UPFRONT
Grafikom Acquires Speedfast
TORONTO—Grafikom LP, a network of companies formerly under the Quebecor World umbrella, has swung its first independent deal since being established last November with the acquisition of Speedfast Color Press. Privately held Speedfast Color Press, a general commercial printer and mailer, has two facilities in Edmonton, Alberta. The deal enhances Grafikom’s holdings in Edmonton, which includes grafikom.Jasper. Mike Steiner, formerly the owner and operator of Speedfast Color Press, will serve as president for the Edmonton operations.
Vertis Obtains USA Direct
BALTIMORE—Vertis has struck a deal to bring USA Direct, of York, PA, into the fold. USA Direct provides design, printing, personalization and inserting services for a variety of specialized formats, as well as direct marketing programs for Fortune 1000 companies. The addition increases Vertis’ flexibility and range of direct marketing product offerings by adding capacity to core manufacturing capabilities, including digital, conventional and in-line printing.
Agfa-Gevaert Splits Businesses
MORTSEL, BELGIUM—Agfa-Gevaert has been split into three independent businesses: Graphics, Healthcare and Materials. The new business, Materials, will group all of the film manufacturing activities with the niche products of Specialty Products and will be positioned as an independent supplier of film and related products. Agfa-Gevaert anticipates annual cost savings of an estimated 250 million Euro by 2008.
Equity Firm Buys Fort Dearborn
ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL—Private equity firm Genstar Capital has signed a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all the assets of label manufacturer Fort Dearborn Co. The printer’s management, along with certain selling shareholders, will be among the ownership group. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Fort Dearborn COO Michael Anderson will assume the role of president and CEO.
Strine Installing XXL Press
YORK, PA—Strine Printing is growing its already burgeoning large-format sheetfed printing facility with the addition of a seven-color, 64˝ Roland 900 XXL press from MAN Roland. The press is equipped with UV capabilities, a double coater and extended delivery. Strine boasts the largest Roland 900 fleet in the country, with two six-color, 54˝ presses and a six-color 900 XXL with coater.
Ex-President Rosenthal Dies
BLUE ASH, OH—Roughly two months after his family founded printing company went out of business following more than 100 years of operation, fourth-generation owner Tomme Rosenthal passed away at the age of 80. Mr. Rosenthal, who led S. Rosenthal Printing Co. prior to retiring in the 1990s, died while in the care of Hospice of Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. The company closed in April, due largely to the loss of a contract to print TV Guide.
New Mailing Facility for Banta
BOLINGBROOK, IL—Banta’s Publications Group has cut the ribbon on a new, multi-million dollar distribution center here that will provide co-mailing services. The service will provide savings for special interest magazine publishers by merging different magazines into a common mail stream, providing substantial postal discounts. Publishers in the short-run, special interest magazine market will reportedly benefit from Banta’s competitive and flexible co-mailing solutions.
Cadmus Grows KGL Operations
RICHMOND, VA—Cadmus Communica-tions, through its wholly owned subsidiary, KnowledgeWorks Global (KGL), has added significant capacity to its operations at two facilities in India, Mumbai and Chennai. KGL’s staffing, which grew from 80 employees in 2003 to more than 550 today, plans on adding 350 more associates following a May expansion. The added capacity is a result of the strong organic and new business growth in Cadmus’ scholarly, educational and magazine publishing markets.
IP Sells Coated, SC Paper
STAMFORD, CT—International Paper has agreed to sell its coated and supercalendered papers business to CMP Holdings for about $1.4 billion. The business includes two mills in Maine and one each in Michigan and Minnesota, which combined for $1.6 billion in sales in 2005. The purchase price consists of roughly $1.37 billion in cash and $30 million in the form of a 10 percent stake in CMP Investments, parent company of CMP Holdings. IP also sold its kraft papers business to Stone Arcade.
Book Platform Bolstered
LOUISEVILLE, PQ—Transcontinental held a grand opening ceremony here for its new 153,000-square-foot Gagne printing plant. The facility represents a $20 million investment on behalf of the Montreal-based company. The plant, which produces black-and-white books, added 70 new jobs, bringing its total workforce there to 325 employees.
Ennis Nets Block Graphics
MIDLOTHIAN, TX—Business forms specialist Ennis Inc. has signed a letter of intent to acquire virtually all of the assets of Portland, OR-based Block Graphics. The deal, which includes facilities in suburban Denver and two in California—Paso Robles and Sun City—augments Ennis’ short-run printing platform and adds envelope production.
Pitman Bolsters Offerings
TOTOWA, NJ—Pitman Co. has acquired Charrette LLC, a digital and traditional imaging supplies, equipment and services provider, as well as a leading wide-format ink-jet equipment supplier in the United States. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The deal sees Charrette become a division of Pitman Co., maintaining its name. John Ford, president and CEO of Charrette, will head the division. Compass Capital Partners represented Pitman in the transaction.
