Valassis

GRAPEVINE, TX—Paul Bremer, former Ambassador to Iraq and a long-time Washington insider, received a standing ovation from an audience of nearly 700 attendees following his speech that kicked off the 53rd annual Web Offset Association (WOA) conference held here recently. This was followed by a speech by Goss International CEO Robert Brown, who challenged WOA and its members to focus on increasing the share of web offset printing and to target marketing originators about the effectiveness of the printed piece. Former CIA Director George Tenet was the keynote speaker on the second day. Some of the other speakers who shared the podium during the general

PINEVILLE, NC—Belk Printing Technologies has installed its third Mitsubishi press. The Diamond 3000S began production at Belk in mid-February. This is the company's second six-color press. Nies/Artcraft Cos., St. Louis, announced that Keith Marcks has been named president of Lion Promotional Solutions, a subsidiary of Nies/Artcraft specializing in promotional coupons, games and sweepstakes, and point-of-purchase displays. In other news, Tom Miller has been promoted to the position of vice president, marketing/account services. He has held the position of director of marketing at Nies/Artcraft for the past four years. Randy Monroe of LX Printing in Colorado Springs, CO, received the Eagle Award from Certified Printers International (CPrint)

Worker Crushed in Accident VERSAILLES, KY—OSHA is investigating an apparent accident at a Quebecor World facility here that led to the death of a longtime employee. Carolyn Cox Campbell, 62, suffered fatal chest trauma Oct. 15 when she was crushed between a forklift and a metal racking system, according to John McCarty, Fayette County, KY, deputy coroner. McCarty indicated that a final autopsy and toxicology report would be completed in about four weeks. Tony Ross, director of communications for Montreal-based Quebecor World, said that Campbell's death, "appears to be an unfortunate accident." CGX Kills Deal for Newbridge HOUSTON—Consolidated Graphics (CGX) is no longer pursuing the acquisition

Schmidt Acquires Rapid ReprintBYRON, MN—Publishing industry solutions provider Schmidt announced that it has acquired Rapid Reprint, a quick turnaround article reprint production company based in White Bear Lake, MN. Schmidt, a web offset printer, specializes in the production of direct response vehicles such as magazine and direct mail inserts, as well as the production and distribution of card packs for the publishing industry. Valassis Installs QTI Systems DURHAM, NC—Valassis Communications has purchased a Ribbon Control System 4000 (RCS 4000) and a Register Guidance System V (RGS V) with ink guiding and phaser control for the second of its MAN Roland Lithoman presses. Both systems were

BY CHRIS BAUER Although it may not be as flashy as a star-filled TV commercial during the last episode of "Survivor" or halftime of the Super Bowl, many companies are finding refuge from high advertising costs in a weakened economy by going a more traditional and cost-effective route—newspaper inserts. In a recent Wall Street Journal article, Livonia, MI-based Valassis Communications, a leading printer of coupons and newspaper inserts, reported it is reaping financial benefits from the slowing economy. As advertisers look for ways to lure customers into their stores with sales and other ways to save, Valassis is providing much of the printing of

Roger Perry: Web Offset PioneerWATERLOO, WI—Roger L. Perry, 78, who transformed his father's newspaper publishing business into a bustling commercial printer of magazines, catalogs and advertising, died April 14. Mr. Perry purchased an interest in his father's firm, Perry Printing, in 1956. He updated his father's antiquated letterpress with a web offset press, a bold move at the time, but Mr. Perry saw a trend toward higher quality, larger volume and increased color reproduction capability. He sold full ownership of the company to Journal Communications in 1974, but remained there until 1990, when he retired as chairman and CEO of Perry Printing and as

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: The following was prepared by Compass Capital Partners, the printing industry's most active investment banker. Located in Radnor, PA, and headed by Chairman Harris M. DeWese, it represents only sellers and buyers of printing companies. Since 1996, Compass Capital has completed 47 transactions involving printing revenues exceeding $1.5 billion.) The U.S. printing industry is a bedrock of our economy. Yet, in this day of electronic communication, some are telling us that print-on-paper communication is about to be replaced by alternative media. Compass Capital Partners has been following the printing industry for 12 years. We have made our living from representing buyers and

Valassis Communications is the coupon guru, the originator of the free-standing insert—that four-color coupon booklet, which has become a household commodity, if not phenomenon, as a modern day, money-saving device. Now, it's revolutionizing the way consumers clip coupons by offering "virtual savings" online. BY CHERYL A. ADAMS If you've ever saved money with one of those Sunday newspaper coupons, chances are, you have Valassis Communications to thank. And you'll be even more thankful in the new millenium, when, beginning this year, Valassis is printing and distributing a record number (44 weeks!) of free-standing inserts (FSIs) in Sunday newspapers nationwide. And, that's not all.

Balderdash! Phooey! Cow chips! "We have met the enemy and he is us." All right, ya'll, get in here, sit down and listen up. I've got a hell of a lot to cover this month. You probably are all wondering who first said the words and phrase at the top of this column. Well, if any of you illiterate slugs ever read your history books, you would know. The late, great Sir Winston Churchill first said "Balderdash!" Sir Winston said it when Lady Astor observed that he was drunk. Sir Winston replied: "Balderdash. Tomorrow I will be sober and you will still be ugly." The late