arvato AG

Keeping in line with the supersizing trend, BookTech—The Magazine's list of the top 25 book manufacturers has been expanded to include the 30 highest grossing book printers in the United States and Canada. The decision to add to the list was to offer a more expansive look at those manufacturers at the top of their field. The types of products offered by the various companies run the gamut from fine editions to best-selling paperbacks to trade publications to textbooks to yearbooks. More detailed information about each printer follows the list in the form of brief synopses. In addition to expanding the list, there have

BY CHRIS BAUER The whole point of on-demand printing is to get the customer his or her print order in a short amount of time. So you have an army of 100+ ppm printing devices and you can churn out short-run, digital documents like there is no tomorrow. That is all well and good, but customers are looking for finished documents—books that are bound, brochures that are folded and marketing materials that are cut, slit and punched. Out of necessity, digital and on-demand printing has become more and more popular in the commercial printing world. According to CAP Ventures' 2000-2005 U.S. Print On Demand market forecast, print

Editor's note: Company rankings for the current and previous years are based on figures reported in 2001. Therefore, companies that revised their 2000 revenues may have changed their '00 ranking as compared with the ranking that appeared in last year's Printing Impressions 400. Similarly, the percentage change in sales is calculated on the most recent information provided. 2001 Ranking:Previous Year's Ranking:Company:Total Sales (millions):Previous Year's (millions):Change (%):Principal Officer:Employees:Primary Specialties:Web Offset Units:Sheetfed Offset Units:Other:Ownership:Plants: 11Quebecor World, Montréal, Canada$6,500.00$5,000.00+30Charles G. Cavell44,000PUB 29%; ADV 20%; CAT 17%; DM 13%3,156985808Public160  2001 Ranking:Previous Year's Ranking:Company:Total Sales (millions):Previous Year's (millions):Change (%):Principal Officer:Employees:Primary Specialties:Web Offset Units:Sheetfed Offset Units:Other:Ownership:Plants: 21R.R. Donnelley & Sons,

BY CHRIS BAUER Although the year 2001 has caused history books to be rewritten, it will go down, in the minds of many, as a year we would like to forget. Top 10 -- Book Printers   Company SegmentSales(millions) TotalSales (millions) 1 R.R. Donnelley & SonsChicago $788 $5,254 2 Quebecor WorldMontreal $780 $6,500 3 Banta Corp.Menasha, WI $384 $1,538 4 Von Hoffmann Corp.Saint Louis $318 $425 5 Courier Corp.N. Chelmsford, MA $208 $208 6 Bertelsmann ArvatoBerryville, VA $195 $315 7 Phoenix ColorHagerstown, MD $155 $155 8 Taylor PublishingDallas $110 $110 9 Hess ManagementAustin, TX $90 $180 10 Maple-Vail Book Mfg.York, PA $89 $89

If you know the name of a printing company that you think appears on the Printing Impressions 400 list, but you're not sure of its ranking, here's an easy way to locate that firm. Simply find the company in the alphabetical listings on this page. In addition to each company's name and headquarters location, a corresponding number appears indicating that firm's ranking on the Printing Impressions 400. ABS Graphics (Addison, IL) 400 Action Printing (Fond du Lac, WI) 353 Adams Business Forms (Topeka, KS) 96 AdPlex Inc. (Houston, TX) 102 Advance Business Graphics (Mira Loma, CA) 153 AFL Web Printing (Voorhees, NJ)

Editor's note: Company rankings for the current and previous years are based on figures reported in 2000. Therefore, companies that revised their 1999 revenues may have changed their '99 ranking as compared with the ranking that appeared in last year's Printing Impressions 500. Similarly, the percentage change in sales is calculated on the most recent information provided.2000 Ranking:Previous Year's Ranking:Company:Total Sales (millions):Previous Year's (millions):Change (%):Principal Officer:Employees:Primary Specialties:Web Offset Units:Sheetfed Offset Units:Other:Ownership:Plants:1 1Quebecor World*, Montreal, Canada$6,540.00$6,160.00+6Charles G. Cavell44,000PUB 29%; ADV 20%; CAT 17%; DM 13%3,156985808Public 160*Parent: Quebecor Inc., Montreal, Canada  2000 Ranking:Previous Year's Ranking:Company:Total Sales (millions):Previous Year's (millions):Change (%):Principal Officer:Employees:Primary Specialties:Web Offset Units:Sheetfed Offset Units:Other:Ownership:Plants:2

BY SCOTT POLK The book printing industry had one of its finest years in 2000, and not just because of the wild success of the Harry Potter series. Of course, the bespectacled British lad had a little to do with the success, but it was the elementary through high school (el-hi) textbook market that led the way. Top 10 Book Printers CompanySegmentSales(millions)Total Sales(millions) 1R.R. Donnelley & SonsChicago$800$5,000 2Quebecor WorldMontreal$784$6,540 3Jostens Inc. Minneapolis$665$782 4Von Hoffmann Corp. Saint Louis$400$400 5Banta Corp. Menasha, WI$279$1,270 6Bertelsmann ArvatoBerryville, VA$191$285 7Courier Corp. N. Chelmsford, MA$188$188 8Phoenix ColorHagerstown, MD$160$160(E) 9Taylor PublishingDallas$104$104 10WebcraftersMadison, WI$86$86 Peter Tobin, vice president of North Chelmsford, MA-based Courier

BY ERIK CAGLE Imagine laying on the beach with a blanket, some sunblock, an umbrella—and the laptop computer cued to the latest book by your favorite author. Too futuristic sounding to be taken seriously? That future may not be as far away as you think. Most people still would not want to get sand in their keyboard, or curl up in bed or next to a fireplace with a good PC, which indicates that the health of the printed book is not in immediate danger. "As long as we have the three "Bs"—the bedroom, bathroom and the beach—the traditional book will remain," laughs Jerry