The manufacturing sector expanded in January for the first time in a year, with the Institute for Supply Management’s latest Purchasing Managers’ Index reaching its highest point since February 2022.  ISM’s index registered 52.6% last month, up 4.7 percentage points from December, which was the lowest manufacturing activity point in 2025. A PMI index below 50% indicates an industry in contraction. Only 20% of the manufacturing sector is in contraction, compared to 85% in December. Printing and related support activities are in the growth category.

Next week, Midland Paper, Packaging + Supplies, one of North America's largest independent distributors of media for business communications, will be participating for a third year in a row as a Gold Sponsor in the thINK 2017 Customer Conference. This exclusive industry event will take place in Boca Raton, FL from October 9 - 11. thINK 2017 is one of the largest invitation-only, hosted summits designed for senior managers and business executives who want to understand how Canon Solutions America’s production inkjet printing technology, software and solutions will help them grow their business now and in the future. The event is sold out with over 500 Canon Solutions America customers, industry leaders and solution partners coming together as a powerful community designed to connect, collaborate and inspire. “We are honored and excited to once again participate as a founding partner of this incredibly important independent user group and industry event. Our goal at Midland is to help Canon customers across the country address their most challenging inkjet media needs with new products and solid solutions”, said David Field, Midland’s Senior Business Manager, Inkjet Technologies. Click Read More below for additional detail.

The company’s acquisition has been finalized. Feldmuehle Uetersen announced that it will be transferred to a subsidiary of the Berlin-based Beteiligungsgesellschaft Kairos Industries with effect from 15 June 2018 and will be continued in full. ‘Feldmuehle’ was founded specially for the transfer. The insolvency administrator and restructuring expert Dr. Tjark Thies from the Hamburg law firm Reimer Rechtsanwälte had concluded an acquisition agreement with Kairos in May 2018. This agreement was under several challenging conditions, which were met the week ended June 15. "The successful completion of this refurbishment is largely thanks to the dedication, flexibility and responsiveness of the Feldmuehle employees," says Thies.