SUPPLIER news
In order to maintain contact with users and grow market share in North America, Rohan Holt, founder of LithoTechnics Inc. and inventor of the Metrix automated job planning and imposition system, has relocated from the company's Sydney, Australia, location to its U.S. office in the Seattle area.
NPES, The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies named David Reny as its 2010 Gegenheimer Award recipient. The award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated leadership and commitment to the industry through participation in NPES and industry activities, civic leadership, technical innovation and sound management practices. Reny is currently executive vice president at Standard Finishing Systems, where he has served since 1977.
Donald Troxel, co-founder of ECRM, died Jan. 18 at the age of 76. Dr. Troxel, along with some fellow MIT professors, developed the first commercially successful optical character recognition (OCR) machine for use by newspapers. He was also instrumental in the development of several ECRM products, including the Autokon laser-based camera, scanners, filmsetters and platesetters.
Fujifilm North America's Graphic Systems Div. and Van Son Holland Ink have introduced a program for Fujifilm customers who purchase Van Son inks for the first time. The Van Son Fujifilm Tech Advantage Program allows customers to use their Van Son ink purchases from Fujifilm to help finance a series of professional services. These include G7 education and implementation, Taskero Universe ColorPath Verified and ColorPath Sync, stochastic screening implementation, custom compensation curve development, color management education and implementation, pressroom densitometry education, and SWOP education and implementation.
Transilwrap Co., a manufacturer, coater and converter of plastics, has purchased Interfilm Holdings, a distributor and converter of flexible films. The acquisition supports Transilwrap's growth strategy to provide a strengthened service platform, new solutions through added converting capabilities and expanded product lines to reach new markets.
At Finch Paper, Peter Veverka has been appointed as the company's new senior product development engineer. Veverka now reports to Tom Ruch, director of technology and development. He comes to Finch after a 15-year tenure with International Paper, where he most recently served as pulp mill technical leader.
At KBA North America, George Drew has been named project manager for North America, with responsibility for managing a team to oversee sheetfed press installations at KBA customer sites. He most recently served in the same capacity at another press manufacturer.
Canon Inc., Japanese parent company of Canon U.S.A., registered a company record of 2,543 new patents in 2010, ranking fourth overall based on weekly patent counts issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. This marks the 18th consecutive year that Canon has ranked among the top five patent holders. The patent portfolio has led to the introduction of several products, including the Canon imagePRESS C7010VP digital press.
At manroland AG, the Small Newspaper Presses business unit (Plauen, Germany) has merged with the Large Newspaper Presses business unit (Augsburg, Germany). The newly formed Newspaper Printing Systems business unit is now operated under a single management structure. Former executive vice president of the Small Newspaper Presses unit, Georg Riescher, has assumed the leadership role of the combined unit. Anton Hamm, former head of the Large Newspaper Presses unit, is now executive vice president of the Technology Center for Webfed Printing Systems.
John Salamone has joined Vits America as sales engineer. He has extensive industry experience in variable sheeting, batching/stacking, in-line finishing and specialty applications.
Drytac Corp. has moved its headquarters into a larger facility in Richmond, VA, to offer customers easier access to hands-on instruction in mounting and finishing skills. With a larger warehouse, the new facility allows increased inventory levels and faster shipping turnaround for the East Coast region. The new showroom also houses its complete line of liquid coating equipment.
George Smith has joined Gane Brothers & Lane as a sales rep. Based in Jupiter, FL, Smith now represents the company in the Southeast region.
To celebrate its 20-year anniversary, Graphic Art Systems is offering its Eagle Systems hot foil machine users a free software update package (for use with Windows, including Windows version 7). And, on the cold foil machine side, the Eagle Eco cold foil module now comes equipped as standard with FoilSave for foil saving capabilities. PI
