Minnesota-Based Taylor Corporation Acquires the Assets of Reindl Bindery (piworld.com)

LSC Communications, Inc. (NYSE: LKSD), a leader in print and digital media solutions, announced today an equity investment and the signing of a definitive reseller agreement with Authors, Inc., an Austin, Texas based developer of machine learning and artificial intelligence applications for the Publishing Industry. With the goal of helping to increase publisher revenues, LSC will harness Authors, Inc. technology to offer new services for publishers, including intelligent editorial analysis, automated keyword enhancement and actionable insights. Machine learning and AI help make titles discoverable by recommending keywords, re-calibrating metadata dynamically based on quarterly performance, and assessing content to help predict the next bestseller. “In our continued journey to invest in new technologies, we are thrilled to be making an investment in Authors, Inc.” said Thomas J. Quinlan III, Chairman and CEO of LSC. “Machine learning and AI are positively impacting many industries and we are excited about the new products and solutions we are bringing to publishers.” Click Read More below for additional detail.

It’s not a major surprise, really, that our 38th annual ranking of the largest printing industry companies in the U.S. and Canada, as ranked by annual sales, is now the 2021 Printing Impressions 300 — and not the Printing Impressions 350 that appeared in 2020. After all, the majority of the graphic arts businesses on our venerable list reported their calendar 2020 annual sales as their most recent fiscal year, with calendar 2019 representing their previous year sales. Given the onslaught, and subsequent shutdowns, of many segments of the U.S. economy beginning in March 2020 due to COVID-19, it’s understandable that CEOs of commercial printing companies were not racing to report their annual sales numbers. And, although the printing industry was ultimately deemed “essential,” many of the vertical markets that these primarily privately-held printing businesses serve were not. Combine that with all the business uncertainty among marketers, brand owners, retailers, and other print buyers, it’s no surprise that many companies appearing on our 2021 list in this issue reported double-digit annual revenue drops.

The C.J. Group of Companies is proud to announce the addition of Clixx, one of the top mailing facilities in Canada, to its roster of 30 companies. “This acquisition is a great fit for our ever-expanding group of companies,” says Jay Mandarino, president and CEO of the C.J. Group of Companies (CJG). “There is a lot of synergy between our two organizations. Quality and workmanship with exceptional service are paramount at both CJG and Clixx.” The acquisition adds a host of quality equipment and services to the group’s existing resources, increasing C.J.’s production capabilities and boosting its overall versatility. Clixx offers a full line of direct mail services such as digital variable data printing and binding, in-house data and postal technology, pick and pack, kitting and fulfillment, inserting, tipping, and many other customized services. “With direct mail increasing each year this will be a great addition and was the last missing link to having all solutions under one roof to better serve our clients,” notes Mandarino. Click Read More below for additional detail.