Cenveo

STRAINS OF “Should old acquaintance be forgot” heard this New Year’s Eve will have added significance in the catalog and magazine printing market sector. The flurry of merger and acquisition activity that carried over into 2007 made several marquee names just a memory in this year’s lists of top printers. Then there are the developments on the paper and postal fronts that catalogers, publishers and printers wish they could forget. In looking back on 2007 and ahead to 2008, there’s a risk of coming across unduly negative. Most of the noteworthy developments and trends do have a downbeat tone, but it’s more a matter

WIDENING OF the wage disparity between the ranks of top executives and workers has been getting some play in this presidential election season. So how does the take-home pay of the top printers stack up? Printing Impressions’ 18th annual executive compensation report highlights the earnings of principal officers at the largest publicly held printing companies. There was a significant shake-up of the list this year. Several top executives—and companies—dropped from the ranks as a result of the major merger/acquisition activity in 2007. Other companies had personnel changes at the top, and a few repeat executives saw their compensation totals dramatically impacted by the lack

Commentary Draws Fire Dear Editor: In Erik Cagle’s Bits and Pieces column (August 2007 issue), he states that he was floored when every printer at his table said if they found the sales rep to be reprehensible, they would not do a deal with that rep. He was floored? This is a revelation? Look, a reprehensible (his word) rep means a reprehensible deal, reprehensible follow-through, reprehensible service and an overall reprehensible experience. Where’s the good business sense in that? When the sales guy is a jerk, you don’t ask yourself why a company would allow a jerk to represent it in the market? You don’t ask why they can’t

Quebecor World Endures Loss MONTREAL—Embattled printing giant Quebecor World was socked with a loss of $21.1 million for the second quarter, or 20 cents a share. That is more than three times the $6.5 million (11 cents) net loss from the same period in 2006. Even so, Wes Lucas, Quebecor World president and CEO, reported that the North American operations produced significantly improved earnings, especially in the book and magazine divisions, where the firm’s retooling and restructuring program has been completed. Fire Strikes NJ Newspaper TRENTON, NJ—Contractors dismantling a printing press at The Times of Trenton accidentally ignited a fire, that newspaper reported. There were no injuries

Stitchers Star at Muller Martini Open House HAUPPAUGE, NY—Nearly three dozen print production businesses, including printing and binding companies of different sizes, recently attended a saddlestitching open house hosted by Muller Martini. The event, entitled “First to the Finish: Leading-Edge Saddlestitching Solutions for Maximum Automation,” was held here at Muller’s Long Island headquarters. Open house attendees viewed live demonstrations of three finishing machines geared toward the middle-performance segment. Demonstrated were a BravoPlus saddlestitcher with AMRYS (Automatic Make-Ready System), a BravoPlus T stitcher with partial AMRYS and a Presto stitcher. During the event, Muller Martini sold a BravoPlus T machine. Visitors not only saw three of Muller Martini’s

Printers Flock to See Two-Sided Coating DALLAS—Neither heavy rains nor threatening tornadoes could dissuade roughly 75 printers and journalists from visiting Buchanan Visual Communications on April 24 and 25 for Mitsubishi Lithographic Presses’ 2007 National Open House. The violent weather wiped out a planned visit to a Texas Rangers-Seattle Mariners game at Ameriquest Field in Arlington, TX, but the guests were treated to some towering, long drives nonetheless during the “State of Perfection” demonstration. At the core of the open house was a display of the firepower behind Buchanan’s 12-color, 40˝ Mitsubishi Diamond 3000R convertible perfector equipped with tower coaters. The dual coaters

Label Art has enhanced its online ordering capabilities (www.labelart.com). Customers can use this new service to place catalog orders, upload artwork, view proofs and track the status of their orders 24/7, with an automatic notification of shipment when the order is complete. IWCO Direct, a national provider of integrated direct mail solutions, has joined the growing membership of The Print Council. As a member, IWCO adds its support to the alliance of companies dedicated to increasing the market for printed materials. Grand Junction, CO-based Colorado Printing is expanding its presence into Arizona, and it has hired veteran print sales rep Paul Mullen to help

Newspaper Expands Capacity CHEYENNE, WY—The Wyoming Tribune-Eagle shelled out $14 million for the expansion of the company’s headquarters and production center here. The improvements are scheduled around the installation of a MAN Roland Uniset 75 web press, which is slated to be delivered next January. The Tribune-Eagle is Wyoming’s second-largest daily newspaper. Press Worker Suffers Injury PITTSBURGH—A man had to be rescued from the printing press at Liberty Pittsburgh Systems on Neville Island March 12 after catching his hand between the machine’s rollers. The unidentified man, in his early 50s, got his hand caught around 6:30 that morning. Ohio Township firefighters and rescue workers needed about 90

OUR INDUSTRY is experiencing some of the most exciting and significant changes it’s seen in decades. We’ve witnessed RR Donnelley’s brigade of acquisitions. We’ve observed Consolidated Graphics’ steady stream of buyouts and all-time-high stock prices. We’ve watched Cenveo’s hostile takeover attempt of Banta get usurped at an unmatchable premium. Seemingly, not a week goes by that you don’t hear about another big-dollar acquisition, mega-merger or stock deal. And, the activity isn’t just from the majors; graphic arts firms of all sizes are pursuing this new avenue for growth, fueling the interest and investment of the private equity community. The old view of print as

WHAT CAN be said about the future of offset technologies? Well, plenty, and while news and views are mixed, there are many reasons to be optimistic. On the eve of the Web Offset Association’s “Offset and Beyond” 2007 55th Annual Management & Technical Conference, Printing Impressions spoke with a number of leading experts to learn where they think the offset sector is headed over the short and long term, and why. Offset Growth: An Oxymoron? Traditionally, the printing industry has tracked the GDP at a slightly higher rate. With the advent and growing popularity of color reproduction from the late 1980s through the early