New Direction Partners

The Drumstick Theory of Strategic Planning
November 15, 2016 at 11:31 am

Last week, many of us served a big and elaborate Thanksgiving dinner to family and friends. If the feast went well, it was because we used a special ingredient that made everything taste good even though it didn’t appear in any of the recipes.

NDP Analyzes RR Donnelley's Three-Way Split
November 15, 2016 at 11:31 am

Perhaps the biggest piece of news in the printing industry so far this year was the recent announcement by RR Donnelley & Sons of its intention to split itself into three independent, publicly traded businesses.

How to Plan for Success in Succession Planning
November 15, 2016 at 11:31 am

Some say life is a beach, and if you’re a beachcomber or a professional surfer, that may well be the case. For owners of printing and packaging companies, though, “beach” is a metaphor for life after selling the business.

How to Pick the Pick of the Crop in M&A Advisement
November 15, 2016 at 11:31 am

Not everyone who claims to be a capable M&A advisor proves to be one in practice. Unfortunately, misjudging an advisor’s credentials can prove to be a costly mistake. Our experience points to a number of criteria that a truly qualified advisor should be able to satisfy.

Are You “Equipped” to Sell?
November 15, 2016 at 11:31 am

It’s only natural for printers to take pride in their equipment—the tried-and-true machines that helped to make their companies what they are today. But, when the time comes to sell the business, it’s also time to start looking at the machinery through different eyes.

Too Much of a Good Thing
November 15, 2016 at 11:31 am

There are two ways to build a printing company’s top line: by increasing share of market, and by increasing share of customer. Successful companies are good at doing both.

You’re the Star—But You Need a Stand-In
November 15, 2016 at 11:31 am

As the owner of a printing or a packaging business, you probably think of yourself as a pretty effective negotiator—and you probably are correct. Skill in negotiating is, after all, a hallmark of the leader of any successful business.

First-Quarter Results Signal First-Rate M&A Climate
November 15, 2016 at 11:31 am

M&A trends in the printing and packaging industries during the first quarter of 2015 reconfirm what we already knew: that M&A activity has picked up in every year since 2009, and that there’s every reason to believe the forward momentum will stay strong.

The Direction of Development
November 15, 2016 at 11:31 am

Preparing your company for sale can be a complex task, but everything you do will aim at the same objective: increasing value to make what you have as attractive as possible to potential buyers.

As the World Turns
November 15, 2016 at 11:31 am

Cycles in print markets and in the economy as a whole can play heavily in sellers’ and buyers’ decisions to move forward with M&A transactions. That may just be a case of stating the obvious, but it’s still helpful to review why these cycles occur and what they imply for dealmaking strategies.

The Unexpected Happened—Now What?
November 15, 2016 at 11:31 am

Nobody likes interruptions to their best-laid plans, but they happen—and M&A deal making isn’t exempt from them.

Five Steps to Take for a Successful Merger
November 15, 2016 at 11:31 am

Like any other business transaction, a merger is a structured process with a series of steps necessary for its completion. As an investment banker to the printing and packaging industries, New Direction Partners has participated in scores of such transactions.

Tales of the Ticker
November 15, 2016 at 11:31 am

One of the most useful research tools we have at New Direction Partners is our printing and packaging stock index. With it, we track the stock price performance of nine printing companies and the seven top packaging companies—all 16 of them publicly traded—from 2006 to the current date.

Tales of the Ticker
November 15, 2016 at 11:31 am

One of the most useful research tools we have at New Direction Partners is our printing and packaging stock index. With it, we track the stock price performance of nine printing companies and the seven top packaging companies—all 16 of them publicly traded—from 2006 to the current date.

Succession planning: What’s in your company’s future?
November 15, 2016 at 11:31 am

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear proven tips on effective succession planning from both an operational and long-term perspective. Whether you're an owner or a high-level manager, it's more critical than ever to develop, implement and monitor a successful transition of leadership in your business.

Private Invest Firm Acquires Flexible Packaging Manufacturer Popular Ink
November 15, 2016 at 11:31 am

McKinney, TX-based manufacturer of printed flexible packaging Popular Ink has been acquired by Highlander Partners. Popular Ink will continue to operate under its existing operating structure with its current management team, which has successfully grown the business every year since its founding. New Direction Partners served as the exclusive financial advisor to Popular Ink.

The Allied Group Acquires DES Printing with Sights Set on Growth in New England
November 15, 2016 at 11:31 am

DES Printing has been acquired by The Allied Group, which is now the largest commercial printing and fulfillment company in Rhode Island. The Allied Group has made seven acquisitions since 2000, bringing its annual sales to $20 million and its total employees to 150. The company was assisted by New Direction Partners for this transaction.

2015 BIA Annual Conference Is Co-Locating With the 2015 Print Leadership Summit
November 15, 2016 at 11:31 am

The binding community will come together with printers to exchange ideas and shape the future of the graphic arts industry at the 2015 BIA Conference and 2015 Print Leadership Summit, both co-located in Minneapolis this year. All BIA Conference attendees will have the opportunity to attend the co-located conference's main stage keynote sessions and certain breakout track sessions. Registration will open mid-February.

Can We Talk? In M&As, Not Necessarily
November 15, 2016 at 11:31 am

Unfortunately, we have seen them happen more than once: breaches of confidentiality that have disrupted and even destroyed what otherwise would have been successful mergers of printing and packaging companies. Because playing close to the vest in M&As is more complicated than it may seem, a review of best practices in this sensitive area of dealmaking is well advised for every company owner with a transaction in mind.