) improves from €45 million to €60 million – EBITDA margin reaches 8.2 percent in second quarter •Net result after taxes increases by €28 million – positive half-year result for the first time in ten years •Success in strategic development – high demand for digital presses, establishment of new business models, and kickoff of a transformation program to drive operational excellence. Click Read More below for additional information.

HP Inc. expanded its 3D printing portfolio with the announcement of the new HP Jet Fusion 3D 4210 Printing Solution. Designed for industrial-scale 3D manufacturing environments, the new solution significantly lowers overall operating costs while increasing production volume capabilities, raising the “break-even point” for large-scale 3D manufacturing to up to 110,000 parts1 and enabling the industry’s lowest cost-per-part (CPP) - up to 65% less than other 3D printing methods.2 Existing Jet Fusion customers can pre-order the 3D 4210 Printing Solution upgrade today, and new customers can purchase Jet Fusion systems now with the option to pre-order the 4210 system upgrade.3 HP also announced the expansion of its innovative Open Materials Platform with new partners Dressler Group and Lubrizol, as well as three new forthcoming 3D printing materials: HP 3D High Reusability PA 11 and HP 3D High Reusability PA 12 Glass Beads4, and the future availability of HP 3D High Reusability Polypropylene. The new materials, developed at HP’s innovative 3D Open Materials and Applications Labs, will broaden the uses and capabilities of HP Multi Jet Fusion technology and open a world of new high-volume applications. Click Read More below for additional information.

Allen Press, Inc. will host a community open house on Thursday, November 9, 2017 to celebrate its Digital Production Center grand opening. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is open to the public. A Lawrence Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting ceremony will begin at 11:30 a.m. with remarks from Lawrence City Commission Representative Lisa Larsen and Chamber of Commerce Board member Phil Bradley. Afterwards, guests will have the opportunity to chat with printing, mailing and marketing experts, meet their local sales representative Paula Gibbs, tour the plant and see live demonstrations of two new state-of-the-art digital presses and a variety of high tech finishing equipment. Complimentary food and beverages will be served throughout the day. “Allen Press is a proud staple that has contributed to the Lawrence community for over 80 years,” said Allen Press CEO Randy Radosevich. “We believe it’s important to connect with local residents and the businesses we serve so they continue to be a part of what we’re up to, and with our new digital production equipment and increased creative services capabilities, what better time than now to celebrate together that for the first time we are able to serve everyone’s complete marketing needs.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Transcontinental Inc. announces the consolidation of its newspaper printing activities in Québec into three plants, and consequently the closure of Montréal-based Transcontinental Métropolitain in late January 2018. The printing activities will be mainly transferred to the Transcontinental Transmag plant in Montréal, which has state-of-the-art equipment. The regional plants of Transcontinental de la Capitale in Québec City and Transcontinental Qualimax in Gatineau will also take in volume upon transfer of activities which will take place progressively beginning in early January. This decision was made in the context of the decline in the newspaper printing market, and more specifically in connection with the upcoming end of the printing of La Presse newspaper. The plant closure will enable the Corporation to optimize its newspaper printing platform in order to stay competitive. Customers will continue to be served with quality products by TC Transcontinental Printing's network and its talented teams. Click Read More below for additional information.

Blackford Capital is excited to announce the acquisition of Kingsport Book. Kingsport Book is the second company in the book printing industry to be acquired by Printing Consolidation Company - a Blackford Capital portfolio company - which also owns Dickinson. Kingsport Book has developed a strong reputation as a high-end book finishing and fulfillment company, located in Church Hill, Tenn. In its 120,000-sq.-ft. facility, the company has developed an equipment platform that can flexibly service deluxe, trade, and soft-cover books at quantities ranging from one to a million. "The addition of Kingsport Book is in direct response to the needs of our customers. The ability to manufacture deluxe books domestically with very short-turn times, is one of the core requests we have heard from our customers base," says Aaron Day, CEO of Printing Consolidation Company (PCC) and Dickinson. Click Read More below for additional information.

