Year In Review : 2011 - Year of the Felony

If no news truly is good news, then perhaps 2011 offered the printing industry a respite from the calamity and tumult of the past three campaigns. Alas, that was not the case, but if we grade the year on a curve, then 2011 gets acceptable marks.

While 2010 was resplendent with major acquisitions—Quad/Graphics added Worldcolor and HGI Inc., RR Donnelley obtained Bowne & Co., and IWCO Direct acquired the U.S. direct mail operations of Transcontinental Inc.—its successor came and went with little fanfare. Asset sales and closures took center stage, and crime continued to play a leading role from a news standpoint. According to our Website tracking statistics, the police blotter proved to be a popular subject.