Mergers & Acquisitions

Where does a private equity firm go to sell a printing or packaging company when the time comes to exit the investment?

McKinnon Printing has joined the Traxium family of companies.

DeRoy Advertising Specialties in Monson, Mass. has been acquired by Eastern Advertising Novelty Powered by Proforma in Palmer, Mass.

As a trade association president, I knew that one of my most important jobs was to offer our members a friendly, well informed, third-party perspective on strategic business issues. Today, our New Direction Partners clients want the same thing: not just information about the mechanics of M&As, but also a genuine understanding of the industry and the mindsets of the people who own those companies.

St. Joseph Communications has acquired Bassett Direct, a provider of direct marketing services and variable printing programs.

IBS Direct will merge with Maestro Managed Print Solutions. The IBS Direct brand name will remain, with the Maestro brand renamed.

The sale of a company can’t proceed until the owner has a good handle on value, and many of our conversations about establishing it naturally are with clients who are taking their first steps toward selling. But, we also urge clients who aren’t in selling mode to conduct valuation as a strategic exercise for sound financial management.

Transcontinental Inc. has made its first flexible packaging acquisition in Canada, Flexstar Packaging.

For many years, I had the privilege of serving in leadership positions with Printing Industries of New England (PINE), the largest printing trade association in the Northeast. Then as now, I was greatly impressed by the resiliency of our members and their ability to adapt to changing business circumstances.

First Impression Printing of Ann Arbor, Mich., has been acquired by Print-Tech Inc., also of Ann Arbor. In addition, two new employees have joined Print-Tech from First Impression — Teena Weaver and Kathy Samuels — bringing Print-Tech's employee base to 24.