UPFRONT

Shareholders OK Vertis Plan

BALTIMORE—Vertis shareholders approved the company’s prepackaged plan of organization. Once the plan becomes effective, Vertis can proceed with its merger with American Color Graphics (ACG). The restructuring will allow Vertis to reduce debt and interest cost, refocus investments and complete both the reorganization and merger in a couple of months, according to Mike DuBose, chairman and CEO of Vertis.

Direct Group Makes Investment

SWEDESBORO, NJ—Direct marketing specialist Direct Group has purchased 32 Océ VarioStream 8750 systems to upgrade capacity; increase uptime, speed and operational efficiencies; and take advantage of some of the industry’s latest digital technology, including flexible color and MICR printing. Direct Group serves clients in financial services, insurance, nonprofit and other industries.

Allen, Odyssey Join Forces

LAWRENCE, KS—In an effort to provide competitive end-to-end publishing services for scholarly journal publishers, Allen Press, based here, and Odyssey Press of Gonic, NH, have integrated operations. The companies, which will remain separate entities, will be able to present customers with a single source for content management, digital and offset printing, online publishing, association management and publishing services.

CGX Inks Press Deal with HP

DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY—Consolidated Graphics (CGX) and Hewlett-Packard have signed a multimillion dollar agreement for the installation of as many as 36 HP Indigo digital presses at facilities in the United States and the Czech Republic this year. The deal includes multiple HP Indigo 7000 presses and HP SmartStream Ultra print servers.

Major Expansion for NJBF

ENGLEWOOD, NJ—New Jersey Business Forms (NJBF) has completed a three-year, $5 million pressroom and bindery modernization project with the acquisition of a second new 16-color Muller Martini half-size web press with rewind and sheeting capability. In the bindery, NJBF added several enhancements, including two MBO folding lines with in-line Palamides paper bundlers.

Visant Closes Lehigh Plant

ARMONK, NY—In an effort to consolidate its book cover and component operations, Visant Corp. has opted to close its Lehigh plant in Pennsauken, NJ, and lay off some 200 workers. The work will be folded into facilities in Milwaukee, Hagerstown, MD, and Rockaway, NJ. Visant serves the school affinity, direct marketing, educational and trade publishing sectors.

Solo Expands, Adds Press

MIAMI—Solo Printing has expanded its facility here to 100,000 square feet and has installed a six-color Komori 38S web press, along with additional high-speed saddle-stitchers, cutters and folders. Solo, a 23-year-old, minority-owned firm, provides customers with web and sheetfed printing.

AID Gets Inserting Systems

FULLERTON, CA—Mailing specialist Advanced Image Direct (AID) has obtained six BB700 high-speed envelope inserting systems from Buhrs Americas. The new inserters, ordered during Drupa, complement five similar Buhrs machines on hand at the company. They will increase capacity at Advanced Image Direct to 80 million pieces per month, according to Frank Verrill, president of Advanced Image Direct.

Creel to Install Sunday Press

LAS VEGAS—Catalog, publication and newspaper production specialist Creel Printing will install its third Goss Sunday 2000 web press at its facility here in 2009. The eight-unit, two-web system will have a 57˝ web width and be equipped with a Goss pinless combination folder, allowing the company to produce magazine signatures with up to 48 pages or tabloid signatures with up to 32 pages.

Anderson Litho Gets XL 105s

LOS ANGELES—Installation is now underway at Anderson Lithograph, a Cenveo company, for the first of two eight-color Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 105 presses with coaters. Both presses are equipped with the latest color control systems—Prinect Press Center with Intellistart, Wall Screen and Prinect Axis Control closed-loop color. The press currently being installed is a conventional machine, while the second machine has both conventional and UV capabilities.

KBA to Move HQ in 2009

WILLISTON, VT—KBA North America will move its corporate headquarters to Dallas in the summer of 2009, bringing the sheetfed and web divisions under one roof along with the company’s sales, service and parts departments, as well as the demonstration center. Current employees are being invited to relocate to Dallas, and KBA plans to have an open house when the move is completed.

IWCO Closes NY Facility

CHANHASSEN, MN—In a bid to optimize its mailing operations, IWCO Direct plans to expand capacity at facilities in North Carolina and Minnesota, in part with equipment relocated from a plant in Melville, NY, which will be closed. The company expects to relocate up to 40 employees from that facility to the one in North Carolina, but this consolidation will result in the reduction of approximately 200 New York positions.

Landmark Press for Proteus

FRANKLIN, WI—Proteus Packaging will be the first U.S. firm to obtain Heidelberg’s new Speedmaster XL 145 large-format press. The six-color, 56˝ machine is equipped with in-line aqueous coating and will be the first Heidelberg VLF press installed in North America.

Correction

In our June issue, Corporate Press was incorrectly identified by Cary Sherburne as Corporate Express in her “Sherburne on Marketing” column. PRINTING IMPRESSIONS regrets the error. PI