SUPPLIER news

Komori Hosts Screening Seminar

ROLLING MEADOWS, IL—Komori America recently hosted an educational seminar on screening technologies at its demonstration facility here. The second in the press manufacturer's series of "Survivor" seminars saw printers from around the U.S. learning about screening applications. Representatives from Creo, Enovation Graphic Systems and Screen (USA) were also on hand to present their screening technologies, Staccato, Co-Res and Spekta, respectively

MBO/Muller Martini Co-host Second Open House

WESTAMPTON, NJ—Building on the success of its previous joint open house, MBO America and Muller Martini held a second, even larger event recently that also featured running equipment and product information from Creo, hhs America, H+H, KBA, Ryobi, IBM, HP Indigo, Buskro, Shuttleworth, Scitex Digital, Stralfors, Wohlenberg, Palamides, Brograma, Bowe, Imaje USA, Hohner, Theisen & Bonitz, Streamfeeder and Ehret.

Colter & Peterson Shows Off New Headquarters Location and Demo Center

PARAMUS, NJ—Now housed in the same building as the National Association for Printing Leadership, Colter & Peterson held an open house recently to show off its new executive and administrative offices, customer training area and equipment showroom.

Gans Ink & Supply has hired Tom DeBartolo to direct the Energy Curables Ink Division. As division manager, he is responsible for overseeing the sales, manufacturing and fulfillment services of UV curing products. Gans Ink & Supply recently opened a 10,000-square-foot facility in Salt Lake City dedicated exclusively to the manufacture of UV curing products. In other news, Robert (Bo) Loder has been added as a technical sales representative at the Portland, OR, branch.

Esko-Graphics and Agfa-Gevaert have signed an agreement whereby Agfa will take over all service and support obligations for Esko-Graphics' DMX platesetter and EskoNet newspaper workflow software customers and distribution partners. Under the agreement, Esko-Graphics' technical support staff for DMX platesetters will transfer to Agfa. The EskoNet software development and support teams will also transfer. In total about 20 staff members will transition.

Presstek Inc. has completed and closed on a new $50 million senior secured credit facility jointly with a bank group comprised of Citizens Bank of New Hampshire, part of the Citizens Financial Group, and KeyBank N.A., both commercial lenders. Citizens will lead the bank group as administrative agent and KeyBank will serve as documentation agent.

Joe DiChiarro Sr., a long-time employee of INX International Ink, has passed away. DiChiarro joined the company through the former Acme Printing Ink in 1962. Most recently, he served as vice president of operations for the offset division. He was an active participant in NAPIM, NPIRI, WOA, IMDA and the Chicago Printing Ink Association. In 2002, he received the NAPIM Printing Ink Pioneer Award.

Oxy-Dry Corp. has filed a lawsuit against a former employee, Timothy Reed, and his subsequent employer, Elettra Inc., alleging that both Reed and Elettra misappropriated Oxy-Dry's confidential information and trade secrets. The complaint seeks permanent injunctive relief preventing disclosure of trade secrets, damages for trade secret misappropriation and the recovery of attorney fees.

Creo Inc. has reached an agreement to purchase the IntelliNet NewsFlow production workflow system product line and the integrated PressSite press control interface for newspapers from HiT Internet Technologies.

American Roller, a Union Grove, WI-based roller manufacturer, announced that it has purchased Champion Roller of Rock Hill, SC.

KBA North America has signed a licensing agreement with Air Motion Systems, granting KBA worldwide rights for the production, further development, distribution and servicing of dryer systems from Air Motion Systems for installation in KBA's Rapida sheetfed presses.

Sun Chemical has appointed Mark Levin as corporate vice president, North American publication inks. Levin now directs sales of inks and coatings to the publication market, which includes primarily heatset and gravure printers. He joins Sun Chemical from Heidelberg Web Systems, where he most recently was senior vice president of sales.

Hans Max, president of MBO America, and Joe Vijuk, president of Vijuk Equipment, have announced their new agreement regarding Bograma punching machines. Vijuk Equipment will sell the Bograma punch for all miniature and pharmaceutical folding applications while MBO America will sell the Bograma punch for all other folding applications, including commercial folding and commercial direct mail folding. Further, Vijuk will continue to sell H+H folders on an exclusive basis for all miniature and pharmaceutical folding applications; MBO America will sell all other H+H specialty folders such as the H+H direct mail folding systems. MBO, of course, sells its own commercial folders. Max states that MBO wishes to remain in its area of expertise, striving to be the world leader in all commercial folding applications and, now, in direct mailing applications as well, whereas Vijuk specializes in miniature and pharmaceutical folding applications (inserts, outserts and booklets). Vijuk adds that this is a perfect arrangement for two companies that have specialized in their respective folding markets over the past 30 years or so. "We are honored to be associated with such a high-quality company like MBO; they are the industry leader for all commercial and direct mail folding."