SUPPLIER news
Richard Mascola has been appointed regional sales manager for MAN Roland's commercial web division, overseeing a territory that includes the Midwest and Manitoba, Canada. Mascola will be based in the Chicago area. For the past four years, Mascola served as regional sales manager of American Roller Co. Also, Michael Lake, a 20-year veteran of the graphic arts industry, has joined MAN Roland as a district sales manager in Minnesota and North and South Dakota. Previously, Lake served for 16 years with the Gannett Co. in a variety of executive positions.
American Binding Co., based in Miami Beach, recently announced that it has merged with Italian-based Pigna Group, a paper converting group. The company now goes by the name Pigna America.
Yupo Corp. America has appointed Toshiyuki Noguchi to the position of president and CEO. He succeeds Osamu Sasaki, who has returned to Japan to become the global president and CEO of the parent company, Yupo Corp. Noguchi most recently served as associate director and deputy general manager at Yupo Corp.'s Kashima manufacturing facility in Japan. He joined the Yupo organization in 1991.
Spinks Ink has hired Dick Hamilton as its new Western sales representative. His territory includes all Spinks dealers in the Western U.S. He spent the past 10 years working for Van Son Holland Ink.
Enovation Graphic Systems has signed an agreement with Flint Ink of Ann Arbor, MI, creating an alliance that will provide Enovation's nationwide branches a strategic sales opportunity with Flint Ink's sheetfed commercial inks and coatings. The product line includes process colors, Hexachrome colors, PANTONE colors, specialty colors, specialty inks, UV/EB curable inks, and aqueous and UV coatable inks.
Kodak Polychrome Graphics (KPG) has appointed Jack Wiethoff as vice president, plate business. Wiethoff formerly served as managing director of KPG's United Kingdom and Ireland strategic business unit (SBU).
Bobst Group has announced several changes to its executive management. Michael Fiaux was named CEO and assumes executive responsibility for all of North and South America. Christopher Raney now serves as vice president, folding carton products. Alain Jendly has been appointed to the position of vice president, flexible packaging products. They join Bob Pordon, former vice president of finance, who has been appointed executive vice president, and Michael D'Angelo, former vice president of sales and marketing, who now serves as vice president, corrugated products.
Van Son Holland Ink and Pitman Co., an independent graphic arts supplier, jointly announced that they have entered into a strategic alliance. Under the terms of the agreement, Pitman now markets Van Son inks to the distributor's customer base. Van Son will support and complement Pitman's ink blending and mixing facilities, located throughout the United States. Additionally, Van Son will provide sales and product training to Pitman's regionally based pressroom sales specialists, who will provide sales and technical support to Pitman customers.
Brian Kats was recently named director of energy curable inks for Central Ink. A new line of inks is expected to be released by Central Ink this month.
Presstek Inc. announced that Carl Brucher has been promoted to the position of global brand manager, Quickmaster DI. In his new position, Brucher promotes the Quickmaster DI brand in the marketplace by serving as the liaison between Presstek's DI business unit and Heidelberg's sales channels and customers. Brucher has been with Presstek since 1996, most recently in the position of North American sales manager.
KBA North America's Web Press Div. has formed a Sales and Customer Support Group aimed at helping customers throughout the transition from press purchase to post-installation support. Heinz Schmid, vice president of sales and customer support, has overall responsibility for the new group. Jürgen Brenner serves as director of customer support.
MacDermid Printing Solutions has named Enovation Graphic Systems as a distributor for MacDermid's Flex-Light sheet photopolymer products in the United States. Enovation joins Anderson & Vreeland and Williamson Printing Materials as MacDermid distributors for the flexographic converting market.
QTI announced the promotion of Karl Fritchen to president of QTI on August 7. He succeeds Tom Quadracci who recently became president and CEO of Quad/Graphics following the death of his brother, Quad/Graphics President and Founder Harry V. Quadracci. QTI is the research and development division of Quad/Graphics. Prior to his promotion, Fritchen was vice president of sales, and has been with the company since 1985, when he was hired as a field service engineer.
Standard Finishing Systems recently appointed Peter March as director of sales for print-on-demand products. He will be responsible for all sales activities for the division's Hunkeler and Horizon finishing and paper processing products. Before coming to Standard, March spent 15 years with Moore Corp.
Creo Inc. has signed a definitive agreement to acquire ScenicSoft Inc. ScenicSoft develops and markets software for the publishing and printing industries. Under the terms of the agreement, Creo will acquire ScenicSoft for approximately $9.5 million in a combination of cash, equity and an assumption of liabilities. The acquisition is expected to close within 90 days and is expected to be accretive to Creo's adjusted earnings per share within one year from the close.
