Odyssey Press

Commercial printer company and personnel news from Printing Impressions’ January 2012 edition.

On April 1, 2012, Jim Tepper will assume the title of president emeritus of Printing Industries of New England (PINE) and Charles Parker, former owner of Odyssey Press, will assume the full-time role of president. Tepper has been with the association since late 1976.

Commercial printing industry news briefs, including items on RR Donnelley, Sandy Alexander, Quad/Graphics, Yurchak Printing, Brown Printing, Modernistic, Transcontinental, WildfireXM, West Linn Paper, Mohawk Fine Papers and Presstek.

LANDISVILLE, PA—Yurchak Printing has acquired the intangible assets and select equipment of Gonic, NH-based Odyssey Press. Details of the transaction were not revealed. The NAPL mergers and acquisitions team advised Yurchak Printing on the deal.

Commercial printing industry national news from Printing Impressions May 2011, featuring items on The Herald and Foster Printing.

The new venture’s aim is to provide a cost-effective way for authors to self publish their books. Authors can choose from several publishing packages that include editorial and marketing services and a Website for ordering reprints.

Shareholders OK Vertis Plan BALTIMORE—Vertis shareholders approved the company’s prepackaged plan of organization. Once the plan becomes effective, Vertis can proceed with its merger with American Color Graphics (ACG). The restructuring will allow Vertis to reduce debt and interest cost, refocus investments and complete both the reorganization and merger in a couple of months, according to Mike DuBose, chairman and CEO of Vertis. Direct Group Makes Investment SWEDESBORO, NJ—Direct marketing specialist Direct Group has purchased 32 Océ VarioStream 8750 systems to upgrade capacity; increase uptime, speed and operational efficiencies; and take advantage of some of the industry’s latest digital technology, including flexible color

Frances Robertson has been named vice president of sales and marketing for Liberty Graphics, Euless, TX. Scott Brink has been hired by Print-Tech LLC, in Mountainside, NJ, as its new general manager. Brink brings with him 20 years of experience in commercial, financial and direct mail web and sheetfed offset lithography. Richard Dunn has been named vice president and director of Von Hoffmann's Jefferson City, MO, manufacturing facility. Before joining Von Hoffmann, Dunn held the position of vice president and general manager of Quebecor World's Dubuque, IA, plant. Prior to his assignment in Dubuque, Dunn was division vice president of Quebecor World's distribution and fulfillment

BY ERIK CAGLE It could be said that Doug Stone, co-founder of Odyssey Press, was a frugal man. He booked his own flights and almost always took the cheaper connecting route, no matter how circuitous. Stone was saving the company money, particularly when he was flying from his company's headquarters in Dover, NH, to Trend Offset Printing in Los Alamitos, CA, the home of his former employer. He was close to Anthony Lienau, one of Trend's founders, and still did consulting work for Lienau. So Stone would fly into Texas, where Trend has a plant, and visit there before continuing to California. Out

NEW YORK—The worst terrorist attacks on U.S. soil in the history of this young country left more than 6,500 people missing and presumed dead, reduced a pair of 110-story skyscraper buildings to an unimaginable pile of twisted metal and human debris, and left many Americans feeling more vulnerable than they had ever thought possible. The multi-pronged terrorist attack of September 11 was unfathomable: four airliner hijackings, two of which resulted in collisions with the World Trade Center towers in New York City and a third that left a large cavity in the Pentagon in Washington, DC. Fortunately, it appears passengers thwarted a fourth kamikaze