Consolidated Graphics

HOUSTON—Chris Colville, executive vice president and chief financial officer for Consolidated Graphics (CGX), but best known for orchestrating many of the company’s biggest deals, announced he is leaving the company at the end of June to pursue other interests. This was the second tenure at CGX for Colville, who departed the company in 2000 to become managing director of Murphy Noell Capital in Westlake Village, CA. He returned to CGX in 2002. Colville was with CGX in 1994, then with $49 million in annual revenues, when it went public. He helped engineer more than 50 M&A transactions as the company swelled to $1.1 billion. “Although not a

HOUSTON—Hopkins Printing, a 30-year-old, family owned sheetfed and digital printer based in Columbus, OH, will soon be joining the ranks of Consolidated Graphics (CGX). A letter of intent has been signed by CGX to acquire Hopkins Printing, and the deal is expected to close within 90 days. The current management team of Hopkins Printing, led by President Jim Hopkins, will remain with the company after the deal closes. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. “Over the last 30 years, the Hopkins family has built a first-class business with an excellent reputation,” noted Joe Davis, chairman and CEO of CGX. “Hopkins Printing represents an ideal

HOUSTON—Hopkins Printing, a 30-year-old family owned printer based in Columbus, OH, will soon be joining the ranks of Consolidated Graphics (CGX). A letter of intent has been signed by CGX to acquire Hopkins Printing, and the deal is expected to close within 90 days.The current management team of Hopkins Printing, led by President Jim Hopkins,…

Five-Color Press Expands Business SUN VALLEY, CA—ColorFX Inc., a full-service trade printer, has purchased a five-color, 40˝ Komori Lithrone S40 with coater. The company also recently added an online ordering system to accept work from clients all across the country. One DI Press Not Enough DORAL, FL—City Colors, a trade printer based here, was so successful with its first Presstek 52DI digital offset press after 30 days on the floor, its management decided to purchase and install a second one. City Colors’ DI operation primarily produces gang runs of business cards and postcards for other printers. CALIFORNIA OXNARD—Ventura Printing, which recently acquired the Business Mailing

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

New Stitcher Speeds Production PITTSBURGH—Since installing a Muller Martini BravoPlus-T saddlestitcher, Geyer Printing, a Consolidated Graphics company, reports it has gained noticeable improvements in setup times and overall production speed. “We’ve only had the new BravoPlus-T running for a short time, and the ease of makeready has already proven to be a big advantage,” notes Scott Barthelmes, president of Geyer Printing. “The faster run time and operator-friendly print finishing functions also offer great benefits.” Geyer Printing has been a user of Muller Martini finishing machinery for several decades, which lead to the decision to step up to the BravoPlus-T. “Our previous Muller stitcher operated efficiently for

AS WE finish compiling the annual Printing Impressions 400 ranking—now in its 23rd year—it’s a good time to reflect on major events that helped shape our industry during the past 12 months. A fiction writer would have been hard-pressed to develop a plot line with more drama, intrigue and folly than what played out in 2006 at some of the printing industry’s largest publicly held establishments. Front and center, of course, was the unsolicited, and cantankerous, takeover attempt of Banta by hard-charging Cenveo Chairman and CEO Bob Burton. After several volleys back and forth between Burton and Banta Chairman, President and CEO Stephanie Streeter,

Printing Impressions 400

WHEN YOU think about it, the direct mail industry boasts some of the most formidable enemies and loyal friends today—just another way of saying there are “challenges and opportunities.” But it’s not tired, cliched rhetoric. It seems that the tougher life gets for the mailing community, the bigger the potential payoff. As this edition went to press, the ‘Lame Duck’ Congressional session was winding its way down and, with the Republican party so severely beaten, the likelihood that meaningful postal reform could be hatched prior to the final whistle seemed quite remote. But for some producers of direct marketing materials, the farther away cost

HOUSTON—After briefly flirting with the idea of selling the company, Consolidated Graphics (CGX) decided that staying the course would be the most appropriate course of action. CGX has once again proven it is willing to resume business as usual by announcing plans to acquire The Hennegan Co., which is based in the Cincinnati suburb of Florence, KY. CGX signed a letter of intent to acquire Hennegan, an $85 million web, sheetfed and digital printer that produces a wide array of high-end products, including marketing materials, annual reports, brochures and catalogs, among other things. The transaction is expected to be completed within the next 90 days. “Bob