Allegra Network

Allegra Names Heidelberg USA ‘Supplier of the Year’ Winner NORTHVILLE, MI—Allegra Network honored Heidelberg USA with the Supplier of the Year award at its 2008 Allegra Network convention. Allegra Network franchise members vote to choose the winner. In April 2007, Heidelberg served as host for Allegra Network’s annual summit trip to Heidelberg, Germany. More than 160 of Allegra Network’s top franchise members participated in the event. The Allegra Network consists of Allegra Print & Imaging, American Speedy Printing Centers, Insty-Prints and Signs Now. Multi-City Road Show Deemed a Success MINNEAPOLIS, MN—Buhrs Americas and Lake Image Systems teamed up and headed for the road

CONSIDER FOR a moment the impact that the Internet revolution—and prior to that, the desktop publishing movement—has had on copy shops, small commercial and quick printers. In the last 15 years alone, ink-jet and laser printers have become staples of the home office, turning making copies into do-it-yourself projects. On the Web side, Internet specialists such as VistaPrint and PrintingForLess have harvested bread-and-butter elements of commercial printing—business cards, letterhead, brochures, folders and signage—with point-and-click ease. And in this corner, wearing the blue and white trunks, from the fighting city of your home town, are the battle-tested small commercial and quick printers. They are

To help solidify branding and enhance name recognition, the Goodway Group of Companies, headquartered in Philadelphia, announced that its Massachusetts plant has changed its name from Goodway Graphics to Goodway Group of Massachusetts. Their sister facility near Washington, DC, has changed to Goodway Group of Virginia. In other company news, both the Massachusetts and Virginia plants are now FSC certified. The Print Council announced that GLS Companies, Brooklyn Park, MN; The Hickory Printing Group, Hickory, NC; Jet Inc., Downers Grove, IL; and Lake County Press, Waukegan, IL, have joined the organization. As new members, the companies will work in concert with other member companies

Prepress Upgrades Enhance Workflow DETROIT—First came the press, then came the upgrade to new prepress and platesetting technology. Crystal Clear Images runs a Heidelberg GTO press and wanted to update its workflow. Crystal and Anthony Mitchell, the husband and wife owners of the unionized shop, chose Heidelberg’s Prinect Printready prepress system and Suprasetter A52 platesetter. “When people heard that we were installing Heidelberg (prepress equipment), the amount of business influx was incredible,” reports Crystal Mitchell, who began her career as a school teacher in graphic design, before starting her own business from the basement of her house in 1995. The company, which has

The 2012 Printing Impressions 400 list of the largest printing companies in the United States and Canada as ranked by annual sales.

Commercial Web Printers Compare Notes CHICAGO—MAN Roland held its first Commercial Customers Conference as a way of getting its commercial web press users together in a forum where everyone can benefit from one another, explains Douglas Bradley, vice president of web service at MAN Roland. “We developed the conference to focus on the topics that have the greatest impact on the key metrics of their businesses. Through interactive discussion and structured presentations, we can share ideas to help everyone improve their operational performance.” The conference, held in conjunction with Graph Expo in September and conducted at Chicago’s James Hotel, was themed “A Partnership Focused

LOVE MAY not exactly be in the air, but when it comes to a certain matchmaking service for the printing industry, you might say that letters of intent are in the mail. No, Allegra Network isn’t setting up Kim, the sensitive, self-effacing 30-something graphic designer, on a date with Ted, the moody yet surprisingly attractive preflight operator with a heart of gold. Instead, the Northville, MI-based franchisor is seeking to connect printing company owners looking to sell with qualified franchisee buyers. In an age where corporate consolidation and venture capital dominate the printing industry’s transaction wire, it’s a refreshing twist to see smaller operations

Far from the bright lights of Las Vegas, just north of Nevada’s capital of Carson City, lies a testament to the power of four-color general commercial printing. . .and it’s a franchise establishment, no less. Allegra Print & Imaging has more heart than press firepower, but the Reno, NV-based facility remains undaunted in the face of heavy competition. Allegra Reno, as it is informally known, is a contradiction by nature. The franchise shops under the Allegra Network umbrella—Allegra Print & Imaging, American Speedy, Instant Copy, Insty-Prints, Signs Now, Speedy Printing and Zippy Print (in Canada)—are predominantly quick print shops offering one- and two-color offset

Friesens Corporation, Lawton Printing, and Corporate Press Join Organization’s Growing Membership WASHINGTON, DC—March 22, 2007—The Print Council, a national business development initiative dedicated to promoting the greater use of printing and print media, today announced that Lawton Printing, The Friesens Corporation and Corporate Press have joined the organization’s growing membership. As new members of the Council, these well-regarded printers will be working with other companies to increase demand for printed materials. Members of The Print Council include commercial printers, paper manufacturers, press, ink and equipment manufacturers, publishers, industry associations, ad agencies, and public relations firms. Through advertising and speaking engagements, The Print Council is

IPA, the Association of Graphic Solutions Providers, has elected Bob Childs, COO of Digital Color Image, Pennsauken, NJ, to serve as its chairman of the board. The following officers were also elected: 1st vice chair, Gail Ludewig, president and CEO, TotalWorks, Chicago; and 2nd vice chair, Chip Harding, vice president and COO, Harper House, Dallas. David Schawk, Schawk Inc., Des Plaines, IL, is past chairman, Roni Buczynski, managing director, Vertis, North Haven, CT, serves as IPA treasurer; and Kent Hatterick, Beck: Premedia Workflow Compression, Atlanta, is secretary. Hess Print Solutions, a Wellspring Capital Management company, announced that Daniel Bach has assumed the new position of