UPFRONT
PIA, NAPL Forge Agreement
SEWICKLEY, PA—The PIA and NAPL will join forces with NPES to develop a spring management conference starting in 2011, an event that will combine the PIA's President's Conference, NAPL's Top Management Conference and NPES' Spring Meeting into one comprehensive industry event. Although some have called for the two associations to merge, PIA and NAPL did vow to work together on future topics of mutual interest that advance the cause of printing.
MSP Crafts Deal with Tracer
NEW CANAAN, CT—MSP Digital Marketing has completed its second deal, forging a strategic partnership with Tracer Imaging of White Plains, NY. Tracer is a developer of lenticular and 3-D printing. It creates and prints lenticular products that simulate full-motion video, 3-D, dynamic swapping of two or three images, transformation of one image into another and seamless zoom effects. Tracer operates additional facilities near Chicago and Los Angeles.
Worldcolor Nets Book Pact
MONTREAL—Worldcolor has signed a multiyear agreement with Macmillan's New York-based U.S. operations. The deal, which did not specify a dollar value, involves printing approximately 800 million major trade bestsellers, textbooks and mass market (paperback) books, based on current projections. Included in the agreement are related warehousing and distribution services.
RRD Secures Catalog Deal
CHICAGO—RR Donnelley has been awarded a multiyear, multimillion-dollar agreement to produce catalogs, forms and labels, and to provide prepress and logistics services for Harriet Carter, a catalog and online merchant. The agreement significantly expands the companies' long-term relationship and includes prepress, production and logistics services for Fresh Finds, a catalog title focused on kitchenwares and cooking tools, accents, as well as cleaning and organizing solutions for the home.
Expansion at Carolina Design
GALAX, VA—A $3 million expansion at Carolina Profile Design, a lithographic commercial printer, will result in the creation of 55 jobs, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. The expansion includes adding a metal machining process. It will enable the company to manufacture metal parts for machinery and aftermarket products.
Agfa Obtains Gandi Innovations
MORTSEL, BELGIUM—Agfa Graphics announces that it has reached an agreement to acquire most of the assets of Gandi Innovations Holdings' North American operations and the shares of its principal foreign subsidiaries. Gandi Innovations specializes in large-format ink-jet systems. Since May 2009, it has been operating under CCAA protection in Canada and Chapter 15 protection in the United States. The acquisition is subject to regulatory and court approval and the successful closing of the transaction.
manroland Debt Paid Down
FRANKFURT, GERMANY—German concerns Allianz SE and MAN SE are paying off the remaining debt owed by manroland, the press manufacturer jointly owned by the two companies. Gerd Finkbeiner, CEO of manroland, told a newspaper here that ownership will replace the remaining liabilities entirely with equity.
Skyblue Makes Print Debut
MINNEAPOLIS—Skyblue Graphic Services, the brainchild of industry veteran Randy Blackorbay, has opened its doors for business. The Native American-owned company specializes in printed shopper marketing messages for retailers, brand marketers, service providers and entertainment venues. According to its Website, Skyblue provides in-store signage, displays, promotional package coupons, pressure-sensitive labels, commercial printing, and cards and sales kits, among other things.
Xerox Intros EPS Solution
ROCHESTER, NY—Xerox Corp. has unveiled its Enterprise Print Services (EPS), a solution designed to help companies better manage documents across their global print infrastructure, from the office to the in-house print center to the virtual workplace. Incorporating EPS reportedly reduces the cost of printing, sharing and updating everything from a home worker's 50-page proposal to full-color marketing brochures.
Mount Royal Acquires Jarboe
BALTIMORE—Mount Royal Printing, based here, has acquired the sales assets of Jarboe Commercial Printing, Washington, DC. NAPL Print Consulting Services advised Mount Royal Printing in the deal. The move allows Mount Royal to expand its presence in the nation's capital. Gary Cayce, president of Mount Royal, anticipates sales in the $7.5 million range in 2010 due to the acquisition and a new sales office in Beltsville, MD.
Fry Opts for Solar Panels
MECHANICSBURG, PA—Fry Communi- cations has begun installing a photovoltaic (PV) system on the roof of its largest production facility here. Fry partnered with Secco Inc., a local solar commercial installation firm, to design and execute the new energy collection system. PI
