2006-04-01
ACROSS the nation
Presses Head for Hawkeye State HIAWATHA, IA—Two 41˝ KBA Rapida 105 sheetfed presses with coaters have been installed at Cedar Graphics. The first press is a six-color Rapida 105 sheetfed press; the second is a 10-color, five-over-five Rapida 105 long perfector with a roll-to-sheet feeder. CALIFORNIA GLENDALE—Color Depot has installed a Kluge EHF series press. The print trade shop included the preload continuous magazine option that allows the machine to be reloaded while in motion (for continuous feeding). The EHF press will be used primarily for foil stamping and embossing small boxes and CD sleeves. SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO—A new six-color Komori Lithrone 28
BINDERY matters
Bindery Goes Large With New Diecutter MOUNT VERNON, OH—Coyne Graphic Finishing, a full-service binding and finishing company, has installed a custom-manufactured Cauhe large-format diecutting machine to produce P-O-P displays and similar products. The Spanish-made Cauhe machine has a 65x120˝ cutting bed, making it among the largest of its kind in the United States. This machine is the company’s fourth large-format diecutter. Growth From ESOP Results in Stitcher BOISE, ID—Alexander Clark Printing, a full-service web and sheetfed shop, recently expanded capacity by purchasing a new Best Osako Estar saddlestitcher from distributor Best Graphics. The added capacity comes just two years after the printer adopted an ESOP plan, resulting
BRIDGING DIGITAL AND OFFSET — SERVING TWO MASTERS
THERE ARE those who believe that offset printing is well aware of its mortality, in light of advances and inroads made by its younger and better connected cousin, digital printing. But even if offset technology is on the clock (and not everyone can agree), the lead time to its possible demise is fairly substantial. So before you convert that stacked web press into a glorified set of monkey bars, consider the major benefits that many printers have reaped by having hybrid technologies under one roof. In some cases, both offset and digital are being leveraged for the same job, as they each offer advantages
CLICK CHARGES — KNOW YOUR USAGE
WEIGHING THE differences between click charge plans in service contracts offered by providers of digital printing equipment is an apples-to-apples comparison. There’s just one problem. For apples, there are Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Cameo, Pink Lady, Golden Delicious and Jonagold, among countless other varieties. And where do they hail from? Vermont? Washington state? New England? So, in that regard, yes, click charge plans offered by manufacturers A, B and C constitute an apples-to-apples comparison when you factor in the high amount of variables influencing what may be the appropriate plan for a given digital printing operation. Which is to say that a direct comparison
Combined Conferences Focus on ‘Change’
ORLANDO, FL—Industry change brought about by the growth of the Internet, consolidation, global competition and outsourcing were key discussion points at the NAPL Top Management Conference and NAQP Annual Conference held last month at the luxurious Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes Hotel. And even the event itself exemplified change—marking the first time the two industry conferences were conducted as one overall meeting with several combined breakout sessions, keynote addresses and social activities. Andy Paparozzi, NAPL vice president and chief economist, kicked off the NAPL portion of the meeting with highlights from the 2006 “NAPL State of the Industry Report.” Always a crowd pleaser with his keen insight
DATABASE MANAGEMENT — DATA INTO DOLLARS
IMAGINE CONTROLLING your customers’ information, including how it is updated, managed, printed and distributed. Printers that provide database management services don’t have to dream about such a scenario. “We’ve offered database management services since the 1960s,” confirms Ty Vincent, president and CEO of Vincent Direct in Columbus, OH. “At that time, we typed a series of file cards for our clients and managed their information manually. The technology has evolved over the years and we now offer very sophisticated database management and in-house programming.” Although Vincent Direct has been offering these services for a long time, one could argue there has been no more important time
DECISION POINTS 2006 — FORBES TO TELL ALL
STEVE FORBES has been described as a media mogul, a Web-savvy ideologue, a simplified tax advocate, a publisher and, more relevant here, the keynote presenter at next month’s Web Offset Association (WOA) meeting in Orlando, FL. Not only does Steve Forbes know our business, he lives it. Forbes Inc. is an 88-year-old publishing company riding the cusp of the Internet and new media challenges. Having invested tens of millions into the Internet, the president and CEO of Forbes Inc. and editor-in-chief of Forbes magazine continues to be very optimistic about the power of print. In addition to his intimate dealings with the printing industry
DIGITAL digest
PODi Forum in Vegas Flush With VDP Applications LAS VEGAS—The numbers five and 10 would seem to be lucky for PODi, the Digital Printing Initiative. As the organization marks its 10th anniversary, the 2006 PODi Applications Forum recently drew some 300 attendees to this fifth in the series of annual conferences dedicated to digital printing, with an emphasis on variable data. This year, the forum was expanded to include four tracks—Small Business, Marketing Best Practices, Advanced Business Strategies, and Operations & Processes. Pricing strategies, ROI, good data-bases and effective marketing were common themes across the tracks. One of the first sessions featured the presentation
DME Delivers With Innovative Programs — Michelson
MICHAEL PANAGGIO may not be a household name in traditional printing circles but—as founder and CEO of DME based in Daytona Beach, FL—his company is a trendsetter in creating cross-platform marketing programs that marry variable data digital printing with Internet-based communications. Operating four Xerox iGen3 digital color production presses, more than a dozen monochrome laser printing systems and four offset presses, Panaggio doesn’t think of himself as being a printer when describing the $100 million business that’s predicated around targeted, one-to-one direct marketing. Customized direct mail printing is just one arrow in DME’s quiver to provide its well-pampered clients with personalized marketing strategies.