Electronics For Imaging, Inc. announced the availability of a new EFI™ Fiery® digital front end (DFE) for the Xerox® iGen® 5 Press. The Xerox EX-P 5 Print Server Powered by Fiery first made its debut at PRINT 17. The new Fiery DFE supports the iGen 5 Press' new White Dry Ink capability, and is the first commercially available DFE on the new Fiery FS300 Pro platform. "We believe the new capabilities with the Fiery DFE will be a significant asset to our customers, especially as it relates to optimizing our fifth station options," said Ragni Mehta, vice president and general manager, Cut Sheet Business, Xerox. "This partnership with EFI will allow Xerox to capitalize on the ability of White Dry Ink and other specialty colors to increase the breadth of applications that can be produced on the Xerox iGen 5 Press." Click Read More below for additional information.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company announced it has taken the ParityPledge™, building on its commitment to improving the pathway for women in leadership positions. The ParityPledge asks that companies commit to interviewing at least one qualified woman candidate for every open position, vice president and above, including the C-suite and board. The ParityPledge is an initiative of Parity.org, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused on bringing gender equality to the highest levels of business. “I am thrilled to make this pledge on behalf of RRD to champion the advancement of women in business,” said Sheila Rutt, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at RRD. “Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is fundamental to our ability to meet the needs of our current and future clients, drive business success and promote a high-performance culture. The ParityPledge strengthens our commitment to gender parity in the RRD workforce and broader dedication to diversity and inclusion in the highest levels of corporations today.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Third quarter net sales were $935 million, down $14 million, or 1.5%, from the third quarter of 2016. Pro forma for acquisitions completed in the last four quarters, changes in foreign exchange rates, and pass-through paper sales, organic net sales decreased 6.6% from the third quarter of 2016. The decrease in organic net sales was due to lower volume and price declines in both the Print and Office Products segments. Third quarter 2017 net loss was $3 million, or $0.07 per diluted share, compared to net income of $38 million, or $1.17 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2016. The third quarter of 2017 included $19 million of interest expense primarily related to debt issued in connection with the October 1, 2016 separation from RR Donnelley & Sons Company, while no interest expense was allocated to LSC Communications in the third quarter of 2016. The effective tax rate for the third quarter of 2017 reflected the impact of non-deductible goodwill impairment charges. Click Read More below for additional information.

The U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) Director Davita Vance-Cooks has announced her departure from federal service to accept a job in the private sector. By law, GPO Deputy Director Jim Bradley assumes the duties of Acting GPO Director until a replacement is appointed. Vance-Cooks was nominated by President Obama and confirmed by the Senate in 2013 to be the 27th Public Printer of the United States. Prior to confirmation, she served as Acting Public Printer for 19 months. A seasoned business executive with more than 35 years of private sector and federal management experience, she was the first woman and the first African-American to lead the agency. In 2014, legislation proposed by Vance-Cooks was signed into law modernizing the GPO’s name to the Government Publishing Office, in recognition of the agency’s successful transition to digital publishing technologies. That law also abolished the outdated title of “Public Printer,” renaming GPO’s chief executive as the agency’s Director. Click Read More below for additional information.

Summary Results: Net earnings improved during the third quarter of 2017 to $20 million, a $9 million year-over-year increase, despite a 4.8% decrease in net sales to $1.0 billion. Organic sales decreased 3.7% due to ongoing industry volume and pricing pressures after excluding pass-through paper sales (-1.2% impact) and foreign exchange (+0.1% impact), and is consistent with the Company’s previous guidance. Diluted earnings per share for the third quarter of 2017 improved to $0.38 compared to $0.22 in 2016 primarily due to lower depreciation and amortization, and cost reductions and productivity improvement activities. Third quarter 2017 Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA decreased to $116 million compared to $122 million in 2016; however, due to ongoing productivity improvements and sustainable cost reductions, the Company was able to keep Adjusted EBITDA margin flat year-over-year at 11.5%. Net earnings improved for the nine months ended September 30, 2017, to $52 million, a $45 million increase from 2016, despite a 5.2% decrease in net sales to $3.0 billion. Organic sales decreased 3.7% due to ongoing industry volume and pricing pressures after excluding pass-through paper sales (-1.4% impact) and foreign exchange (-0.1% impact). Diluted earnings per share improved to $1.01 during the nine months ended September 30, 2017, compared to $0.15 in 2016. Year-to-date Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA was $334 million, a 1.8% decrease from 2016, and Adjusted EBITDA margin improved to 11.2% as compared to 10.9% in 2016. Click Read More below for additional information.

Third Quarter 2017 Highlights: Net sales in the quarter were $1.73 billion, up $9.3 million or 0.5% from the third quarter of 2016. On an organic basis, consolidated net sales decreased 0.4% driven by volume growth in the International and Strategic Services segments and favorable changes in fuel surcharges which were more than offset by net volume declines in the Variable Print segment, lower postage pass through sales in the Strategic Services segment and modest price erosion across all segments. Gross profit in the third quarter of 2017 was $324.4 million or 18.7% of net sales versus $364.2 million or 21.1% of net sales in the prior year quarter. The positive impact from our cost reduction initiatives was more than offset by an OPEB curtailment gain in the prior year period and unfavorable mix, modest price pressure, start-up costs related to a new facility in Asia and higher costs of transportation as a result of the hurricanes in the current period. Click Read More below for additional information.

