Western Graphics

Printing Impressions' Commercial Printer News for February 2009

Printing Industries of America proudly announces the recipients of the 2008 Best Workplace in the Americas Awards. A total of 51 graphic arts companies, both Printing Industries of America members and non-members, were selected by a committee of distinguished Human Resource experts from within the industry. The program is designed to recognize graphic arts companies for outstanding human relations efforts that contribute to a successful workplace.

The 2012 Printing Impressions 400 list of the largest printing companies in the United States and Canada as ranked by annual sales.

PORTLAND—September, 2007—The IGH Solutions Business Unit of Taylor Corp. purchased the assets of PhotoCraft in late August, 2007. PhotoCraft has been a leading producer of large format graphic images from its headquarters in Portland, Oregon for over twenty years. PhotoCraft produces retail point-of-purchase materials, displays, banners and signage as well as reproduces the finest custom artwork. It has been a leader in developing digital technology which has allowed it to compete successfully in the contemporary market. The key management team of PhotoCraft will continue to manage the Company. Taylor Corp. is a privately-held organization specializing in business-to-business and business-to-consumer communications, printing

FROM THE workflow and business standpoints, there’s becoming less of a need to make a distinction between digital and offset printing. New tools are bringing together the formally divided file processing paths, and digital devices are becoming standard equipment for more offset shops. With concerns about quality largely assuaged, it’s all becoming just printing under one service umbrella. The one exception is variable data printing, which remains somewhat of a special case from a production standpoint due to the processing required to integrate content from databases. The market that Western Graphics, St. Paul, MN, is targeting with all of its services (digital or offset)

PARAMUS, NJ—1/11/2007—NAPL (www.napl.org), the trade association for excellence in graphic communications management, has selected 17 graphic communications companies to receive its 2006 Management Plus Awards, which recognize management excellence in all phases of operation. The highest Management Plus honor, the William K. Marrinan Hall of Fame Award, is bestowed on Bloomington Offset Process, Inc., a full-service printing, mailing, and fulfillment company based in Bloomington, Ill. (See NAPL January 11, 2007, press release, “2006 NAPL Management Plus Hall of Fame Award Goes to Bloomington Offset Process, Inc.”) Three companies earned Management Plus Gold Awards, 10 received Silver Awards, and two were named Merit Award

SEWICKLEY, PA—November 10, 2006—Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF) proudly announces the recipients of the 2006 Best Workplace in the Americas Awards. A total of 55 graphic arts companies were selected by a committee of distinguished HR experts from within the industry. The program is designed to recognize graphic arts companies for their outstanding human relations efforts that contribute to a successful workplace. “Since 2000, the Best Workplace program has recognized industry leaders from small, medium, and large firms in the graphic arts industry for their outstanding human relations practices. While every company that entered this year’s competition has HR programs

WITH ALL of the changes going on in the printing industry, it’s an excellent time to be selling print. At least according to Tim Keran, president and owner of Western Graphics. With everything up for grabs, someone is going to have to catch it—and this St. Paul, MN-based company has a big bucket. In 1967, a local state legislator opened Western Printing and Mailing, a small print shop aimed at handling his political printing, such as letters and flyers. After he lost the election, he sold the shop to Paul Brazman, who then sold it to Robert Keran and James Muellner in 1977. Prior

PHOENIX—The weather may not have cooperated, but that didn't dampen the spirits of the 265 people who attended the National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL) Top Management Conference, held here last month at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort. Even Andrew Paparozzi, NAPL's chief economist, gave a largely sunny forecast in his state-of-the-industry report that kicked off the meeting. Signs that the industry is rebounding: sales increases for four consecutive quarters among NAPL's Printing Business Panel, reports that profitability and pricing levels are up, as well as the fact that printers are hiring again. This, in part, fuels his projections that commercial printing industry sales

Presstek Bids for A.B.Dick NILES, IL—A.B.Dick Co. announced it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Soon after the announcement, Hudson, NH-based Presstek Inc. unveiled a detailed plan to acquire the business and assets of the company through a U.S. Bankruptcy Code section 363 asset sale, a deal valued at approximately $40 million. Presstek President and CEO Edward Marino stressed that there was no guarantee his company would be successful in the open bidding environment of a bankruptcy proceeding. Bowne's Johnson Retires NEW YORK CITY—Bowne & Co. announced the immediate retirement of Robert M. Johnson from the company and its board of directors for personal reasons.