DME HOLDINGS — IN A FULL COURT PRESS
IT’S HARD not to think that elements of the DME strategy sound like clichés—customer focused, team approach, people are its biggest asset, and so on. There’s no doubting the results, though. The organization has grown from a small traditional print/direct mail shop (Direct Mail Express started in 1982 with seven employees) into a direct marketing powerhouse with more than $100 million in annual sales and 650 team members. Management definitely walks its talk. Focusing on customers’ needs, for example, led DME to install three Xerox iGen3 digital color production presses in 2004 and add a fourth in 2005. It also has taken the
Do You Measure Up? — Dickeson
“BUT, ROGER, you said nothing about the need for measuring to control when you said farewell to the database you’d kept for many years for web presses. (Riding Into the Sunset, November, 2005.) I want to protest this oversight! It was your steely-eyed declaration of many years that we had to measure, even when measuring the wrong things, to get control of the web press printing process that kept us going and helped bring us to where we are today.” OK, Buck Crowley, dear friend and colleague of many years and inventor of the Autocount for web presses, I hear you loud and clear.
Ease Your Pain And Suffering — Cagle
BUSINESS of print OK, SO it’s 12:30 a.m., and my 3-month-old son is screaming his head off. Out comes the formula, a fresh Huggie for his bottom and an audience with yours truly, barely able to keep his eyes open during the feeding. Needing animation to keep from dozing off (and fumbling the newborn), I switch on the TV and find the Game Show network, knowing that the “Match Game” has ended. That leaves “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” or at least the second half hour with Regis. Some schmoe actually uses a life line for a simple $8,000 question and still
Execs Examine Future Growth
OAHU, HI—Finding future revenue streams for continued growth was the leading theme of the PIA/GATF Executive Leadership Conference, held here at the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa at Ko Olina from March 12-16. The conference, titled “Profitable Growth—2006 and Beyond,” was set against the backdrop of the lush, tropical paradise of this breathtaking Hawaiian island, which put conference goers in a positive frame of mind to address a challenging future that looms for the printing industry. Kicking things off was keynote speaker and author/consultant Steve Little, who borrowed from his experiences as president of three high-growth companies to identify best practices and seven “Irrefutable
Is Your Glass Half Full? — DeWese
FAR BE it for me to categorize people. I’m not one of those pompous jerks that tosses people in baskets shouting out, “Here comes another loser.” “I’m tossing this pervert in the weirdo box.” “Look out you introverts, I’ve found another nerd and I’m droppin’ him in your box.” “Happy days you holy rollers, I’ve found another snake dancin’ poison drinkin’ convert to toss in your barrel!” I’m not one to stereotype people. No sireee! Laying the Ground Work Everyone is different, physically and mentally. We are supposed to appreciate the individual beauty of each person. There are millions and
MAN Roland to Go Public
WESTMONT, IL—MAN Roland, the world’s second-largest press manufacturer, is on the verge of becoming an independent, publicly traded company. MAN AG and Allianz Capital Partners GmbH have agreed via a letter of intent to create a joint venture to purchase MAN Roland Druckmaschinen and take it public. Under the deal, MAN AG would have 35 percent equity in the company. Top MAN executives believe the move will allow it to sharpen its focus on providing customers with more productive ways to print. “An independent MAN Roland will be a more responsive MAN Roland for North American printers,” notes Yves Rogivue, CEO of MAN Roland Inc. “We’ve always
Observations from IPEX 2006
Editor's note: While not a blog, exactly, Dennis E. Mason, of Mason Consulting Inc., kindly agreed to share some of his first-hand impressions of IPEX 2006 direct from the fairgrounds. IPEX 2006 Day 2: Wednesday at IPEX proved to be a much better day than its opener on Tuesday. Crowds were good, and exhibitors were generally quite pleased with their booth traffic. IPEX veterans say that the second and third days are usually the best attended, so everyone seemed to think that things went according to plan. The day began with a Xerox briefing, featuring CEO Anne Mulcahy talking about where the company is going.