Electronics For Imaging, Inc. and Xeikon announced they have entered into an exclusive partnership for the EFI™ Jetrion® digital label and narrow web inkjet printing systems. Under the partnership, Xeikon will service, support and supply the worldwide Jetrion customer base, and continue the direct sales of Jetrion digital label printing systems as part of the Xeikon portfolio of digital dry toner and UV inkjet presses for the self-adhesive label market. "EFI Jetrion printing systems have helped to establish the market for industrial digital inkjet label production, and the numerous innovations developed for high-resolution Jetrion technology — including high-end, production-class LED imaging, superior opaque white ink and true all-in-one integrated print, varnish, cut and slit systems — have given EFI Jetrion the largest installed base of UV inkjet label presses in the world," said Guy Gecht, EFI CEO. "As we expand our portfolio of industrial inkjet products, we prioritized our go to market investment and resources. It was a clear choice for us to pick Xeikon, one of the undisputed leaders in digital label printing, as the ideal partner to continue a trustworthy sales and service operation for the Jetrion product line." Click Read More below for additional information.

HP Inc. announced the completion of its acquisition of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.’s printer business in a deal valued at $1.05 billion. A3 represents HP’s largest growth opportunity in business printing. The combination with Samsung expands HP’s portfolio, accelerates its ability to disrupt the $55B A3 copier segment with superior multifunction printing technology, and strengthens its leading A4 laser printing business. Samsung also brings compelling intellectual property of more than 6,500 print patents and a world-class workforce of nearly 1,300 researchers and engineers with expertise in laser technology, imaging electronics and supplies and accessories. “As we ignite a renaissance in printing, we’re thrilled to bring together the industry’s best and brightest talent,” said Dion Weisler, President and CEO, HP Inc. “Together, we will build on more than 30 years of print leadership to accelerate our strategy, disrupt new market opportunities, and provide our customers and partners with unique and highly innovative print solutions. Click Read More below for additional information.

Nosco Inc., a subsidiary of Holden Industries, has announced that it has acquired Gooding Company, a New York-based insert and outsert manufacturer with over 141 years of printing experience. Through the acquisition of Gooding, Nosco will add an additional manufacturing facility on the East Coast that will help reduce lead times, lower packaging costs and provide an expanded portfolio of folded literature. Gooding was established in 1876 in Lockport, N.Y. In 1990, the company was sold to current president, Jerry Hace. Under Hace's leadership, the company began focusing on enclosures for the medical and pharmaceutical industries, in addition to other markets. Click Read More below for additional information.

Three Z recently added a Goss M-500 to expand its printing operations. The M-500 is known for its proven technology and ability to deliver high print quality, efficiency and reliability at up to 40,000 impressions per hour. Affordability, straightforward design and versatility are all hallmarks of the M500. “Given Three Z’s extensive line of Goss equipment, the M-500 was a logical step to enhance their operations with a minimal learning curve for the staff,” explains Alexander Lutton, Goss Project Manager. “The features of this equipment will help to ensure that Three Z will remain one of the top commercial printers in the US.” Click Read More below for additional information.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2017, the Company reported revenue of $724.1 million, down 0.2% year-over-year compared to $725.4 million for the same period in 2016. GAAP net income was $9.4 million or $0.20 per diluted share, compared to $25.0 million or $0.52 per diluted share for the same period in 2016. Non-GAAP net income was $74.0 million or $1.57 per diluted share, compared to non-GAAP net income of $80.5 million or $1.68 per diluted share for the same period in 2016. Cash flow from operating activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2017, was $42.4 million, down 24% compared to $55.8 million during the same period in 2016. "We are clearly disappointed in the third quarter results, which fell below our expectations largely due to delayed deals in our direct business," said Guy Gecht, CEO of EFI. "To reaccelerate growth, we are reallocating budget and talent toward our largest opportunities, in textile and packaging, along with making organizational changes and adding senior positions to improve focus and execution." Click Read More below for additional information.

Wisconsin printing company Quad/Graphics Inc. will shut down its plant in Waseca, Minn. KSTP reports on the announcement by Quad/Graphics, which said that about 30 employees at the 365-person plant would stay on to support area clients, but the bulk of the plant's work will be shifted elsewhere in the country. Click Read More below for additional information.

Allen Press, Inc. is pleased to announce that Paula Gibbs has been promoted to Sales Executive. Gibbs joined Allen Press in February 2017 as an Account Manager. As Sales Executive, Gibbs will lead sales efforts in the eastern Kansas region, including Lawrence, Kansas City, Topeka and Manhattan. Gibbs will work closely with the Allen Press marketing and operations teams with a focus on growing digital printing, direct mail and marketing communications services. “It’s our goal to be a printing, direct mail and marketing leader in Lawrence and the surrounding areas. Paula is a natural fit to build community relationships and to help local businesses grow,” said Maria Preston-Cargill, Allen Press Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Paula’s experience in multiple areas of the industry and her enthusiasm for printing will serve her and her customers well as she takes on this new role.” Click Read More below for additional information.

