DARIEN, CT—The Printing Arts America (PAA) rollup of commercial printers, collected during the heyday of industry consolidation in the late 1990s, has been divested. Nationwide Graphics announced it has acquired Classic Printing of Nashville, TN; AIM Riverside Press of Pompano Beach, FL; and Printing Arts Houston from PAA, which had filed for Chapter 11 reorganizational protection last November. Nationwide is also now part owner of Miami-based Original Impressions, with Roland Garcia—founder of the company—as majority owner. Recently, Houston-based Consolidated Graphics acquired Baltimore-based S&S Graphics, while Printing Arts Chicago was reacquired by William J. Chmura—its previous owner—and John Ropski. The other PAA companies—Bay State Press, Framingham, MA; George
Consolidated Graphics
CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE—The County of Riverside has installed a two-color, 173⁄4x223⁄4˝ Sakurai 258EIIZ press. SACRAMENTO—Dome Printing has tripled the speed of its soft cover book binding capabilities with the August installation of a new 21-pocket Muller Martini Corona perfect binding system. The company now has the ability to utilize Polyurethane Reactive (PUR) glues, especially for the production of lay-flat books. SAN FRANCISCO—Flexible packaging company Lithotype has implemented CRC Information Systems' business management software "THE System." COLORADO LOVELAND—Rocky Mountain region sheetfed printer Vision Graphics has successfully implemented the Printcafe Hagen OA print management system. CONNECTICUT BRIDGEPORT—Millennium Graphics has signed an agreement with CRC Information Systems
Phoenix Press Bolsters Bindery NEW HAVEN, CT—Improved service and faster turnaround time expectations prompted Phoenix Press' acquisition of five new pieces of bindery equipment. The company added a Rollem TR system for two-directional perforating, scoring and slitting. Phoenix also added a Sterling Punchmaster and Rilecart TP-480 binding machine. A Sterling S59 gatherer/collator and a Corta PB04 paper drilling machine round out the acquisitions. Scripps Adds Web Offset Presses STUART, FL—As part of its plan to consolidate its three daily newspapers in a new $45 million production facility, Scripps Treasure Coast Publishing has ordered a pair of MAN Roland Regioman web offset presses. Production will include zoned editions,
HOUSTON—A definitive agreement to acquire S&S Graphics, a half-web and sheetfed printing company based in Laurel, MD, has been signed by Consolidated Graphics.George Solan, founder and president of S&S Graphics, will remain with the company following the acquisition. He feels Consolidated Graphics and its "demonstrated commitment to helping their companies grow through investments in new…
BY ERIK CAGLE Who can forget 1998 and 1999? Those were easily the salad days of merger and acquisition in the commercial printing industry. The dotcom craze was sweeping across all U.S. industries, with venture capitalists seeking new avenues into the printing segment. Wall Street coveted this largely fragmented industry, and a wave of new kids on the block, consolidators, embarked on the IPO-and-roll-up philosophy. Roughly a half-dozen of these consolidators vied for the growing number of printing companies looking to become cogs in much larger machines, seeking either payola or the benefits from the economies of scale. The national economy was a well-oiled
Okay, that's it! I'm enraged! I've taken another 150 print buyers hostage, and this time I'm not telling where I'm holed up with this motley crew. You remember the last time I took print buyers hostage; I admitted that I was holding them in the Ritz Carlton in Chicago. I served them Dom Perignon and the best Beluga. Eventually, the FBI "negotiated" their release. I'll tell you about my demands later. First, I want to tell why I'm so angry. It was this past Friday, about 4 p.m. I had given myself the afternoon off to tend to my garden. Why not? Most
HOUSTON—Consolidated Graphics announced it has acquired the assets of Tulsa, OK-based Regent Printing & Imaging. The Regent operations will be combined with Consolidated Graphics' existing Tulsa operations to form Consolidated Printing Solutions, which will offer both sheetfed and full-web printing capabilities to its customers in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri from new, state-of-the-art facilities. "This is an exciting opportunity for us to expand our capacity and services to new and existing customers in the tri-state markets," notes Joe R. Davis, chairman and CEO of Consolidated Graphics. According to Charles White, president and COO of Consolidated Graphics, Regent's Paul Nichols will assume the role of president of Consolidated Printing
HOUSTON—Don't tell Joe Davis there is a recession. The chairman and CEO of Consolidated Graphics, arguably the nation's leading commercial printing industry consolidator, is making a forward-looking statement at a time when many printers are content to ride out the economic storm. Two statements, really, with the announcement that his company has acquired two more commercial printing operations. A third, perhaps even greater statement, by Consolidated Graphics is the return of its prodigal son. G. Christopher Colville has been named executive vice president, chief financial officer and secretary of the company he spent six years with previously. Consolidated Graphics announced it has
April can mean only one thing...spring is here. And the fancy of young men everywhere is captivated. It's a giddy excitement expressed as a certain fragrance, a knowing glance, obvious body signals and curves that leave your jaws hanging open. You wonder if you could make it to first base, given the opportunity. After all, you have all the right moves down; you know what the other person is thinking. You're good with your hands and quick on your feet. You've played this game before and know a thing or two about how it's done. There's no way you can lose. Love
New Equipment for D&B NEW YORK—D&B Reproductions celebrated the new year by installing a bevy of new equipment. The new hardware includes a six-color, 40˝ Heidelberg Speedmaster CD press with extended coater and CIP3 technology, a Creo Trendsetter Spectrum CTP/digital proofer and HP Spinjet. The equipment was lifted into D&B Reproductions from the street through a second floor window. KBA Directory Press for Verizon LOS ANGELES—Dallas-based Verizon Information Services, the largest print and online Yellow Pages publisher and a unit of Verizon Communications, has ordered a KBA Commander directory press for its printing plant here. The press will print four-color telephone and address
