Taylor Publishing

By Erik Cagle Senior Editor Try summing up the 2003 season from the book printing market's point of view. It can't be done. Sure, another Potter tome and the return of Oprah's book club did wonders for a struggling trade market, and most feel the elementary-high school (el-hi) sector was as depressed as the economy, with weak adoption programs to match. But, for the most part, the answers to what worked and what didn't pan out depends largely upon who is being asked. Top 10 Book Printers CompanySegmentSales(millions)TotalSales(millions) 1RR DonnelleyChicago$808$4,754 2Quebecor WorldMontreal$749$6,242 3Banta Corp.Menasha, WI$355$1,366 4Von HoffmannSt. Louis$348$535 5Bertelsmann ArvatoNew York$209$276 6Courier Corp.N.

By Erik Cagle Imagine the phone rings and it's a potential customer. This person wants a short run of books, but has never purchased printing before and knows nothing about the process. Nor does the client have any background in publishing. It's a single print job with no follow-up editions. This customer isn't exactly sure what he/she wants, but it should be memorable enough to please readers. Oh, and your customer is a group of teenagers, accompanied by an advisor. And, in a year, those teenagers will be replaced by another group of kids with absolutely no background in publishing. Now, imagine that

By Erik Cagle "Give 'em hell, Harry!" That's the rally cry for both trade publishers and their print production suppliers, who eagerly await the next installment in the Harry Potter series (give 'em hell J.K. Rowling would be more accurate). And why not? The four-book (and counting) children's fantasy series from Scholastic has sold a staggering 150 million copies worldwide (70 million in the United States), and many of the leading U.S. book printers have dipped their toes in the Potter pool. Who needs an Oprah plug when you have a multi-faceted marketing machine that has licensed movies, trading cards, action figures and all

(Editor's Note: Company rankings for the current and previous years are based on figures reported in 2002. Therefore, companies that revised their 2001 revenues may have changed their 2001 ranking as compared with the ranking that appeared in last year's Printing Impressions 400. Similarly, the percentage change in sales is calculated on the most recent information provided.) 51 ('01: 58) MacNaughton Lithograph/Command Web Offset, Secaucus, NJ Total Sales (millions): $140.00 Previous Year's (millions): $140.00 Change (%): — Principal Officer: Andrew Merson Employees: 625 Primary Specialties: BKS 40%; DIR 25%; CAT 15%; FIN 10% Web Offset Units: 44 Sheetfed Offset Units: 6 Other: 0

American Printing Lands New Press MADISON, WI—American Printing recently diversified its pressroom with the addition of an eight-color, 40˝ Mitsubishi Model 3F-16 sheetfed press. CALIFORNIA FOUNTAIN VALLEY—A new A.B.Dick DPM2340 direct-to-plate device is up and running at Brookhurst Printer. The company provides printing for medical groups and the banking, insurance and hospitality industries. HUNTINGTON BEACH—Taylor Graphics, a general commercial printer with 12 employees, has purchased a five-color, 20x28˝ Mitsubishi Model 1F-15 sheetfed press. SANTA FE SPRINGS—At The Dot Generator, a six-color, 28˝ Komori Lithrone press equipped with a ColorCommand temperature control/cooling system from TriService has been installed. GEORGIA ATLANTA—Geographics has completed the

Editor's note: Company rankings for the current and previous years are based on figures reported in 2001. Therefore, companies that revised their 2000 revenues may have changed their '00 ranking as compared with the ranking that appeared in last year's Printing Impressions 400. Similarly, the percentage change in sales is calculated on the most recent information provided. 2001 Ranking:Previous Year's Ranking:Company:Total Sales (millions):Previous Year's (millions):Change (%):Principal Officer:Employees:Primary Specialties:Web Offset Units:Sheetfed Offset Units:Other:Ownership:Plants: 5159J.J. Keller & Assoc., Neenah, WI$159.76$139.99+14Robert L. Keller830PUB 50%; BKS 30%; DM 10%; BF 10%2087Private1  2001 Ranking:Previous Year's Ranking:Company:Total Sales (millions):Previous Year's (millions):Change (%):Principal Officer:Employees:Primary Specialties:Web Offset Units:Sheetfed Offset Units:Other:Ownership:Plants: 5251Serigraph Inc.,

