Consolidated Graphics

THE LAST 12 months have been nothing if not explosive from a mergers and acquisitions (M&A) standpoint. Look at some of the big names that changed hands: Valassis acquires ADVO for $1.2 billion. M&F Worldwide plunks down $1.7 billion for John Harland Co. Cenveo ropes Cadmus Communications (for $430 million), ColorGraphics, Printegra and Commercial Envelope. RR Donnelley annexes Von Hoffmann for $412.5 million. EarthColor bags L.P. Thebault. Synergy Graphics obtains Sunny Industries. Consolidated Graphics (CGX) lassos Pikes Peak and Cyril Scott. American Color Graphics is still in play but needs a savior, and one has to wonder if Vertis Communications will be able to

BIG NAMES were on the move in 2007. It was a year in which major mergers and acquisitions jammed the headlines of our news pages. And some deals never quite got off the ground, while others are in a holding pattern. There was an explosion of headline grabbers to open 2007, led by a pair of major transactions and a political coup for the industry. Having been thwarted in his efforts to acquire Banta Corp. by RR Donnelley on Halloween 2006, Cenveo Chairman and CEO Bob Burton hammered out a deal to acquire Cadmus Communications for $24.75 a share, or a total of $430

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

Bowne Buys Alliance Affiliate NEW YORK—Bowne & Co. has pulled the trigger on a deal to acquire Alliance Data Mail Services (ADS MB), an affiliate of Alliance Data Systems. Terms of the deal were not revealed. ADS MB, which posts annual revenues of $36 million, provides personalized customer communications and intelligent inserting and commingling capabilities for the financial services, healthcare, retail, government and utilities sectors. Taylor Brands Three Entities MANKATO, MN—Taylor Corp. has merged its three independent entities—Carlson Craft Business Solutions, Regency and Label Works—under one unified brand called Navitor. Tom Ninneman, vice president of operations, said the merged entity would better serve customers

PITTSBURGH—Geyer Printing, a Consolidated Graphics (CGX) company, will relocate to another facility near downtown Pittsburgh.Its current location in the city is a triangular, multi-level building that isn’t conducive to the company’s growth plans, according to Scott Barthelmes, president of Geyer Printing. The new single-story plant boasts 50,700 square feet of space.

PITTSBURGH—November 7, 2007 — Geyer Printing, a Consolidated Graphics company (NYSE:CGX) in Pittsburgh, has announced that it will be relocating from the current location at the intersection of Bigelow Boulevard and the Bloomfield Bridge to a new facility located at 55 38th Street. While many other companies have moved further and further away from the downtown area, Geyer Printing was determined to find a new location that kept them close to the heart of Pittsburgh. “The Company’s location has always been fantastic in terms of its close proximity to downtown Pittsburgh, The Strip District, Oakland, Shadyside, Squirrel Hill and Bloomfield,” said Scott Barthelmes,

Planting Pinwheels for Peace AMBLER, PA—Kathy Davis Studios recently set out to spread the message of world peace. Pinwheels for Peace, a global art therapy project founded by two teachers in Florida, was chosen as the ideal venture to teach local children and raise awareness over important global initiatives. For the past two years, on September 21 (International Day of Peace), pinwheels are assembled around the world and “planted” into the ground as a public statement and art exhibition. In 2006, more than 1 million pinwheels in some 2,300 locations across the globe were displayed. The project was localized when Kathy Davis encouraged 100-plus

Merrill Corp. Staying Private NEW YORK—It looks like financial printing specialist Merrill Corp. isn’t going public again after all. At least not in the foreseeable future. Merrill withdrew its Initial Public Offering (IPO) registration statement, reported the Associated Press. Citing Merrill’s Securities and Exchange Commission filing, it said the printer’s change of heart was due to “adverse market conditions.” Tapella Named Public Printer WASHINGTON, DC—Robert Tapella has been confirmed as the nation’s 25th Public Printer by President Bush. Tapella will oversee more than 2,200 employees at the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO). Tapella has been instrumental in the GPO’s transformation into a profitable digital printing operation

THE KNOCK against national printing platforms for years has been multifaceted. The so-called big guys are not as responsive as their smaller, more nimble competitors who can respond to challenges in an hour, not a week later following a conference call that spanned six time zones. OK, perhaps a bit heavy handed in the analysis, but the perception is out there that some major national players are not as scalable as the smaller printer. “Scalable how?” you ask. Cross-selling, and knowing what you have to sell. It is an acquired art to be able to cross-sell the national platform for a large

Each year, four professionals from the printing industry are inducted into the Printing Impressions/RIT Hall of Fame. These individuals represent the best of the best, and are honored for their outstanding achievements and contributions to the printing industry.Click on the links below to hear what this year's class had to say in their induction speeches,…