RRD to Expand Capacity With Installation of More than 15 HP Indigo and PageWide Presses (piworld.com)

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.

Heeter, a full-service provider of secure print, direct mail, and fulfillment solutions, announced the formal opening of its next-generation Digital Print Center, a $4M investment that signifies the impact its growing digital print operation is delivering for its customer base. Serving industries such as healthcare, insurance, gaming, retail, pharmaceutical and education, Heeter has successfully transferred 60% of its operations to digital over the past 5 years. This has resulted in: *A 65% increase in capacity *35% reduction in turnaround times *25% more energy efficient *Over 80 new customers in the last 4 years

The final chapter has been written for Offset Paperback Manufacturers (OPM), based in Dallas, Pa., with the end of May closure of what, in its heyday, was reportedly the largest paperback book manufacturing plant in the world — employing nearly 1,000 unionized workers, within a 24/7 operation, and capable of producing more than 250 million books per year. Founded in 1972, several generations of local families were employed at the OPM Back Mountain facility, but the employee head counts had dwindled over the years with various rounds of cutbacks and retirements. CapEx investments were also not being made at OPM to replace what was an aging fleet of offset presses and ancillary equipment, which impacted OPM's efficiency and operating cost structure.