Paper Clips

In a blockbuster deal announced today within the publication and commercial printing sectors, Chicago-based LSC Communications has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Creel Printing, a privately-owned offset and digital printing company headquartered in Las Vegas. Creel’s capabilities include full-color heatset and coldset web and sheetfed offset printing, regionally distributed variable digital production, wide-format printing and integrated digital solutions.

Over 120 attendees from all over the world came to the Security Day hosted by Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) for the first time in Wiesloch in mid-July. Using identification document printing (ID printing) and meaningful examples from the plastic card industry, the company showed that it has been the reliable partner for these applications for many years.

The pharmaceutical and healthcare market is increasingly moving towards specialized medicinal products. As a result, the packaging runs for these specially developed medicines are becoming ever shorter, along with the delivery times. August Faller GmbH & Co. KG, Waldkirch, Germany, has decided to counter this trend by placing an advance order for the Primefire 106 digital printing system from Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) in order to obtain one of the first machines worldwide in 2018.

PRINT 17, the largest gathering of the printing, publishing, in-plant, graphic communications and mailing/fulfillment communities in the Americas, is back in Chicago with new opportunities to grow the industry. PRINT is owned and produced by NPES - The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies and takes place September 10-14, 2017. PRINT 17 will feature new, innovative education session formats this year that foster knowledge exchanges and allow attendees to design their own “Learning Experience.” More than 50 education sessions will shed light on topics ranging from design/creative process, packaging, marketing, growth strategies and emerging technologies. These education programs analyze new methods to increase ROI through education seminars and hands-on labs, pre-show OUTLOOK 17 conference, panel discussions, “Distinguished Leader” speakers, and The Learning Experience Theater presentations on the show floor. Click Read More below for additional detail.

High quality, fast speeds, small footprint and crisp color are critical production press components to direct marketing and business print provider Compu-mail. When they wanted to replace aging technology to drive new business efficiencies and expand their direct mail production capabilities, they turned to inkjet technology and purchased two Xerox Rialto 900 Inkjet Presses. “Our Rialto 900 presses allow us to produce full color variable printing at a great quality level and price – ultimately helping our shop be more efficient and drive down costs,” said Michael Vitch, President and CEO, Compu-mail. “These presses also help us further advance to the forefront of variable print technology.” Headquartered in Grand Island, N.Y., Compu-mail brings direct marketing campaigns to life through comprehensive print, mail and web-based pieces. Click Read More below for additional detail.

The Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul have long held a rich tradition of being the home to many well-known names in the printing industry. But among the leading printers in this crowded market space, one has decided to set seismic goals amid the competitive field in an effort to reap benefits for both its prized customers and its own 200 employee internal team. Bolger Vision Beyond Print, a commercial printer and customized technology solutions company led by CEO dik Bolger, has long needed a sister press to accompany its KBA Rapida 105 10-color long perfector press to provide its sales force with additional capacity for its growing sales volume. Later this summer, the pressroom will be accommodating that need with the installation of a new KBA Rapida 105 six-color press with UV and full automation. “The new KBA Rapida 105 six-color press will become our key workhorse,” says Bolger. “Our clients love our existing KBA 10-color perfector but we’re selling out of hours on the press. Not only will the new press give us extra capacity but it will also help us expand our luxury and education markets, as well as custom packaging. Now that we’re moving into our busy season in late summer, we’re depending on the new Rapida 105 six-color with all of its automation to cut our makeready times in half and double our run speed, which will have a multi-million dollar impact to our top line sales.” Click Read More below for additional detail.

Lux Global Label Company, one of the world's most respected printing packaging companies, today announced a series of leadership additions including naming Todd Kennedy as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors. The company also announced that two labeling and printing industry veterans, Robert (Bob) Coleman and John Wurzburger, have been named to the company's Board of Directors. Lux Global Label is the newly formed holding company that purchased certain assets from National Label, a 103-year-old global leader in the labeling industry. The establishment of Lux Global Label was announced by Resilience Capital Partners, a leading private equity firm, on April 28, 2017. Click Read More below for additional detail.

