Quebecor World

MONTRÉAL—01/18/07—Wes Lucas, president and CEO of Quebecor World Inc. (NYSE:IQW, TSX:IQW), is pleased to announce the appointment of Doron D. Grosman as president of the U.S. Magazine Group and Chuck Miotke as vice president, Global Manufacturing. Grosman will assume his new position immediately and will be based in the company’s New York offices. Miotke, who led the U.S. Magazine group for the last three years and has worked with Quebecor World and in the printing industry for more than 30 years, will become the leader for global manufacturing and productivity. “Doron is an outstanding leader, and I am very pleased that Doron will lead

MONTREAL—Transformation of the Quebecor World U.S. magazine platform will spell the end for its Lincoln, NE, plant. The move, which is expected to take place in the second quarter, will result in the loss of roughly 550 jobs. With the installation and startup of a new wide web press at the St. Cloud, MN facility, one of 10 that were slated to go live, the company says its three-year retooling plan has now essentially been completed. Other investments were made in accompanying robotics and bindery technology. Quebecor World also announced it was consolidating its Quebec-based magazine and catalog printing business, resulting in the closure of its

Transcontinental Nabs Pact MONTREAL—Transcontinental signed an exclusive 15-year contract with Hearst Corp. to print the San Francisco Chronicle, related products, and to provide postpress services. The deal is worth in excess of $1 billion. Transcontinental will start production in the spring of 2009 at a new, state-of-the-art Bay Area plant. The printer’s planned investments for the building and new gear are estimated at more than $200 million. The Chronicle, one of 12 daily newspapers owned by Hearst, has the 14th largest ABC-verified circulation in the United States, according to Transcontinental. Quebecor World Ups Co-mailing MONTREAL—Quebecor World is expanding the co-mailing offering at its new Bolingbrook, IL,

FACING INCREASED competition from electronic alternatives and another possible jump in postal rates, players in the catalog and publication markets may have to fight for a successful future. Industry consolidation should also make tracking these segments interesting for industry watchdogs. According to “A Study and Analysis of the Future of Catalogs, 2006-2011” by PRIMIR (Print Industries Market Information and Research Organization), the North American catalog industry is in a state of disruptive change. This can be attributed to the Internet becoming more of a vital selling tool for companies that traditionally used printed catalogs to drive sales. The shift to online shopping by

MONTREAL—In an effort to get customers more bang for their buck, Quebecor World is restructuring its U.S. catalog platform, a plan that includes investments in new press and bindery technology. The restructuring will also result in the closing of two facilities, which will eliminate 400 employee positions. Quebecor World’s printing plant in Elk Grove Village, IL, and a bindery operation in Bensenville, IL, will be shuttered during the first quarter of 2007. The company expects to create 75 jobs when existing and new equipment is deployed at existing plants in Jonesboro, AR; Merced, CA; and Corinth, MS. The key to the plan is the transformation

THE 2006 printing industry campaign provided more than enough ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ to keep followers on the edge of their seats, including a summer blockbuster takeover attempt of Banta Corp. by Bob Burton and Cenveo Inc. And the subject of postal reform, which has festered for years without a resolution, appeared on the brink of falling to pieces at the last minute. The M&A train seemed to pick up speed in 2006, though some parties managed to botch the due diligence aspect and instead land in court. Reorganization was in the air (unfortunately, so were job losses) and some of the biggest names in

IN GENERAL, when a best-seller hits the market, it directly or indirectly benefits the entire book manufacturing industry. The long runs clog up capacity for those fortunate enough to garner the job, and creates overflow that needs to be spread through the ranks. Take Courier Corp., of North Chelmsford, MA, for example. The 2006 trade campaign started off slowly, notes Peter Tobin, executive vice president, but developed a head of steam in late summer and early fall, leading up to the holiday push. A degree of the pickup can be attributed to publishers hanging back on reprint orders. But what really lit the fire

AS WE finish compiling the annual Printing Impressions 400 ranking—now in its 23rd year—it’s a good time to reflect on major events that helped shape our industry during the past 12 months. A fiction writer would have been hard-pressed to develop a plot line with more drama, intrigue and folly than what played out in 2006 at some of the printing industry’s largest publicly held establishments. Front and center, of course, was the unsolicited, and cantankerous, takeover attempt of Banta by hard-charging Cenveo Chairman and CEO Bob Burton. After several volleys back and forth between Burton and Banta Chairman, President and CEO Stephanie Streeter,

MONTREAL—In an effort to get customers more bang for their buck, Quebecor World is restructuring its U.S. catalog platform, a plan that includes investments in new press and bindery technology. The restructuring will also result in the closing of two facilities, which will eliminate 400 employee positions.Quebecor World’s printing plant in Elk Grove Village, IL,…

Bobst Providing Bindery Direction ROSELAND, NJ—Intrigued by barbecues under the stars, a car show and rally—and yes, let’s not forget binding and finishing gear—roughly 450 people from 171 different plants made their way here for the Direction ’06 Open House sponsored by Bobst Group USA. The show, held September 21-26 at Bobst’s Demonstration and Training Center, showcased the company’s folding carton and commercial printing solutions for customers and prospects alike. A total of nine Bobst technologies were on display. On the commercial printing end, diecutters such as the SPanthera 106-LER, SPeria 106-E and the SPrintera 145-PER drew attention from visitors, along with the SPeria Foilmaster 102. Jerry