CHICAGO—Increased revenue from acquisitions and favorable exchange rates helped stake RR Donnelley to a second quarter profit. Earnings from continuing operations were $145.1 million, or 68 cents per share, for the three months ended June 30 compared with a net loss of $69.4 million, or 32 cents per share, in the same period last year.…
CHICAGO—RR Donnelley has come to terms with F&W Publications on an $80 million, multiyear contract to produce a lion’s share of its book and magazine work. The pact greatly extends the current accord between the companies. F&W’s imprints include Writer’s Digest, Krause Publications, North Light Books and Adams Media. It publishes roughly 750 books and…
THE YEAR was 1958. A 14-year-old named Bobby Fischer wins the U.S. Chess Championship. Willie O’Ree is the first African-American to play in the National Hockey League. The U.S. Air Force loses a hydrogen bomb off the coast of Savannah, GA, and it’s never found. Poet Ezra Pound is ordered to be released from an insane asylum, and “that book by Nabokov” (“Lolita”) is published in the United States. And, in Philadelphia, a 34-year-old man named Irvin Borowsky published the first issue of Printing Impressions. The industry, this magazine—indeed, our nation and world—have undergone dramatic transformations over the last 50 years. Our publication, just
Skilled Labor Strikes Chord Dear Editor, As a member and officer of the Education Summit, I would like to be able to share the articles that appeared in Printing Impressions’ March and April issues: “Skilled Labor: Help Wanted” and “Cure for Workforce Woes.” Both articles cut across so many of the problems that exist in the graphic communications/printing industry that relates to its skilled workforce shortage—the very issues that I deal with every day. They provided different perspectives from industry leaders. Eileen D. Cassidy Director, GAERF Dear Editor, Thank you for taking the initiative on the issues of labor, education recruitment and related
FIFTY YEARS would constitute a long career, but it’s just a flash of time for an industry that traces its roots at least back to the introduction of the Gutenberg press, circa the early 1400s. While each generation probably thinks it has seen more changes than any other, this has been a dizzying half century for the printing process. Letterpress has given way to offset and now digital printing. Composition has gone from hot metal and manual paste-up through phototypesetting, color scanning, color electronic prepress systems and desktop publishing, then on to computer-to-plate and Web-to-print. Bindery equipment now boosts more computer power than Apollo
CHICAGO—RR Donnelley has installed a proprietary Integrated Printing System (IPS) 3, which it is touting as the industry’s first 1,200 dot per inch (DPI) four color ink-jet web press. Crafted in-house by Donnelley, the digital press promises to deliver enhanced speed and affordability for high quality variable printing applications. “RR Donnelley has been quietly developing printing technologies for more than thirty years,” said Tom Quinlan, RR Donnelley’s president and CEO. “We listen carefully to our customers and serve their needs with an optimal blend of proprietary and commercially available solutions. Our talented technology team developed IPS 3 to support growing customer demand for a
IT’S A MAN’S world. Or is it? For some women, infiltrating the “Good Ol’ Boys Club” long associated with printing has been extremely challenging. For others, gender hasn’t been that much of a factor when breaking into (and rising up in) this traditionally male-dominated business. However, like most businesswomen (no matter what the field), being female in a corporate world of suits and ties often requires women to be intuitive, intelligent and wise. Not so long ago, many women in printing were either part of a family owned business or were wives of print shop owners. Today, there are many independent women who start
Miniature Folding Work No Longer Outsourced, Now a Value-Added Service LEBANON, NH—Whitman Communications no longer has to outsource projects that require very small folds for packaging inserts. The commercial printer installed a new two-station Vijuk-G&K V-14 commercial/miniature folder that will now keep those projects in-house. “I’m delighted to have added the folder to our equipment selection,” says Steve Whitman, president. “This new piece of equipment has created additional options for the types of folds and papers that our customers can choose from. I was also particularly pleased with the installation and training support we received.” Trio of Saddlestitchers Big Hit at Olympic BROADVIEW, IL—Faster
Bowne Obtains RSG Digital NEW YORK—Bowne & Co. has acquired the digital printing business of Rapid Solutions Group, a subsidiary of Janus Capital Group, for $14.5 million. RSG Digital has annual sales of about $45 million. RSG’s digital printing unit operates facilities in Chicago and Melville, NY. Genesis Printing Faces Attacks MOONVILLE, SC—Within a span of two weeks, Genesis Printing was the victim of two separate incidents, one involving racist vandalism and, the most recent, a fire that caused $5 million in damage. Police are investigating a possible connection between the two attacks on the printer. No injuries were reported due to the fire,
CRAWFORDSVILLE, IN—Workers at RR Donnelley’s book manufacturing plant here find themselves temporarily out of work this weekend as a lack of production work forced a three-day layoff, the Lafayette Journal & Courier reported. The company employs 1,400 at the book plant but, at press time, it was not known how many would be temporarily out…
