SUPPLIER news

Jetrion will move into a new 35,000-square-foot facility in Ypsilanti, MI, in early 2006. The company also has announced the addition of Pitman Co. as a distributor of its ink-jet systems and inks.

Kompac, a division of Day International, is celebrating the successful installation of its 100,000th Kompac automatic dampening system. In other news, the company announced the addition of three new team members: Mike Scaglione as director of sales worldwide; Charles Gray as director of supply chain management; and Carmen Costa as marketing manager.

Böwe Bell + Howell has launched its Website, www.bbhsupplies.com, offering an expanded product line and supported by a 24-hour Customer Care Center.

Eastman Kodak announced it will close its Middleway, WV, printing plate manufacturing plant by the end of the first quarter of 2006. The plant was part of Kodak's acquisition of Creo Inc. earlier this year.

Pitman Co. has launched a new Wide Format Graphics division. Barry Budwit has been named director of the new division. He formerly served as manager of Pitman's Boston branch. The announcement was made during a press conference at PRINT 05, at which the distributor also celebrated its 100th anniversary with a giant birthday cake.

BCC Software, a Böwe Bell + Howell company, has been certified by the U.S. Postal Service as a LACSLink developer and distributor licensee.

Wikoff Color Corp. has purchased the assets of Frontier Printing Inks, a Canadian manufacturer of printing inks for the flexible packaging, label, fine paper and paperboard markets.

Olaf Waskow has taken over the responsibility for the department of finance and controlling at Punch Graphix. The former head of marketing and public relations has also joined the management team at Punch Graphix Prepress Germany, originally basysPrint GmbH.

Rena Systems announced that Michael Rohner has been promoted to the position of vice president of finance. Rohner, who has been with Rena Systems since 2001, previously held the title of controller.

Mohawk Fine Papers has made several changes following its acquisition of the Fine Papers business from International Paper. Richard LaBonge has been promoted to senior vice president, sales; Elizabeth Worthington to vice president, organizational development; Ronald Raley to vice president and general manager, Ohio operations; Robert Scammell to vice president, manufacturing, with management responsibility for Mohawk's operations in Cohoes and Waterford, NY; Paul Stamas to vice president, information technology; and Barry Shapiro to regional sales manager for the Northeast region. Also, Hilary Davis takes the newly created position of marketing project manager. In other news, the entire Strathmore Writing System is now manufactured with wind power.

SunJet, the digital division of Sun Chemical and a supplier of ink-jet inks, has established a full service manufacturing and technical support facility in Amelia, OH.

Professional Project Management has hung out a shingle in Cary, NC. Jess Sutton, CEO, has started a consulting business catering specifically to the printing industry. PPM's specialty is the development and implementation of Department of Labor-certified apprenticeship training programs for shop floor and skilled labor occupations.

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has approved ANSI B65.1-2005, Graphic technology—Safety standard—Printing press systems. This standard revises and replaces the 1995 edition, and is currently available from NPES. The revision was done by ANSI-accredited B65 Subcommittee 1, and incorporates significant changes, the majority of which were made in an attempt to harmonize this ANSI standard with international standards.

Eastman Kodak's Graphic Communications Group (GCG) named key leaders in its Workflow and Prepress Equipment (WPE) and its Prepress Consumables strategic product groups. The new appointments include: Boudewijn Neijens, vice president of marketing, WPE; Bob Kutschke, general manager, business workflow, WPE; Brad Palmer, general manager, proofing and color, WPE; Rob Pipe, director, proofing and color marketing, WPE; Kathy McHugh, vice president of marketing, prepress consumables; Vic Stalam, general manager, packaging, flexo plates and thermal proofing media, prepress consumables; Etienne Van Damme, general manager, digital plates, prepress consumables; and John Cross, general manager, film and conventional plates, prepress consumables.

Komori America has joined The Print Council, an industry coalition dedicated to building the market for print.

Esko-Graphics' shareholder, Kirkbi A/S, has entered into an agreement with Danish private equity company Axcel to transfer the ownership and all packaging related activities of Esko-Graphics to Axcel. Under the agreement, Kirkbi retains the ownership of Esko-Graphics' small-format offset activities.

Charles Claxton has joined Bobst Group USA as regional sales manager, folding carton equipment, lower Midwest territory. His region of responsibility includes the states of Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.

NELA-USA announced that Jurgen Gruber has been promoted to director of sales. Gruber has been with the company for seven years, most recently as product manager, newspaper sales.

Hal Stratton is moving up to the new position of director of new technologies at MAN Roland after serving for the last four years as manager of the company's technology center in Westmont, IL. Marc Cupp has recently joined the company as the sheetfed district sales manager for Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana.

Presstek Inc. reports that Rick Mangold has been appointed as ABDick's national sales director for digital systems in North America.

Lithomax Components has been formed to develop, market and support an expanding line of web printing press auxiliaries. Founded by Dick Holliday, Bruce Melton and Martin Kreckel, the company is based in Westerly, RI.

Braden Sutphin Ink appointed Marc Castillo technical services manager. He has 32 years of experience in ink manufacturing and the printing industry. Most recently, Castillo spent four years as corporate offset ink technical manager for Shorewood Packaging.

BBA Fiberweb made several sales staff changes including: Sam Depriest joins the Graphic Arts group as area manager for the Midwest; Shawn Davis has been added to the Graphic Arts group in the Northeast region; Jeff Smith joins the Graphic Arts group on the West Coast; and Jeff Andes has been promoted to senior area manager in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Spartanics is the new manufacturer of Klemm Laser Cut Systems for digital diecutting, as well as coordinator of the worldwide sales and service organization for the new Spartanics Klemm Laser Cut Systems.