Transcontinental Inc.

Last November, the San Francisco Chronicle began printing its weekday front page, section fronts and select inside pages on high-gloss paper as a way to lure advertisers and strive for “magazine-quality production,” publisher Frank Vega and editor Ward Bushee said at the time. It was an interesting move, considering that less than eight months earlier the paper, facing the threat of closure by its parent company Hearst, was shedding nearly $1 million a week. The switch was a result of a 15-year, $1 billion deal between Hearst and Canadian printing giant Transcontinental, which opened a $200 million plant

MONTREAL—Rémi Marcoux, executive chairman and founder of Transcontinental Inc., has completed—through his holding companies—the sale of four million Transcontinental shares. Marcoux's holding companies will retain the beneficial ownership and voting rights attached to the monetized shares.

The maneuver enabled Marcoux to monetize approximately 30% of his shareholdings while retaining effective control of the corporation in the hands of the Marcoux family.

MONTREAL—One year after suffering a C$144.3 million loss, Transcontinental Inc. rebounded strongly  with a profit of C$68.7 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2010. Roughly half of the gain was accounted for by the sale of its U.S. direct mail operations to IWCO Direct. It was the fourth straight quarter that the printer reaped an increase in adjusted operating income.

It's net income increased $211.3 million, from a loss of $144.3 million in the second quarter 2009 to a gain of $67 million.

Winning “top-of-mind” market position is critically important for long-term success in this or any industry.

Cell phone bar code reading, mobile couponing in retail sales, and electronic ticketing are among the key services the purchase adds to Transcontinental's marketing communications offerings.

The previously announced transaction includes operations in Warminster and Hamburg, PA; Fort Worth, TX; and Downey, CA. The price amounts to $112.5 million.

Its adjusted operating income rose 41% in the first quarter of 2010 on revenues of $559.3 million, down 11% compared to the $625.4 million in Q1 2009.

IWCO Direct will acquire Transcontinental Direct's U.S. operations in Warminster and Hamburg, PA; Downey, CA; and Ft. Worth, TX.