Compass Capital Partners

THIS COLUMN is gonna get you. It will creep into your room while you sleep. It will crawl in your head and begin to control your dreams.

Don’t even think it! It’s too late.

No! Don’t do it! Don’t try stomping the magazine on the floor.

You can’t destroy it in your shredder and burning it in the parking lot won’t work, either. You may as well keep reading. It’s just too late. Your brain is already corrupted and the Mañana Stalker only waits for darkness to come a callin’. Think of your best-ever dream. The night stalker will make it better tenfold.

Remember the dream

Grafikom Acquires Speedfast TORONTO—Grafikom LP, a network of companies formerly under the Quebecor World umbrella, has swung its first independent deal since being established last November with the acquisition of Speedfast Color Press. Privately held Speedfast Color Press, a general commercial printer and mailer, has two facilities in Edmonton, Alberta. The deal enhances Grafikom’s holdings in Edmonton, which includes grafikom.Jasper. Mike Steiner, formerly the owner and operator of Speedfast Color Press, will serve as president for the Edmonton operations. Vertis Obtains USA Direct BALTIMORE—Vertis has struck a deal to bring USA Direct, of York, PA, into the fold. USA Direct provides design, printing, personalization and inserting

THIS IS column Number 239, which brings the total words I’ve written to 310,700 during nearly 22 years. If I’m not mistaken, that’s more words than “War and Peace.” According to my roster of readers (a sophisticated, digitized database), there are seven people who have read all of those columns. Unfortunately, they are confined to the “home” for life and I’m unable to speak with them. All regular readers of DeWese on Sales know June is the month of my birth and that typically my June column shamelessly celebrates my life. Over the years, I have shared a multitude of my life successes with Printing

YOU ONLY get it here folks. “It” is the inside stuff on selling printing. “It” is the revelation of facts about some dumb owners who park their Porsches out front, nap during a short workday in huge offices, and chase the gals in Accounting and the Bindery. “It” is the assemblage and explanation of the secrets that lead to success in print sales. “It” is the destruction of the myths about the printing industry. If you’re reading this, you are so lucky! Every month, BAM, BAM, BAM! I try to make your life better. “BAM?” Can Emeril sue me for using “BAM?” Here comes some

FAR BE it for me to categorize people. I’m not one of those pompous jerks that tosses people in baskets shouting out, “Here comes another loser.” “I’m tossing this pervert in the weirdo box.” “Look out you introverts, I’ve found another nerd and I’m droppin’ him in your box.” “Happy days you holy rollers, I’ve found another snake dancin’ poison drinkin’ convert to toss in your barrel!” I’m not one to stereotype people. No sireee! Laying the Ground Work Everyone is different, physically and mentally. We are supposed to appreciate the individual beauty of each person. There are millions and

Around here there’s not much to make us Philadelphians proud. The Eagles break our hearts. The Sixers never quite make it. Our Phillies ebb and flow, mostly ebb. We do have Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell—old stuff that makes us proud. Speaking of old historic stuff, we are most proud of Benjamin Franklin, who was a local Philadelphia-based PRINTER! A printer! He celebrated his 300th birthday on January 17, 2006. Ben was honored in all of our local newspapers and was featured in some great television documentaries. The printing industry, however, failed to honor this great American hero who was first a printer, but also

Workers Say No to Union MONTREAL—An independent arbitrator has ruled there is no need to hold a re-run election for union representation at Quebecor World’s Covington, TN, facility, as requested by the Teamsters. The decision upholds a secret ballot election in which those employees opted against union representation. As part of the decision, it was ruled that Quebecor World’s conduct did not adhere to the neutrality provisions of the May 2005 Neutrality Agreement signed by the printer and Teamsters. CGX Finishes Nies/Artcraft Deal HOUSTON—Consolidated Graphics has completed the acquisition of St. Louis-based Nies/Artcraft Companies, which includes Nies/Artcraft Printing, Valcour Printing and Impression Label. Terms of the deal

I was ill from October 1, 2005, until January 31, 2006. It's been difficult because several doctors have not been able to identify what caused the illness. It was frustrating; when people called to wish me a speedy recovery, I couldn't tell them precisely what was wrong. It wasn't a widely understood malady like the flu. It wasn't something easy like gout. Everybody has an Uncle Herb who had the gout. I'm sure that some people, remembering that I'm 63 years of age and pleasingly plump, said, "Old Mañana Man musta had the big one. All that cheesecake and those hot fudge sundaes led to

Vertis Receives Industry Honor BALTIMORE—The Association for Graphic Arts Training (AGAT) recognized Vertis' contributions to graphic arts education and training with an AGAT Industry Award. AGAT Industry Awards are bestowed to companies that have given extraordinary support to the organization, the industry and the training field. Printers' Gift Helps Fill Santa's Sleigh BALTIMORE—More than $17,000 was raised by members of the Printing and Graphics Association MidAtlantic (PGAMA) for charity at the Santa Claus Anonymous Benefit Auction held at Sparrows Point Country Club in December. Milwaukee-based Visual Systems Inc. (VSI), a manufacturer of overhead transparencies and ancillary products for textbook publishers, has hired Michelle Roloff as human

Everything I know that is really worth knowing, I learned from someone else. That's it! I'm out. I'm outin' myself. You thought I was a great thinker and now you find out that I'm just a great listener. Oh, I suppose I had a few original thoughts in the old days—after a few fingers of Jack Daniels. The really great thinking, however, always came from someone else. It coulda been from Peter Drucker on marketing or management. It mighta been from Socrates or Plato on human behavior. Sometimes it was the shoeshine guy at the airport on the subjects of politics or the economy. Plentitimes