Paper Clips

As the printing industry’s need for new talent intensifies, its most thoroughly conceived partnership for workforce development is making steady progress on multiple fronts. Mariano Rivera, a legend in Major League Baseball and a philanthropist in private life, is working with printing companies and suppliers in Florida, Texas, and the Northeast to expand a vocational training program aimed at equipping underserved young people with sets of certified and highly employable job skills.

Prinovis management informed the 545-strong workforce at Prinovis Ahrensburg, near Hamburg, last Thursday that it would cease operations at the site by 31 January 2024. Ulrich Cordes, managing director of Prinovis and CFO of Bertelsmann Printing Group, described the decision to close the loss-making site as a difficult but unavoidable due to market conditions. The company blamed the structural decline in the European gravure printing market over the past decade driven by falling demand for high-volume magazines and catalogues.

Supremex Inc., a leading North American manufacturer and marketer of envelopes and a growing provider of paper-based packaging solutions, announced today the acquisition of the shares of Impression Paragraph Inc. (“Paragraph”), an integrated provider of paper-based packaging, print and point of sale products for a broad range of commercial markets. The transaction was concluded for a total consideration of approximately $26.6 million, on a cash-free and debt-free basis, subject to customary adjustments, financed through the Company’s existing credit facility. Founded more than 35 years ago, Paragraph operates two facilities located in Ville-Saint-Laurent and Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec. Its offering consists primarily of folding carton packaging and point-of-sale displays for the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, food, confectionary and retail sectors. It also provides an array of commercial, digital and wide-format printing. For the 12-month period ended October 31, 2022, Paragraph generated sales of approximately $38.6 million.

Tweddle Group is pleased to announce that Todd Headlee has been named the new President of the company. An experienced executive with a background in digital transformation technology, Mr. Headlee succeeded the retiring Mark Berkey in the role on January 9, 2023. Headlee most recently served as Head of Products and Platforms at 1898 & Co., a global business and technology consultancy. His 30-year career includes work across the automotive and energy sectors, a unique combination that will help Tweddle Group assist its OEM partners as they increasingly pivot toward electric vehicles.

People are tired of looking at screens. Since February 2020, the number of weekly virtual meetings has risen around 150%, with the amount of time people spend in those meetings up around 252% — that is a lot of time staring at screens all day long. For marketers looking to reach that same audience, online or mobile ads are losing their effectiveness as people seek to step away from the digital world when they end their workday. This is where direct mail comes in — a medium that has never gone away, but is seeing a resurgence post-pandemic. “There has been a permanent change in how mail is being used as a marketing channel,” Gary Masse, CEO of IWCO Direct, points out. “Now mail is the channel that breaks through the digital clutter to gain your prospects’ attention, while being coordinated with online channels to drive greater response in all channels.” Deloitte’s “2021 Connectivity and Mobile Trends Survey” found that the average household now has an average of 25 connected devices, with 38% of households connecting additional devices in the past few years.

Nearly 20 printing companies are interested in hiring at least some of the 656 LSC Communications workers who are set to be laid off by March 31. Many of those jobs, however, are not in the Lancaster area. LSC announced last week it planned to shutter its two Lancaster city plants amid a decline in demand for catalogs and magazines. “Sixteen printing companies have reached out to us directly so far,” Melissa Noebes, senior vice president LSC Communications, told LNP | LancasterOnline. “At least a half dozen are in the greater Lancaster area. A few more are located just across the Maryland border. In addition, we have inquiries coming in from printing companies around the country, many of whom are offering generous relocation packages.” She did not respond to a request to provide names of the companies.

It looks like rough going for the commercial printing industry in 2023, with labor shortages, cost inflation, supply chain disruptions continuing, and the American economy slowing appreciably. But even the harshest business climates bring opportunity. Some industries hold up well, creating pockets of growth, and market share and quality employees become available as the unprepared retrench or fail. Keys to capturing the opportunity include acting on leading indicators, marketing for the times, and superior focus and execution. The 162 commercial printing companies that participated in the “2022-23 PRINTING United Alliance State of the Industry Survey” (SOI) spoke frankly about their expectations for the coming year. Just 25.3% expect business conditions to be better than this year, 40.4% about the same, and 34.3% worse.

CJK Group, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has completed an agreement to acquire the assets of venerable print and publishing services company Allen Press, located in Lawrence, Kansas. This acquisition is unique for CJK Group in that it will supplement and expand services and capabilities to both the Sheridan print operations in addition to its KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd. (KGL) content solutions company. Allen Press originated in 1935 as a family-owned company serving a local print market and grew to incorporate a wide variety of editorial, production, marketing, and digital services tailored to the needs of independent society and association publishers. The print facility will be renamed Sheridan Kansas, bringing the number of Sheridan’s print locations across the country to a total of ten.

LSC Communications is closing both of its printing plants in Lancaster County. More than 650 employees will be out of work when the plants close on March 31. LSC spun off from R.R. Donnelley in 2016. R.R. Donnelly, based in Chicago, has a history in Lancaster dating back to 1960. It was one of the world's leading printing companies. LSC operates printing plants on Harrisburg Pike and Greenfield Road. The plants printed department store catalogs and telephone directories and later moved into online mapping.

Mittera has acquired Atlanta-based commercial printer, Geographics, Inc. Geographics is the leading web, sheetfed, digital printing, and fulfillment company in the greater Atlanta region. With nearly 100 employees, Geographics has a well-known track record of providing superb print solutions to clients ranging from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies. “With this acquisition, Geographics customers will now have access to one of the most robust manufacturing platforms, and complete suite of creative, marketing, data, and technology solutions in the country”, said Jon Troen, CEO of Mittera, “all delivered by a group of knowledgeable professionals with the core focus of providing the best customer experience in the industry.”

Modern Litho-St. Louis, a full-service commercial printer and mailer, announces it has acquired Scotts Printing of Rolla effective December 31st, 2022. Serving similar clientele, Scotts Printing operation pairs well with the business model of Modern Litho’s St. Louis facility, located on The Hill at 5111 Southwest Ave. “Scotts Printing has had a successful presence in the regional print industry for many years with well-established customer relationships and high standards of service. We are grateful to have them on board and look forward to a bright future,” commented Skip Bray, Modern Litho- St. Louis President.

Sheridan is excited to announce the development and implementation of Sheridan Academy, a proprietary training program structured to support and sustain the continuous learning and performance improvement of the next generation of workers. Sheridan Academy provides senior level employees the opportunity to impart their knowledge, wisdom, and best practices – via a comprehensive standardized training program – to those that have a desire to grow their career with Sheridan. It is not just for new hires. Once fully developed, Sheridan Academy will outline both vertical and horizontal career development paths for operators, staff, and leadership, so that employees can grow their skills in multiple areas of the business.

Highlights: *Increase in revenues and earnings in the Packaging Sector and the Media Sector. *Revenues of $802.2 million for the quarter ended October 30, 2022; operating earnings of $85.3 million; and net earnings attributable to shareholders of the Corporation of $60.4 million ($0.70 per share). *Significant contributions from the acquisitions completed during the fiscal year to the earnings of the Corporation.

Color Ink announces the purchase of HM Graphics of Milwaukee, WI. HM Graphics ranks among the nation’s elite, full-service commercial printing companies. For over 50 years, they have provided their clients with the highest caliber of services and craftsmanship that the printing industry has to offer. This will allow Color Ink to expand their business with the addition of highly skilled employees and the ability to offer more creative printing services…to include sheet-fed commercial printing, packaging, wide-format visual displays and fulfillment.

It is no secret that the U.S. printing business had been battered for years as the popularity of digital formats significantly reduced demand for magazines, catalogs, and other printed materials. While sales of books held up better than those of their print counterparts, many of the largest printers worked across multiple product lines. And as a result, some of the industry giants (R.R. Donnelley, Quad Graphics) underwent wholesale makeovers, while smaller companies either closed or merged to cope with the plunge in demand. At a spring webinar presented by PW and Westchester Publishing Services, Jim Fetherston, president and CEO at the printer Worzalla noted that when the pandemic hit and book sales unexpectedly surged, North American printing capacity was at “historic low levels,” which led to demand exceeding capacity for the first time in years.

Ennis, Inc. announced its acquisition of School Photo Marketing in Morganville, New Jersey. School Photo Marketing provides printing, yearbook publishing and marketing-related services to over 1,400 school and sports photographers servicing schools around the country. Keith Walters, Chairman, President & CEO of the Company, stated, “We are delighted to have the opportunity to bring School Photo Marketing, their employees, and their customers into the Ennis family. This addition brings with it many exciting possibilities to service this new channel with products produced through Ennis manufacturing operations.” School Photo Marketing operates through a similar wholesale manufacturer-distributor-end user channel as Ennis currently operates.

KGL PubFactory, the online hosting division of KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd. (KGL), has announced another longstanding customer contract renewal, this time with international social science publisher, Brill. Having doubled its web business over the past six years, Brill will continue to take advantage of the latest enhancements of the PubFactory platform in an extended relationship. Brill publishes more than 2,000 books and reference works per year, in addition to almost 600 journals—including 42 fully Open Access titles—mainly in the humanities, social sciences, and international law. Brill has expanded in recent years through acquisitions of Dutch biological sciences publisher, Wageningen Academic Publishers, and German humanities publisher, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht Verlage.

Worzalla, an employee-owned book printer specializing in printing high-quality children's books, movie tie-in books and cookbooks, raised nearly $50,000 for the United Way of Portage County's Live United, Give United campaign. Money raised for the campaign will go to United Way programs that help Portage County families in need. "Worzalla associates know that when we all come together, we can have a great impact on our community. For at least the third year in a row, Worzalla associates raised funds for the United Way of Portage County" said Kendra Robinson, Worzalla's United Way Campaign Coordinator. "With a mission of bringing people and resources together to achieve measurable results that improve people's lives and strengthen our community, the United Way continues to support the new and ongoing challenges the less fortunate face."

It’s the end of an era for publication gravure printing in the UK with news that the last remaining exponent – Prinovis in Liverpool – is to close. The news, which had been the subject of increasing industry speculation since Prinovis lost the DMG Media contract just over a year ago, was confirmed this afternoon (7 November). Prinovis said the decline in the gravure market since 2019 had rendered the business unsustainable, despite support from parent company Bertelsmann and some new customer wins in recent months, including TV Choice for Bauer.

Third Quarter Financial Highlights and Recent Events * Total revenue increased by 23.9% to $67.9 million, from $54.8 million in the third quarter of 2021. * Packaging and specialty products segment revenue of $18.8 million, up 5.8% from $17.8 million last year. * Envelope segment revenue up 32.6% to $49.1 million, from $37.0 million in the prior year. * Net Earnings increased significantly to $8.1 million, or 11.9% of revenue, from $3.4 million or 6.1% of revenue, last year. * Earnings per share of $0.31, up sharply from $0.13 a year ago. * Recorded no assistance from the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (“CEWS”) and Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (“CERS”) programs in the third quarter of 2022, compared to $0.6 million in the equivalent quarter of 2021. * Purchased 96,600 shares for a total consideration of $0.3 million as part of NCIB program. * Acquisition on November 1, 2022 of Royal Envelope Corporation (“Royal Envelope”) located in Chicago.

The Johnson Newspaper Corp., publisher of the Watertown Daily Times, Courier-Observer, St. Lawrence Plaindealer and Ogdensburg Journal, is closing its printing operations in Massena, New York. The company will move all of its printing to Watertown, according to North Country Now. The Massena press will probably be sold, and the building in Massena eventually closed. Some layoffs are expected.

*GAAP net sales, including the impact of foreign exchange, increased $113 million or 8.9%; *GAAP net income from continuing operations was up $26 million versus the prior year period *Cash used in operating activities during the nine months ended September 30, 2022 was $221 million compared to $29 million in the prior year period; current year results reflect working capital investments due to increased volume and inflation in addition to $80 million of merger related payments *Gross leverage ratio of 3.2x improved 0.5x from September 30, 2021; net leverage ratio of 2.7x improved 0.4x from the same period last year

Ultimate TechnoGraphics, leader in imposition and finishing automation software, is proud to work with SG360°, one of the top Direct Mail printing companies in North America. In a recently filmed customer testimonial by Inkish.tv, SG360° explains how they impose and produce thousands of print-ready files daily for their entire digital printing division across multiple plants using Ultimate Impostrip®. By implementing Ultimate Impostrip®, SG360° has grown their print business and now runs approximately 13-20 million clicks per month in total and 98% is variable data printing (VDP). As with anything, there are a range of variables that influence growth potential. For over 65 years, SG360° has thrived by responding to the changing needs of their diverse client base. What started as a regional commercial printer is today a national, industry-leading provider of direct marketing solutions. John Zawisza, Director of Digital Operations at SG360°, implemented Ultimate Impostrip® years ago when they started receiving larger variable jobs. Since then, he has witnessed the impact of this breakthrough technology in all areas of the business. The solution has grown and scaled with the company throughout the years and plays a key role in their print workflow.

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

Printing Industries Alliance (PIA) and the Graphic Arts Association (GAA) have announced a consolidation that forms one of the nation’s largest regional trade associations for the printing industry. The combined organization will launch officially on January 1, 2023 as the Print & Graphic Communications Association (PGCA). PIA represents printing companies and related businesses in New York State, northern New Jersey, and northwestern Pennsylvania. GAA’s region spans Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and Delaware. Combining the two bases gives PGCA 430 members in one of the world’s top markets for print and graphic services. Several years in the making, the merger was approved this summer by the two groups’ boards of directors and finalized by a vote of the members in the fall.

Recent Highlights *Achieved sixth consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth as Net Sales increased 18% in the third quarter of 2022 compared to the third quarter of 2021 due to print segment share gains, increased pricing in response to inflationary cost pressures, and increased sales in the Company’s international locations. *Recognized Net Earnings of $14 million in both the third quarter of 2022 and 2021, with 2021 Net Earnings including non-recurring gains of $18 million, net of tax, from a property insurance claim and a sale and leaseback of a production facility. *Repurchased 3.1 million shares of Quad Class A common stock for $10 million year-to-date, representing more than 5% of Quad’s outstanding shares.

Modern Litho, Inc., a publication and commercial printer based in Jefferson City, Missouri announces Jeff Davidson has been named President of Modern Litho-Print Co. as of November 1, 2022. As a member of the ownership group, Davidson has served as the Vice President of Corporate Strategy over the past six years and previously as General Manager of Brown Printing, a subsidiary of Modern Litho, Inc. He has been integral to the overall growth strategy of the company taking the lead on the last three major acquisitions: James Printing in Kansas City (2018), Mulligan Printing in St. Louis (2020) and Watkins Lithographic in Kansas City (2021). Another significant component of his role has been managing special projects which have included: new technology and equipment evaluation, human resources and employee relations, as well as product and service expansions and diversification. In 2014, he was recognized as a Top 20 under 40 printing executive by Printing Impressions. Since then, he has served on printing industry advisory boards and local nonprofit boards, most recently as the Chairman for the Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce.

Komori announced that Nosco®, a full-service packaging solutions provider, has purchased a nine-color Lithrone GX40RP advance (GLX940RP advance) dedicated two-sided press, with coater and LED-UV curing. Headquartered in Gurnee, Illinois, Nosco is a subsidiary of Holden Industries, Inc., which is a 100% employee-owned company. Investment in the new press is part of Nosco’s bold growth plans to scale up folding carton production at its Wisconsin-based Packaging Innovation Center by 125 million units in 2023. In support of that goal, the GLX940RP advance is uniquely configured to meet the specific needs of the company’s rapidly expanding pharmaceutical packaging business, which serves more than 450 of the major pharmaceutical companies across the United States. The GLX940RP advance, a recipient of the industry-renowned InterTech™ Technology Award, is a dedicated two-sided printing press that makes it possible for Nosco to provide up to eight-color printing on the outside and one color on the inside of the package that many pharmaceutical packaging applications require.

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta), a leader in industrial and commercial printing and packaging solutions, today announced a new digital embellishment press, the JETvarnish 3D 52L. Its B2 format targets a wide range of customers such as commercial and package printers. As the successor model to the JETvarnish 3D, this new digital embellishment press provides sensory print applications for printers of every size. The JETvarnish 3D 52L will allow printers, finishers and converters to have an in-house full production and prototyping print embellishment system without screens, dies or plates. The all-purpose patented varnish formula allows both flat 2D Spot UV highlighting and sculptured 3D raised special effects on a wide range of substrate stocks and up to 600gsm, from offset and digital inks to lamination films and aqueous coatings.

