EDITOR'S notebook

But is bigger better, especially from the human and community standpoints? How does a plant closure or major layoff in a small town impact a rural community? Yes, I know: Printers, like all for-profit ventures, are in business to make money, not to guarantee long-term employment or keep an unprofitable production facility open. But, then again, when looked at from a strictly financial standpoint, does the debt load taken on by the new entity become like an albatross hanging around one's neck? For example, did Quebecor Printing—whose stock price is currently in the doldrums—really achieve all of the benefits and economies of scale that were anticipated after its merger in 1999 with World Color?