PRINTER news
Workflow Management, parent company of WorkflowOne, Relizon, Freedom Graphics Services and United Envelope, has named its senior management team. Mike Zawalski has rejoined the Workflow Management team as president and COO. In addition, Ed Larkin has joined the company as senior vice president of business development. Zawalski will be responsible for overseeing WorkflowOne and Relizon operations, while Larkin will be in charge of Workflow Management’s strategic growth plans, including mergers and acquisitions. Vertis announced the recent ISO 14001-2004 Environmental Management Systems (EMS) re-certification and upgrade of its North Brunswick, NJ; Bristol, PA; and Chalfont, PA, facilities. The certification granted by SGS ensures that the organization
Schawk Sells Some Ops
CHICAGO—Schawk Inc., of Des Plaines, IL, has sold its educational product development, catalog, publication and New York-based advertising premedia operations to The CAPS Group for $29 million in cash, plus assumed liabilities. The deal, which closed in early March, bolsters The CAPS Group to $80 million in annual revenues, with more than 500 employees. The acquired operations have facilities in New York, Illinois, Florida and Wisconsin. The New York advertising premedia branch has been renamed HudsonYards. Industry veteran Diane Romano, who was president of the facility for Schawk, joins The CAPS Group as president and COO of HudsonYards. A cluster of facilities—three in Illinois, one each in
SUPPLIER news
KBA North America has announced the appointment of two new district sales managers to concentrate their efforts on fast-growing sales territories on the East and West coasts. Richard “Dick” Bacon is overseeing the Southern California territory while John Graff is calling on accounts in the Washington, DC/DelMarVa locale. Secap has entered into an OEM agreement with Kodak to resell Kodak Versamark 4300 UV print engine technology and associated peripherals. Secap will match up the Kodak Versamark print engine and UV cure station with its own range of transport and material handling peripherals. Wausau Paper reports two new additions to its printing and writing group. Jeffrey Fox
UPFRONT
Brown Opts for Sundays WASECA, MN—Magazine and catalog specialist Brown Printing has ordered two new gapless web presses and three finishing systems from Goss International. A pair of 2x8 Sunday 3000/32 presses will be joined here by two Universal adhesive binders. A third Universal binder is slated for installation at Brown’s East Greenville, PA, facility. Quadracci Honored by WOA SEWICKLEY, PA—Thomas Quadracci, chairman and CEO of Quad/Graphics, has been named the recipient of the Web Offset Association’s (WOA) eighth annual VISION Award, named in honor of his late brother, Harry, who founded the Sussex, WI-based printer. He will be presented with the award during the WOA’s 54th
VARIABLE DATA INTEGRITY — ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY
QUALITY CONTROL is a demanding proposition in all printing, but adding variable data to the mix ratchets the challenge up a notch…or three. Since each piece is intended for a specific recipient, there’s no margin for error in any of the steps required to get the right piece into the right hands. Multiple production issues can impact the integrity of every variable data job. Mailing requirements may be the most vexing component, though. * It should go without saying that a good database is a must for any variable data marketing. Unfortunately, service providers typically report their experiences with clients remain akin to the
WEB-TO-PRINT — JUST BROWSING
THE ABILITY to order print-based communications via a Web browser has garnered steam in recent years, but it is hardly a snap-together concept. With the intent of making the procurement process quicker and easier, Web-to-print solutions can be tailored to meet customers’ varied needs. But the capability doesn’t come cheap. The implementation process can be tedious and long for printers without a Web-to-print footprint. IT-savvy individuals, and possibly even programmers, must be hired; labor and software figure prominently into the equation. Throw in the time required to get an estimating system up to speed, and the investment, from a printer’s standpoint, is hardly inconsequential.
West-Camp Acquired By Two Managers
WESTERVILLE, OH—Managers Ed Evans and David Marsh have acquired West-Camp Press from its retiring president, Glenn Gornall. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Evans, the company’s sales and marketing manager, has taken the helm of CEO while ex-plant manager Marsh is now chairman and president. Gornall will still serve on the company’s advisory board. Evans told Business First of Columbus that the company’s goal is to improve its marketing and to spark top-line growth. With 85 employees, West-Camp Press provides sheetfed and digital printing. It produces, among other things, brochures, catalogs, annual reports, collateral and marketing materials. West-Camp Press was created by the 1961
Workflow Shuffles Its New Assets
GREENWICH, CT—Supply chain logistics and business communications services specialist Workflow Management is consolidating the U.S. businesses of The Relizon Co. and WorkflowOne under the brand name WorkflowOne, with its headquarters based in Dayton, OH. WorkflowOne operates more than 50 manufacturing and distribution facilities across the United States. Of its 3,000-employee U.S. workforce, roughly 450 will be based at the Dayton headquarters. “Uniting these businesses under a single, well-established brand name signals our intent to operate with one vision, one mission and one voice,” CEO and Chairman Greg Mosher said in a release. Relizon Canada, A Workflow Management Co., will continue to be headquartered in Boucherville, Quebec.