Moore, a leading constituent experience management company, announces the acquisition of Communications Corporation of America, an industry innovator of direct mail printing, data processing, personalization, finishing and mail processing. Moore has made the investment in CCA to add to its supply chain strength across printing, production and envelope manufacturing in the mid-Atlantic region. “As CCA celebrates our 51st anniversary and five years of successfully rebuilding after our catastrophic fire, we are ready to move forward. We see becoming a Moore company as a synergistic step that is the best fit for our clients and our CCA team,” said Linda Fisher, president of CCA and Direct Marketing Association of Washington Hall of Leaders member. “Through our partnerships with our clients, we create cutting-edge solutions that set us apart from our competitors. With Moore's well-known investment in innovation, we're excited to see what we can accomplish together."

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta), a leader in industrial and commercial printing and packaging solutions, is pleased to announce the installation of its AccurioJet KM-1 LED UV Inkjet Press at More Than Ink, celebrating 17 years as a family-owned and operated business providing quality printing to the North Florida market. More Than Ink is an eco-friendly print shop focused on digital printing which includes booklets, catalogs, envelopes, pads, brochures and folders. It offers direct and bulk mailing and design services as well as a large format department for signs, storefronts and trade show items. More Than Ink has used Konica Minolta presses for ten years, most recently purchasing the AccurioPress C6100 Digital Printing Color Press in 2020 and the bizhub PRESS C1085 Digital Printing Press in 2018.

The Print Industries Wage + Benefits Survey, which annually captures labor costs and human resource practices from nearly 500 print manufacturers and 15,000 employees across North America, is now available to members of Americas Printing Association Network (APAN,) an independent group of associations representing nearly 5,000 North American print manufacturers and their equipment and technology partners. “In today’s hyper-competitive labor market, access to up-to-date compensation trends are critical tools for those charged with managing a print workforce,” commented Teresa Campbell, program director and President of PIA MidAmerica. Sponsored by LB Carlson (lbcarlson.com), a financial and business management consulting firm, the Wage + Benefits 2022 Survey captures wages and benefits for nearly every industry position in sixteen different categories, all segmented by geographic region and company size.

The Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP), the leading certification authority in sustainable printing, announced today that Hatteras, Tinton Falls, NJ, has become the most recent facility to attain SGP certification. “Sustainability is very important to us as a company. We’re making every effort to be environmentally responsible and we’re also seeing more of our clients ask us about our sustainability initiatives,” said Bill Duerr, president, Hatteras. “Achieving SGP certification demonstrates to them that we’re following industry best practices and taking a leadership role in helping to protect the environment through green printing practices.”

Nahan, a full-service, direct marketing and print solutions provider, announced today it has won the Digital Printing/ Direct Marketing Best in Category Award at the PRINTING United Alliance Premier PRINT Awards for the South Dakota Department of Tourism “Your Guide to Great Finds” campaign. The mini-catalog campaign was created in collaboration with client Lawrence & Schiller to promote South Dakota’s unique travel destinations. “We’re honored that our collaboration with the South Dakota Department of Tourism and Lawrence & Schiller has been recognized by Printing United Alliance this year. It demonstrates the agility of the Nahan print platform and our ability to produce highly unique, and personalized print pieces,” said John Klumb, VP, Sales.

Tecnau builds on its expertise in online cutting and stacking for sheet-fed print with the introduction of BookReady, offering the converting of SRA3+ (~13” x 19”) sheet sizes printed in 2up and 4up into final size book blocks such as A4 and A5 (letter and 5.5” x 8.5”) ready for nearline perfect binding. BookReady changes applications on-the-fly without any manual intervention at full printing speed, enabling book printers to manage short runs and book on demand with exact page separation and no guillotine processing. The new cut-sheet finishing solution may be equipped with an automatic 90-degree turning station to rotate 2-up imposed sheets from long-edge leading to short-edge leading, so that printer speed is maximized and book of one is made possible.

Sun Chemical will increase prices effective immediately across its entire portfolio of packaging, commercial sheetfed, and screen inks, coatings, consumables, and adhesives in Europe, Middle East and Africa, effective October 1, 2022. The current geopolitical situation in Europe continues to upset the unprecedented inflationary trends further, with severe impact onto operating costs—including utilities and labour costs—through the entire supply chain. Sun Chemical continues to strive to find ways of mitigating these costs, but the magnitude and speed of cost increases requires the company to further increase prices. “Sun Chemical’s priority has been to keep supplying our customers, allowing them to keep their facilities operating,” said Mehran Yazdani, President, Global Packaging and Advanced Materials. “Sun Chemical’s global reach has helped secure the sourcing of raw materials and maintain production, however, the costs to secure those materials, manufacture our products, and deliver them to our customers have continued escalating to a level that requires us to raise further prices and surcharges effective immediately for all products. This will ensure we can continue a steady flow of our quality products to customers. Without signs of stabilisation so far, the situation will need to be adjusted as it goes, and no price guarantee can therefore be given for any period.”

Effective 1st January 2023, Flint Group will implement a global price increase in order to respond to continued inflationary pressures across multiple cost drivers. Following an extended period of volatility and cost escalation during the global coronavirus pandemic, it is clear that we are now witnessing a fundamental shift in global economic conditions. Markets around the world are grappling with extreme inflationary pressures and the disruption of global supply chains. Flint Group has continued to endure extraordinary cost increases in raw materials, packaging and freight which are now being exacerbated by additional inflationary pressures across a variety of other overheads - labour costs in particular.

HP showcased the HP Indigo V12 Digital Press to the labels and packaging industry for the first time alongside the HP Indigo 6K Digital Press and a wide range of solutions for sustainable packaging, automation and applications propelling new business opportunities. Many HP customers and partners, both longstanding and new, visited the HP booth. In total, 74 demonstrations of the HP Indigo V12 and 34 demonstrations of the HP Indigo 6K took place, giving attendees the chance to experience the capabilities of each press up close, and learn more about new business opportunities, including brand protection, smart packaging, sustainable packaging and diversification to flexible packaging.

Worzalla, an employee-owned book printer specializing in high-quality children's books, cookbooks, and hard-cover best sellers, recently hosted 12 associates from some of the nation's most prominent book publishers at its "Print University". The program is a 3-day long intensive workshop designed to educate those who work in the publishing industry about the book manufacturing process. "Worzalla was pleased to welcome our publisher partners to Stevens Points and to our facilities. I enjoy sharing the book printing process and my team also learns a lot about what's new in publishing from our participants," said Richard Letchinger, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Worzalla and the organizer of Print University. "Especially since books sales have grown in the last few years, it is invaluable to able to exchange ideas with our partners about the future of our industries." This year's graduates included Madison Oxx and James Neel of HarperCollins Publishers, Vincent Perez and Luke McCord of Penguin Random House, Emily Kleinburg, Chris Leonowicz, and Carolyn Telesca of Macmillan, Rosalie Khan and Jennette Cross of Hachette, Maggie Moore and Rachael Marks of Abrams and Kenneth Burnett of Ramsey Solutions.

Sun Chemical’s Color Materials division opened a state-of-the-art, energy-efficient mixing plant in Cologne, Germany. Sun Chemical Color Solutions, the masterbatch business of the Color Materials division, is responsible for the development, manufacture, and distribution of masterbatches to the plastics industry. The new mixing plant enables Sun Chemical to produce more efficiently and meet the plastics industry’s increasing quality requirements. Digitalized and automated processes, along with optimized internal transport routes, allow Sun Chemical to react more quickly to changes in customer requirements. The facility comprises over 1,700 square meters of floor space to ensure an increase in production capacity.

The Company’s revenues for the second quarter ended August 31, 2022 were $111.2 million compared to $100.5 million for the same quarter last year, an increase of $10.7 million, or 10.6%. Gross profit margin was $35.2 million, or 31.7%, as compared to $28.9 million, or 28.8%, for the same quarter last year. Net earnings for the quarter were $12.2 million, or $0.47 per diluted share, as compared to $7.5 million, or $0.29 per diluted share, for the same quarter last year. The Company’s revenues for the six-month period ended August 31, 2022 were $218.9 million compared to $197.4 million for the same period last year, an increase of $21.5 million or 10.9%. Gross profit margin was $69.2 million, or 31.6%, as compared to $58.1 million, or 29.4% for the six-month periods ended August 31, 2022 and August 31, 2021, respectively. Net earnings for the six-month period ended August 31, 2022 were $23.8 million, or $0.92 per diluted share compared to $14.8 million, or $0.57 per diluted share for the same period last year.

Midland invites you to PRINTING United Expo with a FREE Expo Pass. Use our Code: 240851 and visit our Booth #N1510. Visit our booth to chat with Specialty Media product specialists and see Midland’s newest products. Discover what’s next for your organization – infinite opportunities await you! Digital Sheet Fed Media + Specialty Offset Substrates + Production Inkjet Paper + Wide Format Inkjet Media. Register Now at: https://www.compusystems.com/servlet/ar?evt_uid=480&InvitesVIP=240851

The Occasions Group, a Taylor Corporation company, is pleased to announce that it has reached an agreement to acquire the assets of Accu Copy of Greenville, Inc. Headquartered in Greenville, N.C., Accu Copy does business under the AccuLink name to deliver commercial print, direct mail and promotional marketingproducts while its AccuFlex division focuses on the production of flexible packaging products. The acquisition of both AccuLink and AccuFlex expands Taylor’s reach and offers immediate growth opportunities in multiple core categories. "AccuLink is an ideal fit for The Occasions Group. It complements our business model perfectly and strengthens our capabilities for our distributor and reseller partners," says Nate Mullikin, enterprise leader at Taylor. "Like us, AccuLink has invested heavily in the digital print space. They operate one of North Carolina’s leading white-label e-commerce fulfillment facilities as well as a wide range of binding, finishing and direct mail services in-house, something we believe to be a long-term growth area."

Larry Martin is the plant director for Quad’s print-production plant in The Rock. As plant director, Martin oversees all plant and employee operations, strategy development, growth-planning initiatives, and more. He is a Georgia native and was named plant director at The Rock in March 2021. Martin’s career in printing began at Quad 28 years ago. He has worked in management for the last 18 years, and prior to being promoted to plant director, served as the plant’s finishing operations manager for 10.5 years. Martin credits much of his success to his cousin Trent Jones, who served as a mentor to Martin throughout his upbringing and worked 32 years as a saddle stitch operator at Quad. Finishing is one of Quad’s largest departments, with quality-assurance and exceptional customer service as top priorities. Martin says he gained immense insight on teamwork and relationship building as a leader in finishing. It provided him opportunities to interact with teams and individuals in every area of the plant, and to engage with clients from around the world, according to Quad officials.

Midland invites you to PRINTING United Expo with a FREE Expo Pass. Use our Code: 240851 and visit our Booth #N1510. Visit our booth to chat with Specialty Media product specialists and see Midland’s newest products. Discover what’s next for your organization – infinite opportunities await you! Digital Sheet Fed Media + Specialty Offset Substrates + Production Inkjet Paper + Wide Format Inkjet Media. Register Now at: https://www.compusystems.com/servlet/ar?evt_uid=480&InvitesVIP=240851

HP Inc. announced the new HP PageWide Advantage 2200 series press. Designed to meet the needs of print service providers of all sizes, this revolutionary press offers industry leading productivity with quality, and media versatility for those in publishing, direct mail, and commercial print, to help grow their business. “This new PageWide Advantage platform is a game changer for the commercial print industry,” said Annette Friskopp, Global Head and General Manager at HP PageWide. “HP has listened to our customers, and we realize ease of use and up-time are critical success factors. This new press offers configurations to enable customers to optimize the press for their quality, productivity, versatility, and economics to grow their digital production businesses.”

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company will spotlight its end-to-end, single-source paperboard packaging services at PACK EXPO (Oct. 23-26, 2022; McCormick Place; Booth W-22000). Offered to brands of all sizes and industries, the capabilities can streamline folding carton design and production, minimizing material waste, transportation, and associated costs. RRD's consultative service model encapsulates paperboard materials selection, best-fit manufacturing, enhancements, finishing, and other services like creative development and design, kitting, distribution optimization, warehouse and inventory management, and print collateral and labels. A team of RRD packaging experts identify opportunities for standardization, production, and near-site production and supply chain efficiencies. They also provide guidance on right-sizing, material reduction, component substitution, and treatment or decorative options that help brands reach their sustainability goals while connecting with their customers.

The Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP), the leading certification authority in sustainable printing, announced today that the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS), a non-governmental organization (NGO) working with policymakers, utilities, and others around the world to improve the policy climate for renewable development, has joined the SGP community as a Resource Partner. SGP Resource Partners are non-profits, NGOs and educational institutions engaged in promoting, teaching or researching in the areas of graphic arts and/or sustainability. Resource Partners are subject matter experts that assure the entire print community is empowered to advance sustainability in the printing industry supply chain.

Highlights *Significant increase in revenues and net earnings, including organic revenue growth in all three operating sectors. *Revenues of $747.8 million for the quarter ended July 31, 2022; operating earnings of $52.1 million; and net earnings attributable to shareholders of the Corporation of $34.1 million ($0.39 per share). *Acquired ERPI (Éditions du renouveau pédagogique inc.), an educational publisher, on June 13, 2022, to pursue the growth strategy for educational products, both print and digital. *Acquired Banaplast S.A.S., a flexible packaging company based in Armenia, Colombia, on June 22, 2022, which enables the Corporation to pursue its growth strategy with an expanded offering, in particular with banana tree bags and agro-mulches. *Unveiled the 2025 Corporate Social Responsibility Plan, on June 15, 2022, which includes ambitious targets, in particular with respect to the creation of a circular economy, the reduction of greenhouse gases and diversity.

TC Transcontinental announces the retirement of Brian Reid, President of TC Transcontinental Printing, following an outstanding career of 41 years with the company. He will be leaving his position October 30 and staying on until the end of January 2023 to facilitate the transition. Effective October 31, Senior Vice Presidents Nick Cannon, Patrick Brayley and Pierre Deslongchamps will take on expanded roles, reporting to Peter Brues, President and Chief Executive Officer. “It has been a great ride, more than 40 amazing years at TC Transcontinental. I leave with confidence in the future of the Printing Sector, a solid business with long-standing customers, large and small, and a highly talented, engaged and experienced team”, said Brian Reid, President, TC Transcontinental Printing. “I am grateful to our employees who, day in and day out, through their relentless work, make a difference for TC Transcontinental and its customers. It has been a privilege to be part of such a great company during all these years, and I thank our customers, the Board of Directors and the Marcoux family for their confidence.”

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company supported Siemens Healthineers to accelerate the delivery of rapid COVID-19 antigen self-tests to the U.S. market during a time of dire need. RRD, a Chicago-based company with nearly two decades of experience helping medical device clients optimize their supply chain, leveraged its ISO 13485 accredited facilities and ability to scale quickly to facilitate Siemens Healthineers’ time-sensitive project. Amid the peak of the COVID-19 Omicron variant outbreak in January 2022, Siemens Healthineers stepped up to make tens of millions of tests available to the U.S. population through state, federal, and local partnership efforts. The company sought to expand its warehouse space to meet growing demand to help accommodate the massive volumes of product. Siemens Healthineers collaborated with RRD, who had the ability, experience, and flexibility to upscale with uncertain demand. “It was critical to find a supplemental supply chain and warehouse solution that could help us supply high-quality test kits that would provide accurate COVID-19 results to the U.S. population. RRD’s ability to flex and adapt to changing demand helped address some of these needs,” said Joerg Berner, Acting Head of Point of Care Diagnostics at Siemens Healthineers.

Midland invites you to PRINTING United Expo wtih a FREE Expo Pass Use our Code: 240851 and visit our Booth #N1510. Visit our booth to chat with Specialty Media product specialists and see Midland’s newest products. Discover what’s next for your organization – infinite opportunities await you! Digital Sheet Fed Media + Specialty Offset Substrates + Production Inkjet Paper + Wide Format Inkjet Media. Register Now at: https://www.compusystems.com/servlet/ar?evt_uid=480&InvitesVIP=240851

Worzalla, an employee-owned printing company specializing in high-quality children’s books, movie tie-in books and cookbooks, for the fourth year in a row collected 600 pounds of school supplies as part of Project Fresh Start, a United Way of Portage County Volunteer Center program. Last year Project Fresh Start provided free school supplies to over 1,050 fourth to twelfth graders in Portage County who qualify for free and reduced lunch through their school district. “Project Fresh Start depends on the support of our community to help provide school supplies to students in need," said Brianne Petruzalek, Vice President of Human Resources at Worzalla. "Worzalla and its associates are proud to help prepare the students in Portage County schools for the upcoming school year and support United Way in their efforts to build a stronger community for all of us." Worzalla associates were incentivized to contribute to the school supplies drive through an internal contest. For each item donated, the employee received entry into a drawing to win paid time off or one of five $50 gift cards.

The Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP), the leading certification authority in sustainable printing, announced today that Dscoop, known as the world’s largest and most collaborative digital print and design community, has joined the SGP community as a Resource Partner. SGP Resource Partners are non-profits, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and educational institutions engaged in promoting, teaching or researching in the areas of graphic arts and/or sustainability. Resource Partners are subject-matter experts that assure the entire print community is empowered to advance sustainability in the printing industry supply chain. “Sustainability is important to the members of the Dscoop community and SGP is the leading authority on providing a data driven approach to achieve carbon neutrality for the print industry in North America. Together, we can create a blueprint for HP Graphics Arts users to achieve carbon neutrality and work toward drawdown for the digital print on a global basis,” said Rick Bellamy, Dscoop Executive Chairman.

Sun Chemical has launched Paliocrom® Satin Gold EH 3600 (L 2131), a mid-shade golden aluminum-based effect pigment with distinct satin character, high chroma and extremely smooth appearance. As Sun Chemical’s first Paliocrom grade offered in a dry supply form, Satin Gold delivers unique color travel, excellent gloss levels and allows for thin film thickness of automotive basecoats due to the small particle size of the passivated, iron oxide coated, aluminum flake substrate. With a proven track record extending over a quarter of a century, Paliocrom aluminum effect pigments are the ideal choice for modern automotive and high-performance industrial coatings. They provide excellent hiding and extreme saturation suitable in thin film applications for yellow-to-red premium colors.

Worzalla, an employee-owned company specializing in printing high-quality children’s books, movie tie-in books and cookbooks, hosted its second annual month-long event titled “WorzallaPalooza” to show appreciation to its associates. Throughout the month of July, Worzalla offered daily giveaways, including several grand prize packages. “WorzallaPalooza is one of Worzalla’s ways of thanking our employee owners and it’s great to see everyone come together to celebrate the contributions we each make,” said Brianne Petruzalek, Worzalla Vice President of Human Resources. “We were excited to do daily giveaways again this year along with a BBQ lunch for all team members.” In addition to each associate receiving a $20 Kwik Trip gift card and appreciation lunch catered by Smokehouse BBQ, every day in July featured a unique giveaway opportunity for Worzalla associates, including drawings for $25 to $500 gift cards from Fleet Farm, Target, Amazon as well as Portage County Business Council gift certificates to support local businesses. Three grand prize packages were awarded to Worzalla associates, including Wil Smith and Duane Kieliszewski.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company announced it has increased its capacity for direct thermal linerless label production by approximately 40% as a direct response to client demand. With the recent installation of an additional linerless press at its plant in Monroe, WI, RRD is positioned to provide an innovative and readily available labeling solution that answers calls for both heightened productivity and sustainability. In the early 1990s, RRD was the first to develop, utilize commercially, and patent linerless labels. Today, this solution continues to improve profitability for RRD clients through operational effectiveness due to the elimination of the backing paper (liner). Conventional labels have a liner, where the label is pulled off a silicone-coated backer which is typically non-recyclable. This is one of the biggest drivers of waste in a label’s lifecycle. RRD’s linerless labels, however, deliver: *Up to 60% more labels per roll, reducing the downtime required to change rolls *Greater sustainability by eliminating liner waste *Minimized costs through reduced freight, warehousing, and liner disposal *Improved workplace safety through the elimination of slick silicone liners

Midland invites you to PRINTING United Expo wtih a FREE Expo Pass Use our Code: 240851 and visit our Booth #N1510. Visit our booth to chat with Specialty Media product specialists and see Midland’s newest products. Discover what’s next for your organization – infinite opportunities await you! Digital Sheet Fed Media + Specialty Offset Substrates + Production Inkjet Paper + Wide Format Inkjet Media. Register Now at: https://www.compusystems.com/servlet/ar?evt_uid=480&InvitesVIP=240851

Ennis, Inc. announced its acquisition of certain assets including customer lists and intellectual property of Gulf Business Forms, in San Marcos, TX. Gulf Business Forms is a trade printer specializing in custom-printed documents including business forms, laser cut sheets, brochures, pamphlets, in-line glue booklets, and variable short-run solutions. Keith Walters, Chairman, President & CEO of the Company stated, “Gulf has been a strong competitor and leading brand throughout the country with customers spanning from California in the southwest to Massachusetts in the northeast. We are excited about adding the Gulf brand and their customers to the Ennis family.” Gulf Business Forms has been serving distributors from its operations in Texas for more than 50 years since its founding in 1968.

To get the facts on the supply chain crisis, PRINTING United Alliance recently launched the Printing Industry Supply Chain Conditions Survey. Nearly 200 companies, including commercial printers, graphic and sign producers, apparel decorators, functional printers, and package printers/converters, have participated to date. Our survey confirms that the crisis is getting worse. For every substrate covered, reports that availability has decreased over the past 60 days far exceed reports of the opposite, with the highest percentages reporting declines in the availability of coated paper (84.8%), uncoated paper (79.2%), vinyl (62.6%), and plastics other than vinyl (55.7%). Moreover, majorities ranging from 96.7% for coated paper to 74.4% for textiles/fabrics and newsprint report prices continue to rise (see Figure 1). details at: https://www.piworld.com/article/survey-sheds-light-supply-chain-crisis-substrates-consumables/

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company unveiled five trends expected to shape financial services institutions for the second half of the year. RRD is the leading trusted advisor to securely deliver communication and transactional documents for the financial services industry, giving the company unique insight into the challenges and opportunities. RRD has identified five trends leading the transformation of the financial services industry, including: Trend #1: Growing Consumer Demand for Mobile, Self-Service Transactions Drives Tech Investment - The pandemic increased the appeal of self-service offerings, with customers expecting a minimal touch, mobile-based solution to meet their financial needs. Trend #2: Attracting Customers in a Competitive Banking Space Means Meeting Them Where They Are - A crowded banking industry creates tough competition for attracting and retaining customers, therefore knowing your customer and their channel preference is critical to reaching them successfully.

Using the theme “Power of Labels,” Sun Chemical will showcase and present its complete portfolio of solutions for the packaging and narrow web, tag and label markets to converters across North and South America during Labelexpo Americas 2022 from September 13-15 in Rosemont, Ill. “Our commitment to sustainability continues to be a fundamental part of our innovation and product development at Sun Chemical,” said Dennis Sweet, Vice President NWTL, Commercial, Rycoline and Distributors. “We’re excited to be back at Labelexpo Americas 2022 to highlight our sustainable product offerings and provide an opportunity to reconnect with the narrow web industry.” Using its ‘5Rs’ framework (Reuse, Reduce, Renew, Recycle and Redesign) as a guide, Sun Chemical invests significantly in R&D to improve the eco-efficiency and sustainability of the packaging that utilizes its inks, coatings and adhesives to support a circular economy.

Darwill, Inc. is a national, integrated marketing company that offers proven direct marketing solutions for companies of all sizes. Founded in 1951, it is a family-run business with a commitment to deliver the highest quality solutions that drive ROI for its customers. Today, Darwill circulates over 500 million pieces of direct mail per year, executing every aspect of a direct mail campaign for companies in nearly every industry. Several years ago, Darwill decided to transform from its roots as a sheet-fed commercial offset printer to using white paper continuous feed inkjet production. Driving this move was the fact that customers were beginning to ask for more sophisticated, personalized direct marketing applications. “We saw that we couldn’t compete efficiently when it came to certain types of direct marketing applications because of the equipment configuration that goes with being a sheet-fed operation. We first looked at possibly getting a web press for these applications and then we decided to go straight to continuous high-speed inkjet because it was the cutting-edge technology and offered what our customers were requesting.” Mark DeBoer – Senior Vice President, Darwill

Quantum Group, a trusted expert in direct marketing and business communications services has made a major investment in marketing on demand with the purchase of a Landa S10P Nanographic Printing Press. The press, which complements Quantum’s extensive line of digital and offset equipment, will be installed by the end of the year and will enable Quantum to meet increased customer demand. The company, supporting customers in industries such as pharmaceuticals, healthcare, retail, insurance, and more, is seeing a 5-fold growth in personalized mailings since 2018. Along with the equipment investment, Quantum increased its manufacturing footprint by 50% to support this exponential growth. “We are excited to add the Landa S10P to our production fleet,” said Cheryl Kahanec, Quantum Group’s, Chief Executive Officer. “Our customers will be able to more effectively and efficiently communicate to their audiences. With the format size, substrate range, speed and quality, the Landa will expand our current offset and digital platform to ensure successful execution of timely and targeted projects. We look forward to empowering our clients with efficiency, flexibility and quality all while offering increased personalization and decreased speed to market.”

The first thing one notices upon approaching Paolo Olbi’s bookstore from Ca’ Foscari bridge in Venice is the intricate patterns and vibrant colors. His carefully displayed selection of handmade books, notebooks, and stationery look like an old postcard. Olbi himself, an impeccably dressed and groomed 78-year-old native Venetian, is as much a caretaker as an artisan. “I started learning handmade bookmaking at 18,” he says. “And 60 years later I am still loving it.” The books for sale at Olbi’s store are traditionally hand-bound, using techniques that can only be learned through apprenticeships with masters of the form. When he started in this trade, there were around 20 traditional bookbinding shops in Venice. Today, he is one of just three.

For the eighth consecutive year, Midland recently participated as a Sponsor of the thINK 2022 Inkjet Printing Conference. This exclusive industry event took place in Boca Raton, FL and is one of the largest invitation-only summits designed for printing executives who want to understand how Canon Solutions America’s production inkjet printing technology, software and solutions can help them grow their business now and in the future. At thINK 2022, Midland’s booth exhibit saw a steady stream of leading printers from across the country asking for Midland’s guidance on how they can navigate the turbulent waters of a market fraught with supply chain and paper mill allocation challenges. Discussions were centered on “positioning for the future supply chain” for various paper categories including coated, uncoated, inkjet treated, inkjet coated, specialty inkjet media and more. “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 General Manager, Specialty Paper & Film Division.

David Henkel’s path in life — his ultimate trajectory — really began after his father’s service in World War II, when his family moved to the suburbs of Chicago. While Henkel willingly admits he “didn’t have a strong sense of direction” in his early life, he was distinctly interested in sales and marketing, and attended the University of Illinois (B.A. in economics) and Indiana University (MBA in marketing). Following post-college positions in marketing research and medical supply sales, the family business, Johnson & Quin, beckoned. Henkel’s father, Robert, had purchased Johnson & Quin in 1960. Johnson & Quin, in Niles, Illinois, has a long history in the printing industry. Henkel highlights that the company is 145 years old, based on records. He believes the business may even be older than that — the true age perhaps unknowable — due to the loss of city records during the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

SG360°, an industry-leading provider of performance-driven direct marketing solutions, announced that effective immediately, the SG360° Board has appointed Edward (Ed) Carroll permanent President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Carroll assumes these responsibilities from Interim CEO James (Jim) Andersen. Prior to his appointment as CEO, Mr. Carroll was Chief Financial Officer at SG360°, having joined SG360° in September of 2021. Prior to SG360°, Mr. Carroll held positions as CEO and CFO in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, distribution, and technology. He began his career as an officer in the United States Navy. Mr. Carroll is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and earned his MBA at the University of Chicago. He is a CPA and a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.

*Revenue for the second quarter was $84.8 million higher than the previous year. Excluding incremental revenue from the First American acquisition, which closed on June 1, 2021, and business exits during the quarter, revenue increased $31.2 million, or 6.6% year-over-year. *The Payments segment delivered revenue growth of 65.7% over the previous year to $171.2 million. Excluding incremental revenue from the First American acquisition, Payments grew 6.7%. *Net income of $22.1 million included gains of $17.5 million from the sale of the Australian web hosting business and a call center facility, and also included an $8.0 million increase in First American acquisition amortization and an increase in interest expense of $11.9 million resulting from the acquisition transaction. Prior year net income included $15.9 million of acquisition transaction costs. *Cash flow from operations for the first half of the year was $72.2 million and capital expenditures were $45.3 million. Free cash flow was $26.9 million, a decrease of $10.3 million compared to the first half of 2021, and included increased interest payments of $28.8 million.

In the 30-plus years that Chris Carpenter has been in the industry, there are two themes that have guided his career: You must be flexible to change, but to do so, you must also stick to your beliefs. Carpenter, president and owner of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin-based Royle Printing, and his team have seen their share of change over the years, with the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing moves toward the digital world, and current paper shortages and hiring challenges being the most recent. But you don’t accumulate 30 years on your resume by giving up. Carpenter’s illustrious career — which has earned him a spot as a 2022 inductee into the Printing Impressions/RIT Printing Industry Hall of Fame — is shaped around hard work, passion for the graphic arts industry, and constantly working to build relationships with employees and customers.

Under Adam’s leadership, SPC has grown into an industry leader with over 400 employees working with many of today’s most respected brands. The SPC family could not be more proud of this recognition. Adam joins his father Paul LeFebvre as only the second father-son inductees in the history of the award!

Net sales in the second quarter were $1.29 billion, up $143.2 million or 12.5% from the second quarter of 2021. Net sales were negatively impacted $14.9 million due to changes in foreign exchange, while the majority of the increase relates to higher client demand for most of the Company’s products and services, and price increases to mostly offset inflationary cost increases. The Company experienced significant growth in Commercial Print, Direct Marketing and Labels products. Organic net sales increased 13.8%. Income from operations was $60.7 million in the second quarter of 2022 compared to $28.2 million in the second quarter of 2021. During the second quarter of 2022, net restructuring, impairment and other charges of $19.8 million increased $10.1 million from the prior year period due primarily to a $12 million asset impairment charge related to an equity investment.

Results for the six months ended June 30, 2022, include: Net Sales — Net Sales were $1.5 billion in the six months ended June 30, 2022, up 7% from the same period in 2021, or up 12% excluding the QuadExpress divestiture. Net Sales growth was achieved across all of our offerings due to increased pricing in response to inflationary pressures, print segment share gains and onboarding new clients in Agency Solutions. Net Earnings — Net Earnings were $4 million in the six months ended June 30, 2022, as compared to Net Earnings of $45 million in the six months ended 2021. The decrease is primarily due to $35 million ($26 million, net of tax) of gains in 2021 on the sale of QuadExpress, and sale and leaseback of the Chalfont, Pennsylvania, facility. Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities and Free Cash Flow — Net Cash Used in Operating Activities was $24 million in the six months ended June 30, 2022, as compared to Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities of $89 million during the same period in 2021. Free Cash Flow decreased $119 million from last year to negative $57 million in the six months ended June 30, 2022.

Welcome back to school, students, faculty, and staff! With the pandemic past us, it seems as if the world is returning to normal, classes are in-person, and campuses and universities across the U.S. are full of energy once again! Higher Education marketing and communication are crucial to engaging students and staff while giving them a sense of community and belonging. It’s just as important to make those external networks of alumni, donors, and corporate partners feel included and valued, whether that be through digital communications or print. Through our experience printing and representing universities for over 50 years, we compiled some insights to consider incorporating into your marketing plan for the upcoming school year and how you can elevate your university’s magazine(s).

We all wish we had a crystal ball to see the future. The paper market continues to be difficult to predict due to ongoing fundamental stresses at the mills and along the supply chain. We do, however, see initial signs of hope the paper market could improve in 2023 and have balance largely restored within the next two years. Our recommendations for marketers for Q3-Q4 remain the same: Plan your campaigns well ahead and be prepared for unexpected delays. We are predicting additional price increases for the back half of the year due to still rising input costs – pulp, labor, energy, chemicals, and freight. With the country experiencing 9% inflation in June, it’s no surprise these costs remain unstable. In fact, pulp prices are up 20% in just the past five months.

The installation of new presses at two of Sheridan’s book printing locations this summer are the latest in a series of continued equipment investments made by parent company CJK Group. Sheridan’s Chelsea, MI facility installed a new Heidelberg XL106-8 P press which began producing live work in June. With speeds up to 18,000 impressions per hour, this press features 8 units that print 4-color over 4-color in a single pass along with auto-color scanning and ink control to improve color consistency throughout the print run. Notably, the Prinect Workflow technology used with this press enables it to move automatically from job to job – changing plates and washing blankets on the fly, which significantly shortens make-ready times and increases productivity. An increase in productivity and color consistency was also brought to Sheridan’s Wisconsin facility with the July arrival of a HP Indigo 12000 digital press. The high throughput of the Indigo press for both single-and double-sided printing will provide needed capacity for quick turnarounds for short-run perfect bind and mechanical bind customers served by Sheridan Wisconsin.

