Heidelberg

Helping Dealers Sell More Tires [ The Business Objective ] Manufacturers in competitive industries like automotive products need every advantage to help their dealers stand out in the marketplace. Bridgestone (www.bridgestoneamericas.com) is one of the world's largest manufacturers of tires and rubber products, with more than 1,500 dealers across Canada and the United States. With dozens of products, collateral management and fulfillment for this network could easily become a branding and logistical nightmare. Bridgestone corporate marketing sought a solution that would eliminate these problems, and make it easier for dealers and retailers to develop advertisements and other marketing materials. Another goal

Konica Eyes American Litho GLEN COVE, NY—Konica Minolta Graphic Imaging USA has signed a letter of intent to acquire American Litho, based in Grand Rapids, MI. American Litho manufactures analog and digital offset printing plates for the newspaper and commercial printing markets. American Litho recently opened a new plate manufacturing facility that tripled the plant capacity. American Litho will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Konica Minolta Graphic Imaging USA. Quebecor World Nets Extension MONTREAL—Quebecor World has reached a $900 million deal with Yellow Book USA to produce said publisher's yellow pages directories through the year 2017. It will encompass the printing of more than

SEWICKLEY, PA—A panel of independent judges dubbed 17 innovative technologies worthy of 2005 PIA/GATF InterTech Technology Awards. The winners were chosen from a field of 52 technology nominees. Winners will be presented with Lucite InterTech stars during an annual banquet at the 2005 PIA/GATF fall administrative meetings, November 10-13, in San Francisco. The following is a list of the companies and their honored technologies: Metrix v1.5, LithoTechnics Pty Ltd. and Alterio Associates; Chameleon, Böttcher America; PDF Compare and PDF Merge, Creo Inc.; in-line coating for digital presses, NexPress Fifth Imaging Unit Solutions (Eastman Kodak); in-line coating for digital presses, Xeikon Print Protector, Xeikon International/Punch Graphix; Arrowlith UV,

California CARLSBAD—The Iris Group is now running a new six-color Komori Lithrone S40 perfector with coater. NORTH HOLLYWOOD—New in the prepress area at G2 Graphic Systems is a Fujifilm Quattro scanner, PictroProof II contone proofer and FinalProof GxT digital contract proofer, along with a Rampage workflow. The company also added a Xerox DocuColor iGen3 digital production press, as well as Fujifilm plates, in the pressroom. SANTA CLARA—PrintPapa has acquired KirkPrint, a commercial printing company based in Sunnyvale, CA. The new owners, Paul and Shawn Nag, report the recent addition of a two-color Ryobi 3302 press. PrintPapa also has digital and large-format printing capabilities.

Flint Ink, XSYS Print Merge ANN ARBOR, MI—Flint Ink and XSYS Print Solutions of Stuttgart, Germany, have agreed to merge. The combination creates a global ink supplier with revenues of roughly $2.6 billion and with about 8,000 employees. Pending regulatory approval, the deal is slated to be finalized around September 30. XSYS was created by the 2004 merger of BASF Printing Systems and ANI Printing Inks. Finnish Paper Lockout Ends HELSINKI, FINLAND—Finland's major paper manufacturers and unions representing more than one million forest industry workers finally reached a labor agreement after being urged to return to the negotiating table by Finland Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen. The

Heidelberg Outlines PRINT 05 Plans KENNESAW, GA—Heidelberg announced plans for its 76,000-square-foot booth at next month's PRINT 05 & CONVERTING 05 exhibition in Chicago during a pre-show press conference held here recently. One of the main attractions will be the XL 105 Theater—a large-screen theater for live presentations that will house Heidelberg's new Speedmaster XL 105. The first product introduced in the company's new series of high-end offset presses known as the "Maximum Performance Class," it boasts speeds to 18,000 sph. There will be a total of 10 sheetfed presses, in various sizes and configurations, within the Heidelberg exhibit. Outside the XL 105

Sometimes, the beauty of acronyms is that they can be re-used. There may come a time, for example, when CTP stops meaning computer-to-plate or even computer-to-press and begins to mean "cerebral cortex-to-press." At least, Cal Poly Professor Harvey Levenson believes it's possible. "Imagine thinking of an image and, through electrical signals naturally generated by the brain, the image is sent directly to a digital printing press where 50,000 copies of your thoughts are reproduced in perfect color," he says. You're laughing at Levenson? Remember, they also laughed at Fulton. Laughing or not, tens of thousands of commercial, package printing and converting professionals will turn

The Final Countdown Exhibiors are scurrying to make final preparations for their booths. Visitors who procrastinated are just now pre-registering for the mega-show, and scrambling to find what's become a dwindling supply of hotel rooms in downtown Chicago. With nearly 800 booths filling almost 750,000 net square feet of exhibit space, roughly 70,000 people are expected to converge on McCormick Place next month during the seven-day run of PRINT 05 & CONVERTING 05. If you've never travelled to the mammoth Drupa exhibition in Germany, this international show is the only event held domestically that even comes close in comparison. With renewed industry optimism, expectations are high.

arizona MESA—Hogue Printing Solutions is the new home for a seven-color, 40˝ Mitsubishi Diamond 3000TP tandem perfector. california GLENDALE—An eight-color Komori Lithrone S40 perfector with coater has been installed at 4-Over Inc. Irwindale—The Processors recently added a five-color Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 74 with perfector and coater to its pressroom. Founded in 1974, the shop houses 19 employees and services advertising agencies and network-based companies. SAN DIEGO—Printing Industries Association of San Diego held its annual membership meeting at PetCo Park, home of the San Diego Padres baseball team, in June. Among those enjoying the game were the new 2005-06 PIA/SD board of directors: Richard

Web Printers Hit The Race Track DALLAS—Sun Chemical offered Web Offset Offset Association Conference attendees the opportunity to climb into a NASCAR race car for a high-speed ride around the track at the Texas Motor Speedway. Of the 250 guests in attendance at the event, nearly 160 people elected to ride as passengers in the stock cars, which reached speeds of 170 miles per hour as they sped around the oval track. DiMS! organizing print's entire European staff have relocated to a brand new, purpose-built, state-of-the-art office building in Lichtenvoorde, the Netherlands. The building is equipped with ultra-modern demo spaces and well-equipped training classrooms. KBA North America