BY CHRIS BAUER Although the year 2001 has caused history books to be rewritten, it will go down, in the minds of many, as a year we would like to forget. Top 10 -- Book Printers   Company SegmentSales(millions) TotalSales (millions) 1 R.R. Donnelley & SonsChicago $788 $5,254 2 Quebecor WorldMontreal $780 $6,500 3 Banta Corp.Menasha, WI $384 $1,538 4 Von Hoffmann Corp.Saint Louis $318 $425 5 Courier Corp.N. Chelmsford, MA $208 $208 6 Bertelsmann ArvatoBerryville, VA $195 $315 7 Phoenix ColorHagerstown, MD $155 $155 8 Taylor PublishingDallas $110 $110 9 Hess ManagementAustin, TX $90 $180 10 Maple-Vail Book Mfg.York, PA $89 $89

If you know the name of a printing company that you think appears on the Printing Impressions 400 list, but you're not sure of its ranking, here's an easy way to locate that firm. Simply find the company in the alphabetical listings on this page. In addition to each company's name and headquarters location, a corresponding number appears indicating that firm's ranking on the Printing Impressions 400. ABS Graphics (Addison, IL) 400 Action Printing (Fond du Lac, WI) 353 Adams Business Forms (Topeka, KS) 96 AdPlex Inc. (Houston, TX) 102 Advance Business Graphics (Mira Loma, CA) 153 AFL Web Printing (Voorhees, NJ)

Editor's note: Company rankings for the current and previous years are based on figures reported in 2000. Therefore, companies that revised their 1999 revenues may have changed their '99 ranking as compared with the ranking that appeared in last year's Printing Impressions 500. Similarly, the percentage change in sales is calculated on the most recent information provided.2000 Ranking:Previous Year's Ranking:Company: Total Sales (millions):Previous Year's (millions):Change (%):Principal Officer:Employees:Primary Specialties:Web Offset Units:Sheetfed Offset Units:Other:Ownership:Plants:5142Publishers Printing/Publishers Press, Shepherdsville, KY$160.40$166.30-4Nicholas X. Simon1,750PUB 100%100100Private 2  2000 Ranking:Previous Year's Ranking:Company:Total Sales (millions):Previous Year's (millions):Change (%):Principal Officer:Employees:Primary Specialties:Web Offset Units:Sheetfed Offset Units:Other:Ownership:Plants:5252Phoenix Color Corp., Hagerstown, MD$160.00E$141.00+13Louis LaSorsa900BKS 100%61520Private 4  2000 Ranking:Previous Year's

BY SCOTT POLK The book printing industry had one of its finest years in 2000, and not just because of the wild success of the Harry Potter series. Of course, the bespectacled British lad had a little to do with the success, but it was the elementary through high school (el-hi) textbook market that led the way. Top 10 Book Printers CompanySegmentSales(millions)Total Sales(millions) 1R.R. Donnelley & SonsChicago$800$5,000 2Quebecor WorldMontreal$784$6,540 3Jostens Inc. Minneapolis$665$782 4Von Hoffmann Corp. Saint Louis$400$400 5Banta Corp. Menasha, WI$279$1,270 6Bertelsmann ArvatoBerryville, VA$191$285 7Courier Corp. N. Chelmsford, MA$188$188 8Phoenix ColorHagerstown, MD$160$160(E) 9Taylor PublishingDallas$104$104 10WebcraftersMadison, WI$86$86 Peter Tobin, vice president of North Chelmsford, MA-based Courier