As of July 1, 2022, Sun Chemical has assumed responsibility for home and personal care colorants, which were previously distributed by BTC Europe GmbH. As a part of this business transfer, all future sales, samples and literature will be managed by Sun Chemical. This includes the popular tradenames Puricolor®, Iragon® and Pigmosol®, which contain a variety of dyes, pigments and preparations. “We are excited to continue expanding our color portfolio and grow in the home and personal care market,” said Bart Vanderbiest, Global Business Director of Cosmetics, Sun Chemical. “We are committed to making the world a more colorful place and look forward to leveraging our rich expertise and diverse portfolio to better serve our new and existing customers.”

Scott Zimmermann, our Press Room Manager, is celebrating a BIG milestone with us this month – he's been with Royle Printing for over 35 years! You mean you've spent 35 years with the same company? In today's workforce, that can be unheard of at times! We stumbled upon a past newsletter from May of 1993; a throwback to the newsletter seemed like a must to celebrate Scott's tenure with us. He's spent his entire career working in print as a press operator. Hear what Scott or "Zimmy" (that's what we call him around here) had to say about his 35 years in print and why he's found so much success. We feel it's more important now than ever to tell prosperous and successful stories of people in our industry. We hope we can potentially urge younger and future generations to consider a career in print – there are endless possibilities for growth! read more at: https://www.royle.com/news/a-prosperous-35-years-in-print

Modern Litho announces long-time General Manager, Skip Bray has been named President of Modern Litho-St. Louis as of July 1, 2022. Under Bray’s leadership, Modern Litho-St. Louis, a division of Modern Litho-Print Co., has grown in every measure of the word in revenue, employees, facility space and significant expansion of product and service offerings to its customers. This growth is a result of both organic customer attraction/retention and strategic acquisitions of several St. Louis Metro based printing companies including Midtown Printing (2013), Trio Printing (2018) and Mulligan Printing (2020).

Cenveo Worldwide Limited announced the successful completion of a management buyout of the business led by Chief Executive Officer, Rob Burton, Jr., President, Mike Burton, Chief Financial Officer, Mark Hiltwein, and Chief Strategy Officer, Ayman Zameli. As a result of the transaction, Cenveo is now 100% owned by its management with the Burton family being the majority shareholder. Rob Burton, CEO of Cenveo said: “I am grateful for this opportunity and proud to have gained the trust of our shareholders to accomplish this buyout. We have all worked very hard on rationalizing our platform and divesting non-strategic assets all while delivering superior returns to our shareholders.” With this buyout, Cenveo is now exclusively an envelope focused business and the largest envelope converter in North America. Through this transaction, the existing Cenveo management team will remain in place and will continue to focus its efforts on serving the Company’s diverse and extensive envelope customer base. Rob continued, “Cenveo is an established brand with a rich history and long experience in delivering innovative solutions to our customers. This deal represents the next chapter for the brand and the ambitious team members who have helped build it over many years.”

Graphic Village announced that it has purchased Sunrise Hitek Group, LLC, a variable print and specialty large format company in Chicago, IL. This strategic move further strengthens Graphic Village’s capabilities and expands the company’s presence to the Chicago, Illinois, region. Sunrise Hitek is located in the Norwood Park East neighborhood of Chicago since its founding in 1988. As a specialist in high-quality printing, packaging, display fabrication and branded environments, Sunrise Hitek serves a broad array of industries including, healthcare, hospitality, packaged goods and manufacturing. It will continue to operate out of their Chicago-based facility. The current team of 25 employees, including the leadership team, will remain in place and continue to deliver excellent value and customer experiences. Over time, Sunrise Hitek will be rebranded as Graphic Village.

July 1st is National Postage Stamp Day, and Royle will feature mailing content all month long! Mail plans seem complicated at times. Which mailing method is suitable for your brand? What's the most cost-effective? What will hit my in-home date on time? Well, we're here to help! see details at: https://www.royle.com/news/whats-the-best-mail-plan-for-me

The United States Postal Service (USPS) announced new postage rates starting July 10, 2022. You can see the full breakdown in this recent blog post. The average rate increases 6%, which is quite a hike, but by using any of the following USPS marketing mail promotions, you can get 2%-4% off your postage cost. see details at: https://specialtyprintcomm.com/blog/utilize-usps-discounts/

Quad/Graphics, Inc. announced that it has been added as a member of the U.S. small-cap Russell 2000® Index pertaining to the 2022 Russell indexes reconstitution, effective June 27, 2022. The Company’s membership in the Russell 2000® Index, which remains in place for one year, is based on membership in the broad-market Russell 3000® Index. The stock also was automatically added to the appropriate growth and value indexes. “We are pleased to be a member of the Russell indexes, and look forward to continuing to share how we are accelerating and scaling our strategy as a marketing experience company,” said Tony Staniak, Chief Financial Officer of Quad. “We continue to build on positive sales growth momentum from clients embracing our integrated marketing platform, while focusing on financial objectives to drive shareholder value.”

They all love to read! This past month Thomson Reuters partnered with the Minnesota Vikings to bring back the Scholastic Book Fair to Highwood Elementary and Barack and Michelle Obama Elementary schools. There was lots of fun to be had at the book fair. Viktor, the Viking mascot, made an appearance and signed copies of Where’s Viktor’s Mustache that the children could take home along with three other books of their choice. Alongside the players and coaches, Steve Zweber, Director of Manufacturing & Fulfillment at Core Publishing Solutions, was there. Steve was grateful that he was able to attend and help further a love of reading in the community.

Worzalla, an employee-owned printing company specializing in high-quality children’s books, cookbooks, and hard-cover best sellers, is working with the Portage County Library to support their summer reading programs with the goal of inspiring the community to reach their summer reading goals. Worzalla has donated 500 children's books for the Library to use as summer reading rewards and is also donating 500 bags that the Library will use for their Lit Loot program. “We love to get children and teens reading, learning, and participating at the library each summer, and then reward their hard work with prize books, but incentives like these are quite costly. We are thrilled that Worzalla has offered to help us cover some of these expenses so that we can expand our programming and reach even more community members,” said Nicole Ozanich, Youth Services Librarian at the Portage County Public Library.

HP Inc. announced its commitment to PRINTING United 2022 as a title sponsor of the event, along with its plans to build its own elaborate show hall encompassing 21,000 sq. ft. at the Expo — over three times the size of any previous HP booth space. PRINTING United Expo 2022 takes place October 19-21 in Las Vegas and will be the most comprehensive printing event in the world. The event spotlights companies bringing the latest industry solutions to market spanning the industry across all segments. HP joins over 500 exhibitors currently signed up to showcase its latest products on the expansive show floor.

The Company’s revenues for the first quarter ended May 31, 2022 were $107.7 million compared to $96.9 million for the same quarter last year, an increase of $10.8 million, or 11.1%. The increase includes revenue contribution of approximately $1.9 million from AmeriPrint, an acquisition completed on May 31, 2021. Gross profit margin was $34.0 million, or 31.6%, as compared to $29.2 million, or 30.1%, for the same quarter last year. Net earnings for the quarter were $11.6 million, or $0.45 per diluted share, as compared to $7.3 million, or $0.28 per diluted share, for the same quarter last year.

April 2022 shipments came in at $6.67 billion, down from March’s $7.03 billion. The general trend in all but two of the last seven years has been for April shipments to decline from March’s. That’s not really good news but suggests we’re at least getting back to normal. April 2022 shipments came in at $6.67 billion, down from March’s $7.03 billion. As we remarked last month, it looks like 2022 is closely mirroring 2021—which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Year to date, we are only slightly off 2021—January to April shipments for 2022 are at $26.16 billion, a bit under 2021’s $26.45 billion.

The Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP), the leading authority in sustainable printing certifications, announced today that Ultraflex Systems Inc. has become part of the SGP Community as a gold SGP Patron. Ultraflex’s action to become involved in SGP helps to ensure the long-term endurance of sustainable product offerings. “We believe sustainability is integral to our industry, present and future,” said Kylie Schleicher, director of product development & product manager, Ultraflex. “As a leader in the industry, we are responsible for taking the required measures to contribute to the sustainable development of digital print materials. Our company’s research and development are the foundation for superior products and performance. We are excited to grow within the community and market new solutions that limit the use of natural resources, reduce waste, and promote the reuse of materials.”

TC Transcontinental is proud to announce the release of its new 2025 Corporate Social Responsibility Plan, Building our Future. Recognized earlier this year as the 16th most sustainable corporation in the world in the renowned Corporate Knights’ Global 100 Sustainable Corporations ranking, TC Transcontinental strives to build a future that is green, inclusive, innovative, sustainable, united, and responsible. The new plan focuses on five major themes that will guide the Corporation’s actions over the next four years: greener growth, an inclusive and safe environment, innovative and sustainable products, community involvement, and responsible governance and business practices. “As a family business, we are building for the long term,” said Isabelle Marcoux, Chair of the Board. “Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been engrained in TC Transcontinental's DNA since its beginning and is an integral part of our growth strategy, particularly in terms of developing sustainable products. It is underpinned by rigorous governance, as well as our values and culture of diversity and inclusion. As such, we are meeting our customers’ needs and our investors’ long-term value creation objectives while also contributing to the welfare of our communities.”

Syracuse Label & Surround Printing, Macaran Printed Products and W.N. Van Alstine, have announced that their respective boards of directors have approved a merger agreement. According to the companies, the new organization will provide enhanced development and manufacturing capabilities, incorporating state-of-the-art label technologies along with improved economies of scale. The new business will be led by industry veterans Nick Van Alstine (Macaran / Van Alstine) and Kathy Alaimo (Syracuse) operating as co-CEOs, with Tom Sargent as president. The merger brings together three strong, industry leading label and packaging companies who share common cultures, common cause and common goals. Both companies are 100% employee-owned each with rich corporate legacies.

The Great Lakes Graphics Association (GLGA) has announced that Julie Lopezlena has joined the association as their new Sales and Member Engagement Director for Illinois and Indiana. Ms. Lopezlena, a native of Minnesota, grew up in her family’s printing business. Before joining GLGA, she served as the director of sales for Navitor, Inc., overseeing the management of sales operations for multiple products and print technology. Her deep background also includes experience in international business development both with Taylor Corporation in Mexico City and with Euromonitor International in Chicago. In GLGA’s newly created Sales and Member Engagement Director position, Ms. Lopezlena is responsible for identifying and cultivating new strategic relationships toward the development of new members for the association. She also will assist current members in strategic use of GLGA’s services and benefits to maximize their return on investment.

Two Sides, the print and paper advocacy group, is excited to announce its newest member, CFH Docmail Ltd, the multi-site, multi-channel innovative communications company. Starting as a print company supplying lithographic printed forms, CFH Docmail Ltd have transformed into a multi-site, multi-channel innovative communications company. For more than 40 years, they have been helping customers achieve the results they need with innovative, impactful communications on every channel. CFH Docmail Ltd’s industry-leading multichannel communication solutions include hybrid mail, print & post, and online services. All delivered with a practical sensibility, focused on driving outcomes – and powerful results.

Revenues increased by $92.2 million, or 14.8%, from $623.3 million in the second quarter of 2021 to $715.5 million in the corresponding period of 2022. Operating earnings before depreciation and amortization decreased by $6.1 million, or 5.6%, from $108.9 million in the second quarter of 2021 to $102.8 million in the second quarter of 2022. Net earnings attributable to shareholders of the Corporation decreased by $7.3 million, from $35.6 million in the second quarter of 2021 to $28.3 million in the second quarter of 2022.

Electronics For Imaging, Inc. announced that it has acquired Inèdit Software S.L., a developer of raster image processors (RIPs) and related software for digital industrial textile printing. The acquisition extends EFI’s strategy to accelerate digital transformation in industrial print through investments that advance the company’s presence and capabilities in Packaging & Corrugated, Display Graphics, Textile, and Building Materials/Décor applications. Inèdit will be integrated into the Reggiani textile business. “Digital represents the biggest transformational opportunity we have ever seen in industrial printing,” said EFI CEO and Executive Chairman Jeff Jacobson. “We are committed to driving innovation and expanding our offerings through all economic cycles as we address our customers’ critical need to digitize and automate their workflows.”

In honor of World Environment Day, Xerox today announced a partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation to plant nearly 23,000 trees — one for each Xerox employee — contributing to the nonprofit’s global reforestation efforts while also educating employees on how they can make a meaningful difference for the environment. The partnership coincides with this year’s World Environment Day focus on the continuation of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, a global mission to revive billions of hectares, from forests to farmlands. “Partners like Xerox help us achieve the scale needed to drive meaningful impact through trees," said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “It’s going to take organizations of all types and sizes coming together to make a difference. We are grateful for their commitment.” The Arbor Day Foundation has worked to plant nearly 500 million trees over the past 50 years through efforts that improve forests and communities of greatest need worldwide.

In March 2022, all printing employment was up +0.6% from March. This time, it was production employment that was up (+1.6%) and non-production employment that was down (-0.9%). One gets the sense that the industry’s attempts at recruiting production staff are generally succeeding: in April 2022, all printing employment was up +1.6% from March, with non-production employment down -0.9%. This is the reverse of what we saw in March. Publishing employment had been improving slightly over last summer, took a turn for the worse in the fall, and started to plateau at the end of the year. It was up a modest +0.6% in March, and now up another +0.4%.

Bristol University Press, and its imprint Policy Press, have gone live on a new, integrated scholarly portal on the KGL PubFactory platform. Bristol University Press Digital now hosts its full collection of books and journals with global and social impact in a single site, searchable across all content types. A leading social science publisher committed to making a difference, Bristol University Press champions evidence-informed, bold thinking, from anywhere in the world that aims to address the global social challenges. In 2021, the publisher celebrated 25 years since Policy Press was established and 5 years since the creation of Bristol University Press. Via bristoluniversitypressdigital.com, the new platform provides access to over 1,400 books, 6,000 articles from 18 peer-reviewed journals, and eBook collections from across the social sciences that address global social challenges and support the UN Sustainable Development Goals, with exclusive access to the new, non-profit, Open Access Global Social Challenges Journal. As a rapidly expanding Press approximately 300 books and several new journals will be added each year.

The Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP), the leading authority in sustainable printing certifications, announced that the Primex Plastics Corporation facility in Reedsburg, WI is the first supplier facility to become SGP certified. SGP has been certifying print facilities since 2008, but recently expanded the program to include supplier facilities. “Primex Reedsburg has been a dedicated supplier of printable plastics since inception in 1986 and a long-time supporter of SGP’s sustainability mission,” said Blake Pace, General Manager, Primex. “Having had a front row seat to view continuous improvement on the part of companies that participate in SGP, when the opportunity arose to seek certification ourselves under the expanded supplier certification, we jumped at the chance.”

Sun Chemical will increase prices across its entire portfolio of packaging, commercial sheetfed and screen inks, coatings, consumables and adhesives in North America, effective immediately or as contracts allow. The inflationary environment in North America has continued to impact the ink industry. Global geopolitical events have caused sustained pressure on logistics availability and have increased the costs to unprecedented levels. The constrained accessibility to labor in the market has driven significant wage inflation while contributing to inefficiencies at manufacturing facilities.

Back in February, Dan Marx had the pleasure of speaking with three commercial printing providers to see how they were experiencing, and what the were doing to mitigate the effect of, the ongoing paper shortage. That piece, “Printing Companies Share Their Experiences with Paper Shortages and What They're Doing in Response”, was featured in Printing Impressions. As the paper crisis is much more a moving target than a moment in time, he reached back out to one of the printers, Christina Esparza, VP of operations for InfoIMAGE, a transactional printer (locations in Coppell, Texas, and Brisbane, California), to see how that company’s experience and approach has changed over the last three months.

Sun Chemical and the DIC Corporation will increase prices across select parts of its color materials portfolio, effective July 1, 2022 or as contracts allow. The price increase affects all market segments. Without signs of relief, the cost increase for key raw materials and packaging components as well as the inflationary pressure on manufacturing operations persist. Energy and logistics costs remain at historically high levels, and the uncertainties due to the Russia-Ukraine crisis and COVID-19 related lockdowns in China, are negatively affecting global value and supply chains. The ongoing escalations make it necessary for the company to increase prices for several product lines of its pigments, dyes and preparations portfolio. The price increases are in addition to those previously announced, including energy and transportation surcharges.

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. announced it has extended its partnership with the Plockmatic Group to launch the powerful and versatile SD-435/450 booklet maker. This brings a cost efficient solution for heavy production finishing to low and mid-sized Centralized Reprographic Departments (CRD) and commercial print environments. Plockmatic Group’s inline platform introduces architecture that enables new features for the first time in the low-to-mid volume market segments across Konica Minolta’s AccurioPress mono and color production machines. The inline versions of the SD-435/450 will be exclusively sold by Konica Minolta throughout 2022. The new system architecture enables customers to produce high-quality booklets including 8.5” x 11” landscape and has all the key processes needed to produce corner and edge staple, folding, spine forming and full bleed trimming, all combined in one single, easy-to-use system.