Transcontinental Inc.'s Media Sector, TC Media, announced the sale of its Sorel-Tracy-based weekly Les 2 Rives, as well as its related web property, to DBC Communications inc., a company led by its president, Mr. Benoit Chartier, also owner of the following newspapers: L'Oeil Régional, Le Clairon de Saint-Hyacinthe, La Pensée de Bagot, Gestion et Technologies Agricoles and Le Courrier de Saint-Hyacinthe, the longest-running French-language newspaper in America. The 8 employees of this newspaper are transferred to the acquirer. The Corporation would like to thank them for their professionalism and wishes them the best for the future. Furthermore, TC Transcontinental will continue to provide printing and distribution services as it already does for the other publications of the acquirer. This transaction is part of the process for the sale of TC Media's local and regional newspapers in Québec and Ontario, which was made public in a press release issued by Transcontinental Inc. on April 18. It is the second transaction between TC Media and DBC Communications since the beginning of the year. The first transaction was DBC Communications' acquisition of the assets and activities of L'Oeil Régional in Beloeil in March. We also note that the two companies have a long-standing business relationship dating back to 1979 when TC Transcontinental had acquired the Saint-Hyacinthe printing plant from the Chartier family.

• Revenue increased 8.5% year-over-year, driven by Small Business Services which grew 2.5% and includes the results of several small tuck-in acquisitions and from growth in Financial Services of 28.0% driven by the results of FMCG Direct and Data Support Systems, which were acquired in the fourth quarter of 2016 and RDM Corporation, which was acquired in April 2017. • Revenue from marketing solutions and other services increased 30.2% year-over-year and grew to 40.2% of total revenue in the quarter. • Gross margin was 61.2% of revenue, compared to 63.8% in the third quarter of 2016. The impact of acquisitions and increased delivery and material costs this year were only partially offset by previous price increases and continued improvements in manufacturing productivity. • Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expense increased 2.4% from last year primarily due to additional SG&A expense from acquisitions which was partially offset by continued cost reduction initiatives in all segments. SG&A as a percent of revenue was well leveraged at 40.8% in the quarter compared to 43.2% last year. Click Read More below for additional information.

“Heidelberg’s Coating Days are the most efficient way for Heidelberg to share expertise aimed at further optimizing the productivity of coating applications in conventional, UV, and LED jobs,” says Bernhard Steinel, Head of the Lifecycle Solutions Business Unit at Heidelberg, in summarizing the event’s benefit. For the seventh time in succession, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) welcomed printers and production managers from France, Germany, Benelux, Eastern Europe, Austria, and Switzerland to benefit from additional expertise in relation to coating applications. Around 120 attendees came this year to the exclusive four-day learning event, which was held from 15 to 19 September in Wiesloch-Walldorf. The event focused on the Heidelberg Saphira range of LED coatings for matt, gloss, and drip-off applications as well as a relief coating application, where comparable coating amounts are applied using screen printing. Click Read More below for additional information.

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) has received awards from the German Design Council in Frankfurt for the outstanding design of its machines, as it was announced on 20 October in cooperation with the specialist journal “manager magazin”. The Award’s international jury honors design trends leading the way in the German design landscape. The Award, which was established in 2012, is one of the most respected of its kind worldwide, and is highly regarded well beyond specialist circles. The Speedmaster XL 106 offset printing press was selected as the winner for industrial applications, the new Primefire 106 digital printing press as the winner for digitized, personalized packaging, and the new Omnifire 250 as the winner for printing three-dimensional objects like balls, drinking bottles, or cell phone covers, with the Omnifire 1000 model receiving a special mention by the jury. Click Read More below for additional information.

The Minuteman Press franchise located at 3523 Eastern Avenue, Suite 4 in Davenport has been awarded the #1 ranking in the Printing and Promotions category by Locals Love Us Quad Cities. The #1 ranking was based on online votes that Locals Love Us tallied from local area residents in over 200 categories via their secure, online survey. During the voting period, Minuteman Press in Davenport used an effective cross media marketing approach to let their customers know about the online voting. Sue Grant of Minuteman Press Davenport explains, "We did an email blast to our customers at the beginning of September and a reminder again on September 25th. In addition, we visited our customers and gave them a Minuteman Press two-color 1/4 pad with voting directions on the top sheet. We also handed out orange foil wrapped chocolate coins in our store and explained the online voting process to our walk in customers as well." Click Read More below for additional information.