UPFRONT
4Over Opening New Facility
GLENDALE, CA—Trade printer 4Over will open a new production facility in Dayton, OH. The announcement came during Graph Expo in Chicago. It will be fully operational by year’s end and is expected to cut turnaround times by about 50 percent. Another expected benefit is reduced shipping costs.
Motheral Vies for Sprint Press
FORT WORTH, TX—Motheral Printing has signed a letter of intent to purchase Sprint Press. The deal is expected to be finalized in the next 60 days. Sprint majority owner Bob Williams is retiring. The acquisition of Sprint Press bolsters Motheral’s sheetfed capacity while also adding diecutting capabilities. All 100 Sprint employees will be retained, as will its existing facility. The deal does not include Sprint Denver or Sprint MailData Tech.
New Digs for Knepper Press
FINDLAY TOWNSHIP, PA—Knepper Press will begin construction this month on a 100,000-square-foot facility here, according to the Beaver County (PA) Times. The $10 million project, which includes a new press, will prompt the addition of 40 new employees, the paper reported. Construction of the building and press installation should be completed by March 2008.
Mimeo Garners $25M Funding
NEW YORK—Mimeo.com has secured $25 million in financing for the purpose of advancing technology and new product development. Goldman Sachs Principal Strategies Group was the lead investor in the financing. Each of Mimeo’s major financing shareholders participated, including Hewlett-Packard.
Boise Paper Breaks Free
BOISE, ID—Boise Cascade has entered into an agreement with Aldabra 2 Acquisition that sees Boise selling off its paper, packaging and newsprint segments for approximately $1.65 billion. As part of the deal, Aldabra will change its name to Boise Paper and will apply for listing on either the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ. Privately held Boise Cascade will maintain 100 percent ownership of its wood products and building materials distribution segments.
Taylor Is First Anicolor Adopter
NORTH MANKATO, MN—Taylor Corp. became the first U.S. printer to incorporate Heidelberg’s Anicolor inking technology into its pressroom. The success of the zoneless short inking unit with dampening system has prompted the printer to install several Speedmaster SM 52 presses with Anicolor.
Signature Increases Capacity
BOULDER, CO—Signature Offset printing plants in three states are increasing color capacity by adding three full-color towers to their current press configurations. The facilities that have been or are in the process of being upgraded are located in Olive Branch, MS; Las Cruces, NM; and Colorado Springs, CO.
Brokers Worldwide Adds Mailer
PHILADELPHIA—Brokers Worldwide, which provides international and domestic mail preparation and distribution services, has acquired The Mailing House of Bell, CA. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Mailing House offers lettershop, printing and fulfillment capabilities. Its operations will remain in Bell, CA.
Journal Sentinel Nets Accord
MILWAUKEE—Journal Sentinel has signed a three-year contract to print the Chicago Reader, an alternative weekly newspaper, beginning with the October 3 issue. Journal Sentinel expects to print about 135,000 copies of the Chicago Reader each Wednesday morning. Each issue averages between 140 and 160 pages.
Lead Found in Packaging Ink
WAYNE, NJ—Toy store retailer Toys “R” Us is recalling thousands of art sets produced in China due to excessive levels of lead in black watercolor paint. The company also found that printing ink on the packaging of the Imaginarium Wooden Coloring Cases also contained lead. Toys “R” Us has severed its relationship with Funtastic, the Hong Kong-based distributor of the art set.
Bill Clinton Drops in on GSG
NEW YORK—In town to promote his new book, former President Clinton dropped in for a tour of Graphic Systems Group’s Union Square headquarters. Clinton autographed copies of his latest work, “Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World,” for the staff and took in the sights at GSG’s 40,000-square-foot facility.
Champion Acquires WV Paper
HUNTINGTON, WV—Champion Industries has signed a definitive asset purchase agreement to acquire The Herald-Dispatch, based here, from GateHouse Media for $77 million. Champion expects the deal to close during its fourth quarter.
O.J. Book Gets Second Printing
NEW YORK—O.J. Simpson may have his hands full with legal issues, but his “what if” book is taking off. Beaufort Books has commissioned 50,000 more copies of “If I Did It,” the ghostwritten account of how Simpson would have murdered Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.
GDS Secures Printing Pact
NEW YORK—Global Document Solutions (GDS) signed a multi-year agreement with Brinker Capital, a provider of managed account and mutual fund services, for document and outsourcing processing services. GDS will provide, among other things, printing and mailing of quarterly statements for Brinker Capital.
Correction
Harris Fogel was erroneously referred to as Hal Fogel in the September article, “Judging Is Art and Science.” PRINTING IMPRESSIONS always strives for accuracy and regrets the error.
