Heidelberg

Banta Senior Executive Departs MENASHA, WI—Larry Panozzo, president of Banta's $1 billion print sector, has resigned to pursue other interests. "Although I am personally disappointed, I respect and accept Larry's decision. We will miss his deep knowledge, passion and leadership," states Stephanie Streeter, Banta's president and CEO. Panozzo had been with Banta since 1988. A spokesperson for Banta says the company's "succession process" has already begun to fill the position. Courier Corp. Buys Web Press KENDALLVILLE, IN—Courier Corp. has purchased a new four-unit MAN Roland LITHOMAN IV web offset press that is scheduled for installation and startup by next spring. The 48-page LITHOMAN will feature a

Sun Chemical Plant Undergoes $7.2M Expansion ST. CHARLES, IL—Sun Chemical is working on a expansion of its manufacturing facility and laboratories here. The $7.2 million project will add nearly 32,000 square feet, bringing the plant to 90,000 square feet. The building will include ink manufacturing operations, expanded offices, a warehouse and a new laboratory. When it is completed in April 2004, the facility will house 141 employees. At this plant, the company also plans to combine the operations of its Chicago-area Clearing plant, as well as Kohl and Madden's facility in Elk Grove Village, IL. Colter & Peterson has reached an agreement with

ST. LOUIS—Nies/Artcraft Printing Companies has completed a new, 40,000-square-foot graphic arts facility, located here. It will house their Valcour Printing and Digital Ink Systems divisions and a newly created division, Lion Promotional Solutions. "By combining these operating units under one roof, we have been able to improve workflow and maximize operating efficiencies to better take care of our customers' needs," notes James W. Finger II, president and CEO. Lion Promotional Solutions is responsible for the planning and creation of promotional coupons, games and sweepstakes, and point-of-purchase displays for consumer product companies, convenience store groups and promotional/advertising agencies. The plant will employ 55 employees and house

BY MARK SMITH Technology Editor With all the talk of excess capacity and declining sales, why would any printer consider buying a new press? First, the obvious reason. Capacity on an industry-wide level doesn't necessarily mirror the situation in a local market or any given company. There also is a more subtle rational that has grown in importance with the changes in business conditions. The pressures of a highly competitive market make it even more critical for a shop to have the right kind of capacity. Production efficiency and flexibility are more important than gross capacity. Sheetfed offset presses used to break down fairly

LOS ALAMITOS, CA—The addition of new Heidelberg M-600 and V-30 web presses for Trend Offset Printing's headquarters facility will put the company in the unique position of reportedly running not only the greatest number of M-600 printing units in North America, but also the highest number of V-30 printing units worldwide. "By having similar, versatile press equipment at each of our [three] locations, we have significantly increased our ability to adapt to what our customers need," explains Bill Martin, Trend Offset's national vice president for manufacturing and procurement. "The common platforms create a consistency in quality and efficiency that our customers can rely on." Trend

By Erik CagleSenior Editor Although the company itself is 179 years old, Courier Corp. has the vitality of a teenager. The North Chelmsford, MA-based book printer found the fountain of youth courtesy of a comprehensive strategic planning process that began in 1990 and provided Courier with a sleek, sexy and, most of all, fiscally lucrative overhaul. The publicly held printer shed a number of markets, and the company that once published newspapers and dabbled in commercial work narrowed its focus to three book manufacturing segments—education, religious and specialty trade. The results have been outstanding. Through the first nine months of 2003, Courier has enjoyed

GLASTONBURY, CT—Chatham Printing, a family-owned business formerly based in Newington, CT, plans to reopen this month. Now known as The Chatham Group, and located here, the printer features many of the same staff and services, plus a few new offerings. "As with Chatham Printing, our new operation is a mid-sized, sheetfed shop with capabilities ranging from two- to six-color, museum-quality reproduction, in-house diecutting and fulfillment services," says Dave Eck, president of The Chatham Group. "In addition, we're also offering some new Internet-based solutions," he adds. Eck and his father, Jim, made the decision to reopen Chatham after an unsuccessful joint venture that recently dissolved.

Hibner Named CFO at Banta MENASHA, WI—Geoffrey J. Hibner has been hired as the new Banta Corp. CFO. Hibner, 53, was most recently with Bridge Associates, a New York City-based management consulting firm. He succeeds current executive vice president and CFO Gerald A. Henseler, who will retire in October after a 37-year career with Banta. Quebecor Joins USPS Program MIDLAND, MI—Quebecor World's Midland facility has been authorized by the United States Postal Service (USPS) to participate in the new Periodical Co-palletization Program. The Quebecor World Midland facility is the second Quebecor World facility to obtain authorization for this program. Additionally, this is said to be the first

News Fit for Printing Extra! Extra! Read all about it. The graphic arts industry is launching a new campaign to promote the use of print as a replacement for, and complement to, other media. I know, grizzled industry veterans might point out, other efforts have been tried in the past—typically losing steam over time. But this effort has some of the biggest industry guns behind it as founding members, including vendors such as Agfa, EFI, Heidelberg, IBM, MAN Roland, Scitex Digital and Xerox, as well as prominent printers like Mail-Well, RR Donnelley, Quad/Graphics, Sandy Alexander and Franchise Services (the parent company of PIP

Clients and Suppliers Seen as Extensions of Print Operations PHILADELPHIA—According to the final count, this year's 5th Annual Digital Smart Factory Forum drew nearly 100 attendees here from across the country. The event is sponsored by the Research and Engineering Council of NAPL. A "digital smart factory" is an environment in which information technology (IT) is strategically applied across the printer enterprise to integrate manufacturing, business and customer-interfacing systems, according to the forum's sponsor. At this year's edition, a number of speakers stressed the importance of extending the concept beyond the print operation to include both ends of the supply chain—customers and suppliers. "While