The Celebrations are the culmination of the annual GEA competition, which recognizes companies throughout Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin for superb craftsmanship in the design, creation and production of outstanding printed projects they produce for their customers. More than 200 people gathered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Addison, Illinois, on May 25 for two simultaneous awards ceremonies to celebrate another spectacular year of print in the three-state region. Best of Show, the competition’s highest honor, was awarded to JR Dimensional of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for their entry in the Booklets (4 or more colors) category entitled Cramer-Krasselt Taycan Book and Sleeve FF. One judge said, “Not often a printed piece can be described as electrifying.” First Runner-Up was awarded to Schumann Printers of Fall River, Wisconsin, for Blue Ocean Traders Spring and Summer 2022 in the Product Catalogs (4 or more colors) category. From the Calendars category, LCP, Waukegan, Illinois, won Second Runner-Up accolades for their Lake County Press 2022 Calendar.

Landa Digital Printing™ and Quad announced that Quad is adding the Landa S10P Nanographic Printing® Press to its In-Store Solutions production lineup. The Landa S10P, equipped with a powerful digital front end, introduces a new standard in printing speed, format, efficiency and data-driven digital applications; expanding the digital capabilities for B1-format printing and offering unlimited variable print options at very fast speeds and at the highest quality available. The S10P supports Quad’s unique “through the line” offering for marketers – from strategy and creative through production, execution, and analytics for marketing that is more efficient and effective. Today, with people living, working and learning from anywhere, marketing that is delivered at the right amplitude for customer response and engagement is essential. Key to Quad’s multidimensional marketing approach is removing friction in the marketing process, clearing the way for deeper and better customer engagement across channels. One very effective retail marketing strategy is to utilize two strong application segments – in-store and personalized customer engagement – both of which mandate supreme print quality that only the Landa press can provide.  

Escalating costs continue to be seen across a number of raw material categories with no sign of improvement – binders, additives, pigments, solvents and other materials continue to rise in cost. Inflation is now worsening across multiple spend categories and an already problematic supply chain climate continues to experience significant disruption. Jesper Bødtkjer, Vice President and General Manager – Flint Group Packaging Europe reflects, “The emphasis we place on supply reliability has a significant financial implication on our business. Throughout these unparalleled times, we have sought to take a phased, incremental approach to pricing adjustments. However, the expected softening of raw material prices has not occurred, costs continue to rise aggressively and therefore we are forced to raise prices.”

Sun Chemical has launched SunConnect, the latest complementary solution to SunColorBox, designed for the flexo corrugated printing market. SunConnect is an accurate and digital color communication tool that will enable converters to communicate color match request and quality control data on press directly from a smartphone, tablet, or desktop. It is an entry level digital color management solution giving converters the opportunity to upgrade in future to Sun Chemical’s SunColorBox – a unique set of tools and services that enables consistent and accurate digital color communication throughout the entire packaging supply chain. These applications and services are aimed at supporting packaging printers and converters produce brand colors consistently, anywhere in the world, within a fully optimized digital process.

Deluxe (NYSE: DLX), a Trusted Payments and Business Technology™ company, announced that Tracey Engelhardt, President of Checks, has taken on additional responsibilities as Chief of Operations. Engelhardt has been with Deluxe for nearly 30 years, overseeing the company’s strong position in checking programs for banks, businesses, and consumers. Her extensive knowledge of the industry, as well as deep understanding of the operations and manufacturing process within Deluxe, makes this addition to her portfolio a natural move for the company. Engelhardt, who has been a member of the Deluxe executive team for more than 10 years, is the first woman to run operations for Deluxe in its 107-year history. She will also continue as President of the Checks division.

Sun Chemical will increase prices across its entire portfolio of packaging, commercial sheetfed, and screen inks, coatings, consumables, and adhesives in Europe, Middle East, Africa, effective June 1st 2022 or as contracts allow. The unprecedented pace of inflationary cost movements continues to further impact the entire spectrum of raw material inputs and packaging components for the ink industry, while raw material availability remains an ongoing concern. The industry is additionally being hit by the current situation in Europe and China, adding up pressure onto supply/demand dynamics as well as on utilities and freight costs. Sun Chemical continues to find ways of mitigating these costs, but the magnitude and speed of cost increases requires the company to further increase prices.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company announced the launch of Helium by RRD, an editorial solutions service providing access to specialized copywriting, content strategy, and project management professionals. This service provides brands with a centralized access point to hundreds of subject matter experts in content generation. According to research from Semrush, nearly half (49%) of companies outsource content writing in an effort to meet an increasing demand for B2B and B2C content generation and editorial output. Designed to support organizations with the depth and capabilities they need, Helium manages a North American-based talent pool of specialized writers to offer the following copy-driven services: *Branding – brand guidelines, content strategy, brand messaging and consistency *Marketing –SEO content, digital and social copy, brochures, and blog posts *Advertising – ad copy, scripts, banner ads, direct mail, and social media posts *Thought leadership – blog posts, white papers, and other educational materials...

Quad/Graphics, Inc. has been named one the world’s 25 largest agency companies, as determined by Ad Age, the global publisher of news, analysis, and data on marketing and media. This is the third consecutive year that Quad has been included in the list. Contending in a highly competitive field, Quad ranked No. 16 on the list of top 25 agency companies and No. 22 among the world’s top 25 consolidated agency networks. Periscope, a fully integrated creative agency, and Rise Interactive, a top performance marketing agency, are wholly owned by Quad and are part of the company’s comprehensive agency services.

During Flexo and Labels 2022, Sun Chemical will showcase its complete portfolio of solutions for narrow web, tag and label markets, highlighting the sustainability benefits of its latest product and service innovations. Using the theme “Power of Labels,” visitors of stand 6 will learn about Sun Chemical’s ongoing investments in the region and discover how the company’s commitment to sustainability is fundamental to its innovation and product development.

The Great Lakes Graphics Association (GLGA) will hold its annual Graphics Excellence Awards (GEA) Celebrations on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. The Celebrations are the culmination of the annual GEA competition, which recognizes companies throughout Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin for superb craftsmanship in the design, creation and production of outstanding printed projects they produce for their customers. Dual sites will have simultaneous Celebrations that evening: the Medinah Shrine Center in Addison, IL, and the Wisconsin Club in Milwaukee, WI. The Celebrations start at 5 p.m. with an extended networking reception. All of the award-winning projects will be on display for attendees to examine and to choose their favorite in the voting for the People’s Choice award. A formal dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. followed by the presentation of the award plaques and the announcement of the top winners.

CJK Group, is pleased to announce the adoption of its GROW Learning Management System (LMS). The GROW LMS standardizes training across the entirety of the global company. For our customers, this set of online best practices will ensure a higher level of consistency and customer satisfaction. When you’re a global company with dispersed teams and diverse holdings, standardizing corporate best practices is incredibly difficult. CJK Group sought to update and reimagine its corporate learning environment, starting with a comprehensive leadership training program on skills development, company policies, and employment regulations. KnowledgeWorks Global Learning (KGL) was appointed to develop the LMS and design an engaging, six-module digital course for upskilling the company’s supervisors. In late 2021, CJK Group launched its secure, customized learning management platform to bring the whole company together with an organized, replicable training process called GROW. GROW offers a blended program featuring six mandatory online modules in a self-service format accessible to everyone in the business.

Worzalla, an employee-owned printing company specializing in high-quality children’s books and cookbooks, was a sponsor of this year’s Words & Friends for Literacy event hosted and organized by the Portage County Literacy Council. After taking a pause in 2020 and a remote event in 2021 due to the pandemic, this year’s event was a success in helping raise more than $20,000. The funds Worzalla raised and all donations from other participants will support the Portage County Literacy Council’s community-based literacy programs. The Words & Friends for Literacy fundraising event invited members of the community to form teams of four or more people and host a House Party for Literacy. Teams completed challenges and raised funds during Apr. 27, 28 and/or 29. Worzalla’s team, The Jefferson Street Girls, comprised of associates Sparky Musolf, Deb Clark, Brenda Betro, Sarah Zuehlke, Sheila Jasenovsky (Team Capitan), Kim Mains, Cathy Davis, Jennifer Heisler and Shasta Grosbier, took first place in collecting a total of $2,331.00 in pledges from friends, family and fellow Worzalla associates.

Because several areas in Michigan failed to achieve compliance with the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is moving forward with a series of new regulations designed to reduce the precursors of ozone, which are volatile organic compounds (VOC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). The Michigan counties designated as nonattainment include those in the West and the Detroit area and include Berrien, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw, and Wayne. In addition, portions of Allegan and Muskegon counties are also designated as nonattainment. The inability to demonstrate compliance with the ozone standard has triggered requirements in the Clean Air Act requiring EGLE to develop and implement a new set of air pollution control regulations designed to reduce emissions of VOCs and NOx. EGLE will have to adopt federal Environmental Protection Agency guidelines on a variety of industries including printing since VOCs are emitted.

With the backdrop of snow-capped mountains in the distance, customers of Hudson Printing in Salt Lake City entered the commercial printer's 120,000-sq.-ft. facility on May 5 for its first-ever open house. The event was intended to give attendees a tour of the facility, as well as a peek at the company's new Landa S10P nanographic printing press with perfector, which has been up and running since November 2021. Although seeing the Landa S10P running in person was a major draw during the event, Hudson Printing also announced that the 113-year-old company would in fact be installing a second Landa S10P later this year. Paul Hudson, CEO of Hudson Printing, explained that the company does a large amount of personalization printing, an area in which the Landa press has proven to be a success.

The SGP Partnership, the leading authority in sustainable certification for the printing industry, announced today Syracuse Label & Surround Printing of North Syracuse, NY has achieved its sustainability certification. A recognized leader in sustainability, the company offers digital and flexographic printing solutions with a product portfolio that includes pressure-sensitive labels, shrink sleeves, flexible packaging, cartons, hang tags, roll fed-wrap labels and other custom-made printed products. As a certified SGP facility, Syracuse Label & Surround Printing is committed to sustainability targets by reducing waste, conserving energy, sourcing sustainable materials, creating a safe workplace and lowering carbon footprint. Each year, SGP certified facilities, like Syracuse Label & Surround Printing, must propose a continuous improvement project as part of its certification. In addition, every two years, facilities must undergo an independent third-party audit.

Net sales in the first quarter were $1.31 billion, up $138.8 million or 11.8% from the first quarter of 2021. While first quarter net sales decreased nearly $3 million due to changes in foreign exchange, the majority of the increase relates to higher client demand for most of the Company’s products and services, and price increases to partially offset inflationary cost increases. The Company experienced significant growth in Supply Chain Management, Commercial Print and Labels products. Organic net sales increased 12.0%. Loss from operations was $25.5 million in the first quarter of 2022 compared to income from operations of $25.1 million in the first quarter of 2021. The first quarter of 2022 included $64 million of expenses related to the merger, and net restructuring, impairment and other charges of $18.9 million which increased $13.1 million from the prior year period. Net loss from continuing operations of $58.4 in the first quarter of 2022 compared to $1.7 reported in the first quarter of 2021. The 2022 net loss from continuing operations reflects the increased loss from operations, higher income taxes and loss on debt extinguishment, slightly offset by lower interest expense.

The Great Lakes Graphics Association (GLGA) is proud to announce the recipients of its second annual Women in Print Leadership Award. The Women in Print Leadership Awards supports GLGA’s ongoing quest to recognize the contributions of women in the Midwest print, graphic arts, finishing and print packaging community as well as those women who support the print industry in a vendor or supplier capacity. Any woman working directly in print or in a vendor role supporting print who was in good standing with her company in Illinois, Indiana or Wisconsin was eligible to be nominated. The nominations were reviewed by a panel of female print professionals outside of the Midwest, who selected one recipient per state.

SPC received three awards for our very own “SPC Innovative Format Guide”: Best of Category award in the Digital Books category; Best of Division for the Print/Graphic Arts Self-Promotion category; and Award of Excellence in the Product Catalogs with 4 or more colors category. This printed guide and digital library is distributed to clients and hosted on the SPC website for our clients to reference anytime as they brainstorm ideas and formats for future direct mail campaigns. This library includes eight categories with 150 pre-approved formats to browse and use for a variety of vertical markets. Using laminated divider cards followed by two-sided digitally produced individual format cards, the guide is built to easily expand to include future innovations. The grommet holes and screw post keep it together and organized while the clear plexiglass box keeps it safe and in sight on any marketer’s desk

*Revenue for the first quarter was $114.7 million higher than the previous year. Excluding the First American acquisition, which closed on June 1, 2021, revenue increased $31.4 million, or 7.1% year-over-year. *The Payments segment delivered revenue growth of 109.1% over the previous year to $166.2 million. Excluding First American, Payments grew 4.3%. *Net income of $9.7 million included $12.7 million of acquisition amortization from the First American acquisition, as well as an increase in interest expense of $15.8 million driven by the transaction. *Cash flow from operations for the first quarter was $34.3 million and capital expenditures were $20.8 million. Free cash flow was $13.5 million, a decrease of $4.4 million compared to the first quarter of 2021, partially driven by increased cash interest payments.

The SGP Partnership, announced Simpson Print of Bloomingdale, ON, Canada has achieved its sustainability certification. From wide format to UV offset, digital and more, Simpson Print has a range of printing capabilities from packaging to retail displays, signage and fixtures. “Simpson Print has long since recognized the significance of sustainability within the marketplace,” said Carla Johanns, Simpson Print president. “SGP certification offered the most credible and robust resources to align our staff and customers, as we plan for a cleaner and more efficient future. Our primary objective is to be leaders in reducing our carbon footprint and taking the courageous steps required for the brands and retailers that demand sustainable action from their supply chain and vendors.”

*Increased Net Sales 5% in the first quarter of 2022, or 9% sales growth excluding divestitures, driven by increased pricing in response to inflationary cost pressures; print segment share gains from new clients; and Net Sales growth in Targeted Print and Agency Solutions. *Reported Net Loss of $1 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $49 million in the first quarter of 2022, compared to Net Earnings of $10 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $70 million in the first quarter of 2021. *Implemented additional price increase, effective May 15, 2022, to help offset inflationary cost pressures.

Specialty Print Communications, (SPC), a direct mail & digital solutions provider, announced that it has completed its SOC 2 Type II audit, performed by KirkpatrickPrice. This attestation provides evidence that SPC has a strong commitment to security and to delivering high-quality services to its clients by demonstrating that they have the necessary internal controls and processes in place. A SOC 2 audit provides an independent, third-party validation that a service organization’s information security practices meet industry standards stipulated by the AICPA. During the audit, a service organization’s non-financial reporting controls as they relate to security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy of a system are tested. The SOC 2 report delivered by KirkpatrickPrice verifies the suitability of the design and operating effectiveness of SPC’s controls to meet the standards for these criteria.

Siegwerk Druckfarben AG & Co. KGaA, one of the leading international suppliers of printing inks for packaging applications and labels, has signed a contract to purchase the Italian ink manufacturer La Sorgente Spa. The family-owned company is located in Poppi (Arezzo), Italy, and manufactures high-quality water-based flexographic inks for paper & board applications as well as solvent-based inks for flexible packaging. Founded in 1929, the company is one of the most important ink suppliers for flexographic printing in Italy today. With this acquisition, Siegwerk further expands its product portfolio for packaging printers while concretely strengthening its local footprint in the Italian market. “La Sorgente Spa is a well-established ink expert for paper & board as well as flexible packaging applications with a strong reputation in Italy. Its ink solutions fit perfectly into our product portfolio,” says Dirk Weißenfeldt, Vice President Flexible Packaging EMEA at Siegwerk. The purchase will enable Siegwerk to significantly expand its presence while building up its infrastructure and workforce to further grow in Italy.

The rebrand reflects Nahan’s growing suite of services that include marketing strategy, creative, data, and analytics — coupled with world-class print production and postal strategies — providing a fully integrated solution for its clients. The news follows on the heels of Nahan’s earlier announcement that it had expanded its direct mail capacity and geographic footprint through the acquisition of a Pennsylvania-based facility. “Our business has evolved dramatically in recent years, including an expansion of the services we offer, enhancements to our printing platform, and considerable additions to our leadership and management teams,” said CEO Mike Ertel. “We’re excited to unveil updated branding that more accurately reflects the company we’ve become, which is a one-stop-shop for our clients’ direct marketing needs.”