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

LSC Communications, Inc. announced the release of the company’s IntercepTag solution delivering a platform for verifying textbook authenticity through the scanning of secure unique identifier codes. The platform leverages the scale of LSC's production and distribution facilities and HP’s Link Technology for product authentication, to help protect intellectual property and fight counterfeiting throughout the entire supply chain. "In the book publishing industry, textbook piracy has been a major problem and an increasing concern for publishers,” said David McCree, president of the Book division of LSC. “Our latest investment with HP builds on our strategic investment with Context Labs and strengthens our Supply Chain as a Service (SCaaS) offering. We are committed to help protect our clients’ intellectual property and to support technology innovation within the supply chain." Click Read More below for additional detail.

The downsizing of the newspaper printing and publishing industry continues. Cox Media Group Ohio, based in Dayton, Ohio, announced yesterday plans to close its newspaper printing facility located at 5000 Commerce Center Drive in nearby Franklin, Ohio, resulting in the layoffs of approximately 75 full-time and 60 part-time workers employed there. Located in Warren County along the Great Miami River and named, ironically, after Benjamin Franklin, Franklin, Ohio, has a population of nearly 12,000 residents. The three daily publications currently printed there — The Dayton Daily News, Springfield News-Sun and Journal-News — and some weekly publications will instead be printed at Gannett’s Indianapolis newspaper printing plant, following an outsourcing agreement that has been reached between Cox Media Group and Gannett Publishing Services. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Quantum Group, a trusted expert in commercial and digital printing, direct mail, and fulfillment, continues to expand its print technology leadership through its investment in an HP PageWide Web Press T240 HD. This latest technology offers a digital print engine that delivers unprecedented versatility and color-consistency combined with the agility to deliver personalized communications cost-effectively. With the ability to print 4/4 images at 500 feet per minute the production capabilities of this new printer are vast. “Today’s commercial print providers require a combination of offset-class print quality, productivity, and media versatility, along with the unique capabilities and efficiency of digital printing,” says Avi Basu, Americas director of marketing, HP Graphics Solutions Business. “Quantum’s investment will enable their clients to experience the benefits of digital printing, whether they are printing hundreds or hundreds of thousands, using Quantum’s multiple HP platforms from sheetfed Indigo to HP PageWide Web presses.” Click Read More below for additional detail.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company announced a new agreement with Vizient™, the nation’s largest member-owned healthcare company. Effective July 2017, the new three-year agreement will enable Vizient member hospitals to take advantage of RRD’s extensive end-to-end communications offerings for forms, commercial and promotional print initiatives. Vizient first engaged with the company in a March 2017 agreement for RRD’s United Ad Label, providing its members with access to more than 4,000 stock designs and endless custom options for labels and wristbands used by healthcare organizations. RRD’s deep expertise in the healthcare industry, combined with its proven ability to create, produce and distribute effective marketing and business communications materials, ultimately led to the additional agreement. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Shutterfly, Inc. announced the appointment of Scott Arnold as president, Shutterfly Enterprise, overseeing the organization's Enterprise division. This new role provides dedicated executive leadership to a key area of strategic focus for Shutterfly. In this role, Scott will be responsible for developing the company's long-term Enterprise strategy to leverage its world-class digital manufacturing platform. This division comprises the industry-leading Shutterfly Business Solutions (SBS), which manages marketing and customer communications programs for some of the world's leading brands, leveraging Shutterfly's unique personalized manufacturing capabilities. Over time, Shutterfly Enterprise expects to continue to expand the SBS business, while building additional businesses that serve a broader set of customers and industries. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Nashua’s namesake company, Nashua Corp., owned by graphics giant Cenveo, will shutter its Merrimack location by April 30 of next year, resulting in 53 layoffs and marking the end of a manufacturing legacy in New Hampshire that goes back more than a century. The company notified the state and the town by letter on Oct. 26 that the Merrimack packing facility at 59A Daniel Webster Highway is ramping down and will be permanently closed by next spring.