Deluxe announced that it has signed Porsche North America to a multi-year contract in its Promotional Solutions business. With the agreement, Deluxe has also signed on as title sponsor for the new Porsche Carrera Cup signature racing series in North America. Deluxe will be the premium preferred supplier to Porsche brands in North America, providing all printed products, apparel, signage kitting and other services at events across the country and to the Porsche family of brands. The Porsche racing performance team will use the exclusive Deluxe promotional solutions online technology to order custom materials and products for their team members and racing fans across the country.

Modern Litho-Kansas City welcomes a new Heidelberg XL106 8-Color press. This new press is filled with new technology – LED ink, UV coating, and even autonomous printing. Excitement is high as we realize the tremendous advantages this new technology brings to our Kansas City location and our company. We have been busy this winter, after the acquisition of Watkins Lithographic we have been transplanting ourselves from the production facility on Taney St. to our new facility at 133 W 10th Ave in North Kansas City. With spring in the air, we see the flowers blooming and trees budding. We are surrounded by new life outside and excited about the new beginnings inside as well. veiw video at: https://modernlitho.com/2022/04/modern-litho-best-press-on-the-planet/

Worzalla, an employee-owned book printer specializing in printing high-quality children’s books, cookbooks, and hard-cover best sellers, announced that its newest printing press is now fully operational. As part of its Phase III of expansion, Worzalla purchased a Goss Sunday 2000 32-page Double Web Press that provides a broad range of print formats and page configurations. Testing of the new press, which measures nearly 200 feet in length, was a months-long process that is now complete. “The final piece of our Phase III expansion is now finished, and it’s thrilling to see books rolling off the line of this massive new press,” said Jim Fetherston, President and CEO of Worzalla. “Our associates who have been working with the Sunday 2000 press have appreciated the technological advances and increased productivity.” Along with Phase III expansion, Worzalla continues to grow their workforce which will operate the new press and for the day-to-day operations of creating the millions of books ordered by Worzalla’s customers each year.

*Revenues were $99.7 million for the quarter, an increase of $9.8 million or 10.9% for the comparative quarter and $400.0 million for the fiscal year, an increase of $42.0 million, or 11.7% for the comparative fiscal year. *Earnings per diluted share for the current quarter were $0.26 compared to $0.20 for the comparative quarter last year. Earnings per diluted share were $1.11 for the fiscal year as compared to $0.93 for the last fiscal year. *Our gross profit margin for the quarter decreased on a comparative quarter basis from 29.6% to 27.5%. Gross profit margin was 28.7% for the fiscal year compared to 29.0% for the prior fiscal year.

Snow Peak Capital, LLC, a Boulder, Colorado-based private equity firm, announced that it has made a majority investment in Sandy Alexander, Inc. (“Sandy Alexander” or “the Company”), a leading multi-channel marketing communications company, in partnership with Sandy Alexander’s management team and other previous owners. Founded in 1963, Sandy Alexander offers a variety of direct marketing services, including printing and finishing services as well as visual effect experiences. The firm serves the retail, casual dining, technology, automotive and healthcare industries. Sandy Alexander has multiple software offerings that cater to a broad range of customers. Sandy Alexander is headquartered in New Jersey with additional facilities in Florida and in Southern California.

Sun Chemical has launched ElvaJet Onyx SB – a new sublimation ink for textile printing. ElvaJet Onyx SB addresses market needs by delivering a high-performance ink that offers ease of use for wide-format textile printers. ElvaJet Onyx SB is designed to meet the market need for extended print runs between cleaning cycles, while the ink’s simple conversion process allows for immediate printing and easy start-up before or between print jobs. The advanced formula leads to enhanced print performance ensuring maximum system up-time with little intervention needed. The ink range maintains Sun Chemical’s trusted performance on a full range of transfer papers with superior edge definition and color transfer, while offering the deepest shade of black. ElvaJet Onyx SB is available in 1kg bottles and 2kg pouches to give printers maximum flexibility in conversion options.

Following the Superior Court's decision, rendered on April 20, 2022, dismissing its motion to nullify the City of Mirabel’s by-law on the distribution of printed advertising materials, and pending its appeal of this decision, TC Transcontinental (TSX: TCL.A TCL.B) is discontinuing its Publisac service in Mirabel. As already indicated by TC Transcontinental, the opt-in distribution model adopted by the City of Mirabel is not viable for the door-to-door distribution of Publisac. TC Transcontinental is therefore moving the distribution of its clients’ printed advertising material in Mirabel to Canada Post. "We find it very unfortunate to have to discontinue the distribution of the Publisac in Mirabel after more than 30 years of operations in the City, and we regret the disappearance of 16 jobs", said Patrick Brayley, Senior Vice-President, Distribution at TC Transcontinental. "It is important however to continue to allow the population to have access to the discounts offered by flyers, particularly in the context of high inflation, as well as to their local information, and for local businesses to be able to efficiently reach their audiences and compete against the giants of e-commerce."

In these times of unprecedented energy costs it has become clear that the heatset printing sector is now under severe cost pressures from many different areas. The product development team at Flint Group’s Commercial Publication Web Division (CPW) have been assessing how we can develop our products to perform with a lower demand for oven assisted drying. Our development whilst in early stages and yet to be fully proven will also serve to reduce the total cost of print. The Lo Energy series also helps to reduce the CO2 emissions of the heatset printing process making it a secure option for the future of print. Following several tests across our customer base we are pleased to announce that we are now in a position to expand the development of this product. The Prem Eco 7000 Lo Energy Series of inks targets publications produced on improved newsprint and has shown significant reductions in drier utilisation up to 100% dependent on coverage.

The last two years have proved to be an extremely challenging period of time for the print industry. Raw Material shortages and multiple price increases, combined with staff shortages caused by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, created arduous circumstances for all businesses involved in our industry. From printers themselves, to freight companies and suppliers of key raw materials, all were adversely affected. After over two years experiencing the challenges that the global pandemic presented, the more optimistic amongst us had hoped that 2022 would present some stabilization in the print supply chain, however, as we move in to the second quarter of the year, this stabilization is yet to materialize, and is unlikely in the near future whilst the tragic events in Ukraine continue to develop. Not only are the trials of the Covid-19 pandemic still with us, but rising inflation, increasing fuels costs, huge demand for packaging of all types and a global energy crisis have further increased the burdens faced by suppliers to the print industry. These increases, in some cases, have been so astronomic that it is not possible for any supplier to absorb, and ultimately, the increased costs have been passed down the supply chain.

Nahan announced it has acquired the mail division assets of Intellus Marketing. The purchase allows Nahan to strategically expand its geographic footprint and complement its existing Minnesota facility with enhanced printing, mailing, distribution, and logistics capabilities that enable faster speed to market. “Direct mail is the fastest-growing segment of our business,” said CEO Mike Ertel. “The addition of an East Coast facility strengthens our already best-in-class platform with improved cycle time, which is integral to our end-to-end direct marketing solution.” The dual facilities will also increase Nahan’s overall print and mailing capacity to support the growing needs of its expanding customer base. The former Intellus facility, located in Montgomeryville, Pa., is equipped with a high-speed direct mail production platform which enables high volume execution of direct mail campaigns.

TC Transcontinental, owner of the Publisac, reacts to the City of Montreal’s announcement of its intention to implement an opt-in system for the distribution of flyers beginning in May 2023, that would lead to the end of the distribution of the Publisac on its territory. As already indicated by TC Transcontinental, an opt-in model is unsustainable because of its complexity and the prohibitive costs it would generate. "In the current inflationary context, and at a time when the population is facing an unprecedented rise in prices, the social and economic relevance of the Publisac is greater than ever," said Patrick Brayley, Senior Vice-President of the Distribution Group of TC Transcontinental. Indeed, the Publisac, in addition to giving consumers access to discounts, distributes local newspapers at an advantageous cost, helps merchants to attract customers and compete against the giants of e-commerce, and supports thousands of direct and indirect jobs. We intend to assert our rights and those of our customers if necessary."

Sheridan’s parent company, CJK Group, has approved several new equipment acquisitions for the Sheridan facilities, bringing even more state-of-the-art capabilities to five of its nine locations. The Sheridan Pennsylvania facility will install an HP T250 Series PageWide Inkjet Web Press equipped with an in-line Magnum Finishing Line, and will implement an upgrade of two HP T240 Series PageWide Inkjet Web Presses to the T250 format with the new T250 Core, Vision System, and DFE – all planned for this fall. In addition, a Muller Martini Infinitrim Three-Knife Trimmer will be integrated with an existing Vareo Perfect Binder, resulting in the most efficient means of binding and trimming ultrashort-run books down to a quantity of one. That installation is slated for this summer. The Sheridan Kentucky and Sheridan Michigan plants will each implement an HP DFE Base and Vision System Upgrade to their HP Series PageWide Inkjet Web Presses (HP T400 Series in Kentucky and HP T300 Series in Michigan). The Sheridan Wisconsin facility will add to its digital fleet with the installation of a new HP Indigo 12000 Sheetfed Toner Press this spring.

Brook + Whittle, a leading provider of pressure sensitive and shrink sleeve prime labels, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Custom Labels Group within Cenveo Worldwide Limited (“Cenveo”). The acquisition significantly enhances Brook + Whittle’s position in e-commerce and digital label printing in North America. “Cenveo’s Custom Labels Group is a differentiated business with incredible experience in short run volumes, fast turnaround service, and great product quality, all delivered through some of the world’s most advanced digital systems,” stated Mark Pollard, CEO of Brook + Whittle. “This acquisition places Brook + Whittle at the forefront of digital transformation in the label industry. Regardless of whether our customers require one or one billion labels, the combined platform has the capability to deliver high quality, custom designed products with the industry’s fastest lead-times. Brook + Whittle welcomes the Custom Labels Group employees, and we are excited about our collaboration to provide unmatched capabilities and value to our respective customers.”

The Quantum Group, a trusted expert in direct marketing and business communications services, is continuing its investment in innovative new technologies to better serve its customer base with the purchase of a Canon ProStream 1800 inkjet web press. The addition of the ProStream adds to Quantum Group’s extensive line of digital and offset printing equipment. Cheryl Kahanec, CEO of Quantum Group, said, “Our client’s printing and mailing programs have become more complex. Today’s campaigns feature vivid imagery, dynamic content and higher degrees of variability printed on unique formats and substrates. The ProStream sets a new benchmark for inkjet quality, with a color gamut beyond offset standards. “As a forward-thinking company, we continuously evaluate the benefits of the latest technologies with a view to not only enhance our current services, but also to deliver something new and unique,” explained Kahanec. “We quickly realized that Canon’s solution offers just that and could take our digital printing services to the next level.”

John Galligan, president of B&B (Bradford & Bigelow), discusses his Newburyport, Massachusetts-based book printing company’s $35 million investment in an HP color inkjet web press, Muller Martini digital and conventional finishing equipment, a second Manroland web offset press, and expanded warehouse/distribution space. He also reveals the advice he is providing B&B customers concerning the paper crisis. see more at: https://www.piworld.com/xchange/production-inkjet-printing/bb-president-discusses-35m-book-printing-investment/

Canon Production Printing and Canon Inc. today announce the acquisition of UK-based packaging converting equipment manufacturer Edale, with the aim of strengthening Canon’s label and packaging business, and creating opportunities for future developments. Through this acquisition, Canon is intensifying its long-term strategy to provide turn-key solutions for the label and packaging sectors. The move will enable Canon Production Printing to further develop its LabelStream 4000 product line, as well as provide expertise and technology for future products. Based in Hampshire, UK, Edale engineers and manufactures world-class printing and converting solutions for the label and packaging industry, including digital and hybrid presses, carton and label production lines, flatbed die-cutters, and finishing and converting equipment. The company has a long history in the flexo label industry and a strong reputation for its web transport and converting solutions for digital label production.

Worzalla, an employee-owned book printer specializing in printing high-quality children’s books, cookbooks, and hard-cover best sellers is inviting the community to discuss solutions to the child care shortage in Central Wisconsin. Worzalla, along with childcare company KinderCare, are inviting community members and employers to a one-hour virtual event on Tuesday, April 5 at 9:00 a.m. to discuss possible solutions. As an employer of more than 350 employees at their Stevens Point facility, Worzalla recognizes the current childcare challenge many community members are facing and the impact it has on the workforce. “With quality childcare in high demand and low supply, finding childcare can be a major stressor for employees and it can also be a barrier to employment,” said Brianne Petruzalek, Vice President of Human Resources at Worzalla. “In talking with parents regarding childcare, you will hear two primary concerns–wait lists are long and childcare is costly.”

Johnson & Quin, Inc. celebrates its 145th year in the printing industry, beginning as a ledger book printer in Chicago in 1876 and evolving into a national supplier of direct mail production and mailing. The company also announces the promotion of Andrew Henkel to President. After 33 years of leadership as CEO and President, David Henkel is handing over this key role to his son. Andrew has been with the company for 15 years, initially concentrating on sales and most recently as Vice President. During that time, his leadership has helped Johnson & Quin remain competitive in the direct mail industry. He was heavily involved in steering the company from older print technology to state-of-the-art color inkjet print and personalization which has been key to the company’s growth. “Andrew’s new role as President is a logical signal of generational change, as well an important sign of continuity to our clients, prospects, vendors and employees,” states David Henkel. “Andrew has been key in managing many of our major clients and instrumental in major company decisions over the past several years. He is supported by an exceptional management team, who have all been involved in the operation and growth of the company over the years.”

Do you think it is possible that an individual’s single action could change the course of the entire planet? YES IT IS! The Sustainable Green Printing Partnership & SGP Foundation are seeing Sustainability Champion nominations of individuals from an SGP Facility, Patron, Resource Partner or Brand Leader. Applications must be submitted online by April 8. Listen to the new video explaining the Sustainability Champion’s program and highlighting the 2021 winners Blake Pace of SGP Patron Primex Plastics Corporation and Christopher Rose of SGP Facility Shutterfly.

Built on a deep understanding of the textile and sublimation industry and experience in digital printing, Sun Chemical’s new ElvaJet Topaz SC sublimation ink delivers easy ink and system management for printers in the sector. The new solution increases the ease of use and on printer experience by enlarging the ink operating window for accurate jetting performance. This enables wider cross system compatibility delivering outstanding reliability and reducing the reliance on waveform. At the same time, it provides increased image quality with optimized jetting performance across all drop sizes, allowing any design to be printed without compromise. With careful focus on the jetting behavior, Sun Chemical has designed ElvaJet Topaz SC to have superior drop control at the different available drop sizes on the full range of Kyocera printheads ensuring that it is easier to use day in, day out.

Huston Patterson and Sigma Graphics, leading suppliers of high-graphic printed materials, announced the companies have merged with Lewisburg Printing Company (“LPC”). LPC, a portfolio company of Radial Equity Partners, manufactures printed materials and packaging for a broad range of markets, including personal care, food & beverage, healthcare, and other consumer markets. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 1895 in Decatur, IL, Huston Patterson manufactures printed materials for the packaging and point-of-purchase markets. The company is a G7 Master Printer with a broad range of capabilities including large and small format lithographic and digital printing as well as value-added prepress and finishing services. The company provides unparalleled value and performance through the effective use of both technology and craftsmanship. Sigma Graphics, located in Ottawa, Illinois, is Huston Patterson’s specialty products division.

Several members of the World Print & Communication Forum (WPCF) warn that the current paper shortages will have severe repercussions in the supply of print products for all economic markets and endangers the rebound of the graphic industry after the pandemic. The World Print & Communication Forum is a federation of printing associations all over the world and a number of them point to current supply problems; these countries include Australia, Europe, India, Japan, Nepal, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka and the United States of America. The graphic industry supports all economic activities with their products, be it for information, news, entertainment, education, advertising or packaging. Print plays a huge role in everyday life – so much so that it is frequently overlooked. Our sector supplies the packaging for goods at the supermarket, the books, newspapers and magazines we read as well as the boxes our digitally ordered food, clothing, gadgets and much more are packaged in.

I’m happy to report the labor issue at Sheridan seems to be turning a corner – though it may be a wide and long corner, and hiring is picking up across our locations. Could it be that the new workforce of today is just as taken to a juicy burger being cooked on the grill by our operations leaders?… I digress. Here are a few of the many ways that Sheridan is igniting the spark in local communities to keep printing an ongoing art: *We invite local graphic arts students to spend a day with us to gain firsthand experience of the graphic art and book manufacturing processes. *We participate in Woodford County Economic Development Authority’s Annual Industry Day in Kentucky by hosting onsite or virtual tours. *We participate in Make it in Manufacturing day in Wisconsin by hosting onsite tours for local high school students. *We work with local colleges to bring in interns from printing programs, graphic arts, and related studies. *We participate in youth apprenticeship with local high school students. *We speak at local vocational and high schools during career preview days. *We speak at local colleges about manufacturing job opportunities. *We participate in area and trade specific job fairs.

Canon Inc. expresses deep concern for the ongoing military attacks against Ukraine and the humanitarian crisis it has created, and hopes that the people affected may soon be able to live in peace once again. The Canon Group is making a donation of approximately one million euros (approximately JPY 130 million / USD $1.1 million) to the UNHCR refugee agency and other international humanitarian organizations. These funds will be used to provide support to the Ukrainian people whose lives have been so deeply affected. The Canon Group will strive to provide ongoing support through such measures as collecting donations from Group employees. Canon's corporate philosophy is kyosei. It conveys our dedication to seeing all people harmoniously living and working together in happiness into the future. Canon sincerely wishes for a peaceful resolution as soon as possible.

Thysse, best known for generating innovative brand solutions and serving its local community, announced an expanded internal leadership structure. The adjustment will bring the company closer to its vision of becoming the premier model of a Brand Experience Provider. The restructuring includes new internal roles for owner and company President, Jason Thysse, who will serve as Chief Executive Officer, and for Dean Bott, former General Manager, now serving as President. The new leadership structure allows Jason to focus on strategy that shifts Thysse into the future, transitioning the company to one that encourages leadership at every level. This move will empower Thysse employees to act with autonomy in supporting the company’s overall vision while fostering accountability and effective decision-making in their daily work. In his new role as President, Dean Bott will draw on his extensive experience with process education within the print industry, assuming responsibility for day-to-day company functions. Already a key leader in the company, Bott will now oversee leadership, finance, marketing, sales and operations – both creative and manufacturing.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company introduced an offering for cannabis and CBD companies designed to help them meet evolving product life cycle needs, including product differentiation at retail, regulatory adherence, and supply chain continuity. The cannabis and CBD industries have gone through immense regulatory change over the last few years that has transformed the retail landscape and created growth opportunities for both product lines. In fact, the Leafly Jobs Report found that nationwide cannabis sales increased 33% in 2021. As the cannabis dispensary industry continues to mature, customers demand both product variety that fits their lifestyle and easier access to product health and wellness information. RRD’s offering is designed to help cannabis and CBD businesses keep pace with market demand and create meaningful product engagement with consumers at dispensaries and select CBD retailers.

Transcontinental Inc. announces the acquisition by TC Media of Scolab Inc., a leader in the development of digital educational products. Scolab is known for Netmath, distributed in Canada in French and English, and Buzzmath, distributed in the United States. These products are used by thousands of students and teachers across North America. "Scolab is a visionary, innovative and dynamic company", said Patrick Lutzy, President of TC Media. “This strategic acquisition enhances TC Media Books’ already strong digital offering. The co-existence of digital with print is essential today in our industry, and we are proud of our leadership in this area. This new step forward expands and diversifies our offering of digital educational products for the elementary and secondary levels."

Sun Chemical is expanding its edible ink range with the launch of its FSR ink, which was developed to meet the specific needs of the food industry and verified for printing directly onto food including baked goods. Created to offer outstanding color and sharpness, while also complying with the highest levels of quality and safety regulations, Sun Chemical’s FSR ink range is based on synthetic colorants suitable for use for direct food printing using mid-viscosity range piezo printheads, such as the Ricoh GH2220 digital printhead. This completes a series of digital edible inks, complementing the existing low and high viscosity FSE and FSS lines, to enable food decoration with a full range of digital printhead technologies. The FSR range of inks has been developed using carefully selected synthetic food dyes that conform to FDA and EU legislation and is suitable for food printing when used in the right conditions for food production. The technology is also suitable for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical markets such as printing on pills and capsules. Sun Chemical is collaborating with printer manufacturers specifically targeting the food and pharmaceutical industries, highlighting the need to provide the market a fully capable and innovative food printing technology.

Highlights *Revenues of $690.6 million for the quarter ended January 30, 2022; operating earnings of $33.8 million; and net earnings attributable to shareholders of the Corporation of $18.4 million ($0.21 per share). *Completed, on February 1st, 2022, a private offering of $200 million of 2.667% senior unsecured notes due in February 2025. *Ranked 16th among the world's most sustainable corporations by Corporate Knights.

HP Inc. announced the delivery of the 100th HP Indigo 100K Digital Press marking a milestone as customers continue to thrive on the breakthrough press. Adding to their existing fleet of 5 HP Page Wide and Indigo products, award winning print service provider Solopress, continues in their digital transformation this month, with the installation of the HP Indigo 100K Digital press. Simon Cooper, MD of Solopress, comments, “We’re really pleased to see the market turn a corner and orders start to increase after a very tough period. During the last few years we’ve spent time as a business making changes which deliver more value to our customers. And in of support of that goal, we recently added the HP Indigo 100K to our fleet, which alongside the introduction of HP Siteflow, complements our existing automation capabilities.”

Sun Chemical has collaborated with HP to launch sustainable flexible packaging produced with HP’s Indigo digital press and Sun Chemical’s new solventless lamination solution SunLam. Due to its fast-curing, ultra-low monomer and solvent-free properties, SunLam can help brands improve their sustainability and expand the circular economy. As part of the partnership, Sun Chemical and HP developed stand-up pouches printed on HP’s Indigo 25K digital press using monomaterial polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) substrates, and laminated with Sun Chemical’s SunLam solution. The all-PP pouch was certified by Germany’s Institute Cyclos-HTP after being successfully tested for a recyclability rate of 96%.

A refrain is now heard throughout the printing industry; paper supplies are very tight, allocations limit the ability to take on new customers, discounts and rebates are a thing of the past, shipments are delayed until price increases take effect, and printing and packaging companies increase paper inventories at every opportunity. The supply and demand curves have crossed, and the mills are in charge. There are several reasons pricing leverage has shifted to the mills, including a labor strike at Finnish papermaker UPM, Covid-related supply chain disruptions, shortages of drivers, all in addition to the numerous closures of paper mills over the past several years. The Finns will eventually go back to work, shipping containers will get sorted out, truck drivers will be hired, and pricing will eventually settle down. However, one trend that is not likely to reverse is the conversion of papermaking machines from printing paper grades to packaging grades.

Sun Chemical and its parent company, the DIC Corporation, will amend their existing transportation surcharge. In addition, and in order to reflect cost dynamics in the global energy market, an energy surcharge on the entire Color Materials portfolio will become effective from April 1, 2022. As the unprecedented pace of inflationary cost movements continues to impact the entire spectrum of raw material and packaging components for the color materials industry, without sign of stabilization in sight, the industry is also being hit by abrupt rises of energy costs, including electricity, gas and diesel, drastically impacting manufacturing costs and freights costs. “Our priority remains to keep supplying our customers, allowing them to keep their facilities operating,” said Stefan Sütterlin, President, Global Color Materials. “We continue to leverage our global network to secure our manufacturing and services efficiency. However, the magnitude of recent energy related inflation cannot be absorbed and requires us to implement surcharges. The situation will need to be adjusted as it goes, and we can assure our customers that surcharges will be phased out as the situation allows.”

Chatham Asset Management, LLC announced that they have completed a transaction in which affiliates of Chatham have acquired RRD for $10.85 per share in cash. The acquisition was previously announced on December 14, 2021, and RRD stockholders approved the transaction at the Special Meeting of Stockholders held on February 23, 2022. With the completion of the transaction, RRD expects its common stock will cease trading on the New York Stock Exchange before market open on February 28, 2022. In connection with the completion of the transaction, Thomas J. Quinlan has assumed the role of President and Chief Executive Officer of RRD.

Sun Chemical will implement energy surcharges across its entire portfolio of packaging, commercial sheetfed, and screen inks, coatings, consumables, and adhesives in Europe, Middle East, Africa, effective from March 1, 2022. As the unprecedented pace of inflationary cost movements continues to impact the entire spectrum of raw material and packaging components for the ink industry, without sign of stabilisation in sight, the industry is also being hit by abrupt rises of energy costs of all kinds, including electricity, gas, fuel, diesel, drastically impacting manufacturing costs and freights costs. The current situation in Europe has already been adding up further on costs, with more uncertainties moving forward.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company held its virtual special meeting of stockholders to consider two proposals relating to the previously announced Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of December 14, 2021, by and among Chatham Delta Parent, Inc., Chatham Delta Acquisition Sub, Inc. and RRD. Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, Acquisition Sub will merge with and into RRD, with RRD surviving the Merger as a direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Parent. The first proposal, to adopt the Merger Agreement, was approved by affirmative vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of RRD common stock entitled to vote thereon.

Worzalla was ranked the largest employee-owned book printer in North America and the fifth-largest North American book printer in Printing Impressions’ latest industry rankings titled “2021 Printing Impressions 300.” Worzalla was also ranked the 63rd largest printer by annual sales on the general list that includes all printing companies in North America. This is the second consecutive year Worzalla has been ranked as a Top 5 Market Segment Leader in the book printing category. Worzalla also held its ranking as the 63rd largest printer from last year. “Our consistent growth and ranking in Printing Impressions’ annual report is a reflection of Worzalla’s ability to support its customers as book sales continue to increase across America,” said Jim Fetherston, President and CEO of Worzalla. “Much of our success is due to our dedicated associates, who do so much to deliver quality products for our customers despite the challenges our industry has faced over the last few years.” In 2021 Worzalla launched phase three of its modernization plan adding needed printing capacity to its facilities in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The expansion included the addition of a new casemaker and press. Additionally, Worzalla continued to grow its workforce for the day-to-day operations of creating the millions of books ordered by Worzalla’s customers each year.

Recent Highlights *Increased Net Sales 1% (3% excluding divestitures) in 2021, driven by higher print volumes, including print segment share gains from new clients, growth in Agency Solutions Net Sales, and increased pricing in response to inflationary cost pressures. *Delivered $38 million of Net Earnings From Continuing Operations in 2021 and Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share From Continuing Operations of $0.60 per share in 2021 compared to $0.29 per share in 2020. *Generated $137 million of Net Cash From Operating Activities and Free Cash Flow of $87 million in 2021. *Divested non-core assets, generating $166 million of cash proceeds in 2021. *Reduced Net Debt by $410 million or 40% over the past two years, reaching Debt Leverage of 2.5x.

Full Year Key Messages *GAAP net sales, including the impact of foreign exchange and a disposition in early 2020, increased $197 million or 4.1%; Non-GAAP organic net sales increased 3.2% primarily from higher demand for many of the Company’s products and services *GAAP income from operations was up $55 million versus the prior year *Cash provided by operating activities in 2021 was $92.1 million as compared to $149.8 million in the prior year period; current year results include payments in excess of $100 million related to the planned merger, settlement of LSC bankruptcy related claims, repayment of half the payroll taxes deferred in 2020 and payments made to terminate certain interest rate swap agreements *Total debt outstanding of $1.47 billion at December 31, 2021 is down $37 million from the prior year end; Pension and OPEB plans are overfunded by $42 million at December 31, 2021 which is an improvement of $146 million from the $104 million underfunded amount at the prior year end *Gross leverage ratio of 3.6x and net leverage ratio of 2.9x both improved 0.1x from December 31, 2020 and represent lowest levels since 2016 spin

Tony Lord President of Flint Group Commercial Publication Web Division said, "The first responsibility of a supplier is to meet its obligations to its customers for provision of required volumes to maintain the integrity of the supply chain. To meet this requirement we have been successful in responding to the post pandemic’s unprecedented disruption in both global raw material and energy markets by ensuring both product and energy availability to meet our customers’ demands. This has, however, been at previously unparalleled price levels across our entire portfolio of raw materials and manufacturing locations". Lord further stated "Regrettably the hoped for stabilisation in both raw material availability and pricing has failed to materialise so far in 2022 with products remaining scarce and their pricing continuing to escalate accordingly. This, coupled with the exponential increase in energy tariffs, has created a situation where current selling price levels for our products are simply not sustainable. To respond to this sudden rise in costs we feel the sensible approach is to avoid a general price increase and apply a monthly surcharge whilst awaiting further market developments. To this end, effective for deliveries from March 1st 2022, surcharges to recover these recent cost increases will be applied across our entire publication ink portfolio so that we can maintain supply to our customers".

Chris Carpenter, President and owner of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin-based Royle Printing, describes why his catalog and magazine printing operation invested in an eight-unit Goss Sunday 2000 heatset web offset press with double former folder. He also discusses the current industry-wide paper shortage. https://www.piworld.com/xchange/offset-printing/royle-printing-installs-8-unit-heatset-web-offset-press/#ne=d7f0e6e16b0d037f71fc050491da5623&utm_source=today-on-piworld&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=2022-02-14

European printing companies have warned that industries such as food and consumer goods could suffer significant disruption to their supply chains because of a growing shortage of paper. Strikes by thousands of workers at mills owned by forestry group UPM-Kymmene in Finland have exacerbated paper shortages that started with an unexpectedly strong rebound in demand after lockdowns eased. “You’ve got paper prices spiking and everyone chasing too few tonnes,” said Iwan Le Moine, director of EMGE, a consultancy. “It’s an absolute mess.” Finat, which represents more than 1,000 European label producers, has warned of supply disruptions because of shortages in specialised paper types.

SCREEN Americas announces the installation of the Truepress Jet520HD AD at MSP, of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. The installation of the high-definition inkjet web press with an advanced drying unit, the Truepress Jet520HD AD will join the Truepress Jet520NX in the company’s 100,000-square-foot facility. The new SCREEN press replaces MSP's original Truepress Jet520S and Truepress Jet520ZZ models. With this latest installation, MSP plans on eliminating its offset lithographic equipment entirely. The ability to put multiple jobs on one roll combined with a one-touch operation has proven to be both profitable for the printer and beneficial to the customer allowing MSP to effortlessly convert more than 100 of its clients over to SCREEN’s technology. The company’s chief operating officer, Doug Wright, expects that with the installation of the Truepress Jet520HD AD, the few remaining clients he has on lithographic presses will soon make the switch to digital inkjet technology.

Lakeside Book Company and ALJ Regional Holdings, Inc. jointly announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for Lakeside's acquisition of all of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of ALJ's wholly-owned subsidiary Phoenix Color Corp. ("Phoenix"). Headquartered in Hagerstown, Maryland, Phoenix is a specialty printer of book components, children's books, and other print-related products with printing facilities in Indiana and Maryland. The transaction is expected to close during the second calendar quarter of 2022, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory and stockholder approvals. "We know Phoenix well as a recognized leader in book components. Adding their team's capabilities to Lakeside's service offerings will enable our publishing customers to conveniently manage book and cover printing in one place," said Dave McCree, Lakeside's Chief Executive Officer. "We are always looking for ways to make the printing supply chain more efficient for publishers and this transaction would be a significant step in that direction."

SG360°, an industry-leading provider of performance-driven direct marketing solutions, announced that effective immediately, James (Jim) Andersen has been appointed Interim CEO of SG360° in the wake of the death of the previous CEO, John A. Wallace, Jr. on January 4, 2022. Mr. Andersen has extensive and successful decades of direct marketing experience and has been a member of the SG360° Board of Directors since October of 2021. “We are fortunate to have Jim on our board and that he’s in a position to step in to fill this crucial, temporary role while we search for a permanent successor to John,” said Willie Woods, President of ICV Partners, LLC. “Jim’s close working relationship with John over the last three months will serve the company well as we focus on continuing the execution of the innovation-driven growth strategy that John had begun.”

Sheridan is excited to announce a new feature enhancement to Sheridan SelectTM, offering publishers multi-volume set support for print-on-demand books. Sheridan Select has been simplifying publishers’ production workflows for over a decade, be it through fully-automated data integration, or a simple, easy-to-use web portal to upload files and place orders. This new feature enhancement gives publishers the ability to identify, upload, store, order, and print sets or collections comprised of multiple products with ease. This feature is available in both the fully automated and self-service models of Sheridan Select for print-on-demand books. It supports member products (i.e., child ISBNs) to be ordered independently, or as part of a collection (i.e., parent ISBNs). If desired, the ability to turn on or off member product independence is also available. For example, “If a set is defined as volume 1, volume 2, and volume 3, Sheridan Select has the ability to control whether each individual volume can be ordered by itself or not as defined by the publisher,” comments Eric Biggins, Sheridan’s Director of Customer Technology. “The rollout of this latest feature is just one more way that Sheridan continues to streamline publishers’ workflows and bring efficiencies to their businesses.”

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company helped Levain Bakery™ meet a 200% increase in e-commerce demand during the pandemic. The 26-year-old company, which started on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, has transformed from a New York City institution popular amongst locals and tourists, to a national brand – while improving efficiencies and exceeding consumer expectations with the help of RRD’s packaging and warehousing solutions. Amid the onset of COVID-19, Levain experienced skyrocketing demand for its assortments of cookies available for purchase online. Simultaneously, the company needed to address an e-commerce packaging redesign while scaling up its warehousing capacity. To address these challenges, the company collaborated with RRD, a Chicago-based company with roots in printing that evolved to offer solutions from creative design and kitting to warehousing and proprietary supply chain management, and more. “We were already a growing brand, opening new bakeries, scaling our e-commerce business, and expanding into grocery retailers,” said Andy Taylor, CEO of Levain. “The challenge was creating a packaging solution that not only ensured our customers would receive our product in pristine condition, but also improved our efficiency to better meet demand. When COVID-19 caused New York—and the rest of the world —to shut down, we saw online orders multiply and we needed a supplier that had the flexibility to meet accelerating demand on a greater scale.”

RMGT, manufacturer of the leading 8-up sheetfed offset press in North America, announces that Envision3 is the most recent printing operation in North America to install the new 8-UP+ RMGT 970 offset press. Based in the greater Chicago area in Bloomingdale, IL, Envision3 is one of the top 300 largest printing and mailing manufacturers in the country and is a full-service offset and digital printing, packaging, mailing, and finishing company. Since its inception in 2000, Envision3 has been a traditional 40” shop having installed three Mitsubishi presses in this time period. Since Mitsubishi merged with Ryobi to form RMGT, Envision3 recently expanded their offset press line with the newly introduced RMGT 970 press. “We've been a Mitsubishi shop, now RMGT, for the 21 years since our formation,” states Kevin Franz, President, Envision3. “Mitsubishi and RM Machinery have won our business multiple times through the years with their new presses and great service.” Envision3 started in 2000 with a 40-inch and a 28-inch Mitsubishi offset press and later moved on to the Mitsubishi Diamond 3000 series. In the last quarter of 2021, Envision3 installed the latest addition to the 9 Series family, the RMGT 970, which features a new 25” x 38” sheet size.

*Full year revenue increased 12.9%, up 2.0%, excluding First American, delivering the first full year of reported sales-driven growth in nearly a decade *Consolidated fourth quarter revenue increased 25.5%, up 6.8%, excluding contribution from First American *All four segments delivered year-over-year sales-driven revenue growth in the fourth quarter *Fourth quarter net income was up 10.4% from the third quarter of 2021 and adjusted EBITDA margin was 20.5%, up 120 basis points sequentially from the third quarter of 2021

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company announced that the unsolicited non-binding and conditional “Alternative Acquisition Proposal” from a strategic party (the “Strategic Party”) to acquire all of the outstanding shares of RRD’s common stock for $11.50 per share in cash has been withdrawn. The Strategic Party did not provide specific reasons for its withdrawal. The Company remains subject to the Chatham Merger Agreement, pursuant to which Chatham will acquire all of the RRD common stock not already owned by affiliates of Chatham for $10.85 per share in cash.

Sun Chemical will increase prices across selected parts of its pigments, dyes and preparations portfolio, effective February 14, 2022 or as contracts allow. The price increase affects all market segments. “We need to take this action due to the current market conditions,” said Stefan Sütterlin, President of Sun Chemical’s Color Materials division. “Sun Chemical values the relationship we have with our business partners, and we remain committed to continuous cost and productivity improvement programs designed to keep our cost drivers under control and provide maximum value to our customers. However, the unprecedented magnitude and speed of increases in materials forces us to pass on higher cost to our customers.”

Sun Chemical will increase prices across its entire portfolio of packaging, commercial sheetfed, and screen inks, coatings, consumables, and adhesives in Europe, Middle East, Africa, effective immediately or as contracts allow. The unprecedented pace of inflationary cost movements continues to impact the entire spectrum of raw material inputs and packaging components for the ink industry, while raw material availability remains an ongoing concern. In addition, the sustained inflation of utilities and the supply/demand dynamics in both the global and regional logistics markets are contributing factors in driving further cost increases. Sun Chemical continues to find ways of mitigating these costs, but the magnitude and speed of cost increases require the company to increase prices to offset impacts to the business.

Financial Summary *$1.78 billion of revenue in Q4, down 7.9 percent year-over-year, or down 7.4 percent in constant currency; $7.04 billion of FY revenue, up 0.2 percent year-over-year, or down 1.4 percent in constant currency. *Q4 and FY GAAP (loss)/earnings per share (EPS) of $(3.97) and $(2.56), down $4.33 and $3.40 year-over-year, respectively. Both Q4 and FY GAAP EPS include an after-tax non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $750 million or $4.38 and $4.08 per share, respectively. *$198 million of operating cash flow in Q4, down $37 million year-over-year; $629 million of FY operating cash flow, up $81 million year-over-year. *$182 million of free cash flow in Q4, down $39 million year-over-year; $561 million of FY free cash flow, up $87 million year-over-year. *Delivered $375 million of targeted 2021 gross cost savings through Project Own It, or $1.8 billion since inception. *Returned more than $1 billion to shareholders, close to double FY 2021 free cash flow.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company announced the receipt of an update to the unsolicited non-binding “Alternative Acquisition Proposal”, received from the strategic party (the “Strategic Party,” and such update to the proposal, the “Updated Strategic Party Proposal”) on December 27, 2021. On January 3, 2022, the Strategic Party had indicated to RRD that it was targeting January 21, 2022 for a submission of a binding proposal. In lieu of submitting a binding proposal, the Strategic Party delivered the non-binding Updated Strategic Party Proposal, which provides for the following, among other terms and conditions: *Value: Increases the offered price to $11.50 per share in cash. Previously, the offered price by the Strategic Party was $11.00 per share in cash. *Due Diligence: States that the Strategic Party has substantially completed its financial, legal, tax and other due diligence on RRD and its business. *Committed Financing and Timing: Does not include committed debt and equity financing and states that the Strategic Party requires an additional three weeks to obtain committed financing (February 8, 2022). *Chatham-Related Covenants: Removes the previously included conditions to the execution of the proposed Strategic Party merger agreement that required Chatham to release and dismiss Chatham’s litigation and claims made against RRD, and to vote its shares of RRD common stock to approve the Strategic Party merger agreement. *Non-Binding and Conditional: The Updated Strategic Party Proposal remains non-binding and subject to certain terms and conditions.

The Great Lakes Graphics Association is now accepting nominations for the Second Annual Women in Print Excellence Award. This sought after female-specific award supports our ongoing quest to recognize the contributions of women in the Midwest print, graphic arts, finishing and print packaging community as well as those women who support the print industry in a vendor or supplier capacity. Eligibility : Any woman working directly in print or in a vendor role supporting print who is in good standing with her company in the states of Illinois, Indiana or Wisconsin. Any level or title of employee is eligible. Process: Anyone (female or male) can nominate a candidate by completing the nomination form and emailing it to Debra Warner at dwarner@glga.info or faxing it to 262-522-2211. A nomination fee of $30 needs to be included with the nomination form.

TC Transcontinental is proud to have climbed to 16th place on the list of the 100 most sustainable corporations in the world, as unveiled today by Corporate Knights, in addition to ranking first in the packaging industry. This performance represents a significant improvement, whereas last year the corporation ranked 45th in the same category. According to Corporate Knights, TC Transcontinental stood out for its high percentage of clean revenue from the sale of eco-responsible products, its clean investments, and the gender diversity of its Board of Directors and senior management. The Corporation has indeed made several advances in terms of corporate social responsibility (CSR), including: *Expanding its vieVERTe sustainable packaging portfolio, which includes its commercialized compostable, 100% recyclable and post consumer resin product lines *Investing more than $10 million in product research and development (R&D) *Launching the ASTRA Center, composed of four different state-of-the-art R&D labs, located in Menasha, Wisconsin *Achieving 31% women in leadership positions in its Packaging, Printing and Media sectors, exceeding its initial target.

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.

Flint Group, including all business units within its Packaging and its Commercial Publication & Web divisions, has achieved a Silver status from EcoVadis, the world’s largest and most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings with a global network of over 85,000 rated companies. The company was considered to be in the top 21% of companies rated by EcoVadis in the manufacture of paints, varnishes and similar coatings, including printing inks. It was rated in the top 9% of companies in the Sustainable Procurement category, as well as in the top 7% for Ethics.

Sun Chemical will increase prices across its entire portfolio of packaging, commercial sheetfed and screen inks, coatings, consumables and adhesives in North America, effective immediately or as contracts allow. The unprecedented pace of inflationary cost movements continues to impact the entire spectrum of raw material inputs and packaging components for the ink industry. In addition, the sustained shortage of available labor, along with the supply/demand dynamics in both the global and regional logistics markets, are contributing factors in driving further cost increases. Sun Chemical continues to find ways of mitigating these costs, but the magnitude and speed of cost increases require the company to increase prices to offset impacts to the business.

When defining the outlook for book manufacturing in the year ahead, John Galligan, president of Bradford & Bigelow in Newburyport, Massachusetts, uses an apt analogy considering the topic at hand: “It’s a tale of two cities,” he says. Galligan is referring to the marked difference between the outlook at the beginning of this year to the outlook now, with regard to the ongoing supply chain challenges. In Printing Impressions’ Book Manufacturing Outlook for 2021, demand outstripping supply was already emerging as a leading concern, and as the Book Manufacturers Institute (BMI) published its "State of the Book Industry 2021," Executive Director Matt Baehr commented: “As we move forward, economic and labor trends, along with supply chain issues, will affect our industry greatly.”

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company has joined the Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC), the North American association for paperboard packaging manufacturers and their suppliers. “We are thrilled to be accepted into the PPC as one of their Principal members,” said Lisa Pruett, President of RRD Packaging Solutions, Forms and Labels. “The leaders in the packaging industry rely on the PPC for research, education, networking, and more; I am certain we will gain great value from our membership that will enhance RRD’s place in the paperboard packaging universe translating to better service to our clients.”

As we close in on two full years of the pandemic, lockdowns, Zoom meetings, and lives lived through screens, experts are finding that digital fatigue has firmly set in. Everyone is looking to make connections that don’t involve the light of a computer, phone, or tablet. Direct mail — a brand’s old and trusted friend — is one of the answers. “Businesses are realizing with digital fatigue that direct mail can play a critical role of getting attention,” notes Jeff Heyman, VP of product development and e-commerce for FedEx Office. “Direct mail is an integral part of the most successful marketing strategies that combine digital and physical communication.” He continues, “Customers are longing for connection after being home for so long and direct mail gives that to them. It allows businesses to communicate that they are open for business, and how they have adapted their business throughout the pandemic.”

Studies show signs give you the biggest bang for your buck. In ancient times, signs were a primary form of communication between merchants and prospective customers. Merchants in Babylon, Egypt, Athens, Pompeii and Rome used signs to identify their shops, promote prices and distinguish their businesses from competitors. In our modern world, signs are so ubiquitous that you probably barely notice they’re there. But signs are crucial to your business’s success. Signs direct customers, remind them of your brand and inspire them to make daily decisions. Research shows that about 90% of information sent to your brain is visual; that’s why imagery is crucial if you want to connect with potential customers. Because humans are visual, custom-made signs communicate powerfully with your audience because they combine attractive color and engaging text to create memorable messages that resonate. Well-designed custom retail signs with stunning graphics increase brand awareness. And the more potential customers who know about your brand, the more they’ll trust your services and the more likely they will purchase from you.

Taylor Corporation announced today the rebranding of three companies acquired over the past two decades to better reflect its “Taylor United” corporate strategy. The three companies are Curtis 1000, a leading provider of commercial print and packaging; Vectra Visual, known for design-forward solutions in retail signage and merchandising; and Optima Graphics, one of the nation’s leading wholesale suppliers to the trade show and event markets. Together, the companies comprise the newly-named Taylor Print & Visual Impressions, Inc., led by enterprise group president Mike Robinson. The newly created group encompasses 2,250 employees, 17 facilities and a diverse range of print capabilities, all supported by marketing, data and analytics designed to optimize the creation of high-impact brand communications and experiences.

The Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP), the leading authority in sustainable printing certifications, announced the election of Birdley James of Miller Zell to its Board of Directors. James is SGP/EHS Coordinator & Compliance Manager and leads Miller Zell’s sustainability efforts. His responsibilities include expanding recycling initiatives, and overseeing sustainability program compliance, SGP certification requirements, environmental & safety compliance audits, environmental safety processes & procedures and safety training.

Specialty Print Communications (SPC) added another milestone on its strategic growth path by acquiring the assets of American Marketing Services & Consultants (AMS). Based in Mundelein, IL, AMS was founded in 1976 and provides a number of mail, letter shop & fulfillment services for companies of all sizes. With an experienced team and state of the art equipment, AMS provides added firepower to SPC’s existing lettershop. “We are excited to have AMS onboard”, stated Adam LeFebvre, SPC President. “We have a long history with AMS and the timing is right for us to make this important investment. Our business has seen dramatic growth in recent years and an expanded lettershop team will help us keep up with client demand.” SPC has retained the entire AMS team and will integrate all lettershop operations within its existing facility in Niles.

Corporate Graphics Commercial, a Taylor Corporation company, is pleased to announce that it has reached an agreement to acquire the assets of Reindl Bindery Co., Inc. of Germantown, Wis. The acquisition of Reindl expands CGC’s capacity and capabilities and offers immediate growth opportunities for its publishing business. “We’re seeing greater demand for bindery services than at any time in our history,” says Dan Kvasnicka, President of Taylor Print Impressions. “By adding the talent and technology of Reindl, we are positioning Taylor to serve even more customers.” Founded in 1978, family-owned Reindl Bindery has a legacy of providing innovative binding solutions throughout the printing industry, with capabilities spanning a wide range of bindery applications including perfect, layflat and case binding to Smyth sewn books, Wire-O systems and more. “We are thrilled to welcome Reindl to the Taylor team,” said Kvasnicka. “Our capabilities are complementary, and both teams are known for industry-leading quality, responsive service and innovation.”

Sun Chemical has acquired SAPICI, a global leading company in high-performance polyurethanes for coatings, flexible packaging, industrial adhesives and more. With SAPICI, Sun Chemical reinforces its integrated supply strategy in the packaging market by adding capabilities to develop and produce unique polymers for the entire portfolio of inks, coatings, and lamination adhesives. The combined resources and technologies of DIC/Sun Chemical and SAPICI will provide a comprehensive and unique polymer portfolio for areas such as industrial coatings, elastomers, industrial adhesives, and sealants.

Plum Grove Inc., an award-winning integrated marketing agency, announced its $4M expansion. The 2021 growth plan includes the relocation of its headquarters to Cary, Illinois, and investment in additional print capacity, including the purchase of a Komori Lithrone 6-Color Offset Printing Press. The expansion comes as the company celebrates its 40th year anniversary. Construction updates on the 43,000 square-foot facility is expected to be completed in October 2021. Located in McHenry County, the new address at 320 Cary Point Drive in Cary, Illinois, is approximately 30 miles from Chicago O’Hare International Airport and 45 miles from downtown Chicago. The building will house Plum Grove’s corporate offices, print production, mailing services, trade show displays, sign shop, pick-and-pack operations, digital marketing, and creative services under one roof with capacity for future growth.

CJK Group, Inc. announced today that it has acquired Tweddle Group, a pre-eminent provider of one-stop product support service to a broad array of global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Tweddle is widely recognized as a leader in content development, content management, creative services, and digital, print, and distribution solutions—all supported by state-of-the-art proprietary technologies. At the core of Tweddle Group is a mission to greatly enhance its clients’ end-user experiences, be it simplifying and streamlining user data and access, or applying technology to enhance processes or deliver innovative new solutions. Simply put, Tweddle Group is a catalyst to OEM success; delivering solutions that yield customer retention and growth. With over 500 employees worldwide, Tweddle Group’s Global Headquarters resides in Clinton Township, MI. The company also has offices in Europe and Asia. Tweddle Group Italy is located in Ravenna, with supporting offices in Torino, Modena, and Pozzilli, Tweddle Group Belgium is located in Schelle, Belgium, and Tweddle Group China is located in Shanghai. The company was founded in 1954.

Highlights include: *Revenues were $103.0 million for the quarter compared to $92.4 million for the same quarter last year, an increase of $10.6 million or 11.5%. *Earnings per diluted share for the current quarter were $0.29 compared to $0.32 for the comparative quarter last year, a decrease of 9.4%. *Our gross profit margin for the quarter was 28.4% compared to 30.4% for the comparative quarter last year.

Quad/Graphics, Inc. announced it has completed the sale of its former Oklahoma City, OK, and Fernley, NV, manufacturing facilities to affiliates of Industrial Realty Group, LLC, one of the country’s largest owners of commercial and industrial properties, for combined net proceeds of $58.6 million. Quad will use proceeds from the sale to reduce debt and continue accelerating its competitive position as a marketing solutions partner.