In this edition of "The Week That Was With Julie G," brought to you by Printing Impressions, IWCO Direct announced that it has been acquired for $476 million in cash by Waltham, Mass.-based ModusLink Global Solutions. We are also sad to report that Jerry Bowen Williamson III, a well-known and highly respected printing industry executive, and former chairman of Williamson Printing, passed away Dec. 16 at age 78 in Dallas.

In other news, the U.S. Government Publishing Office's (GPO) announced that its print procurement program awarded nearly $340 million in contracts. And finally, visit piworld.com to view the list of printers who made the 2017 Printing Impressions 400 ranking, as well as to learn more about some of the sales growth leaders on this year's Printing Impressions 400, and to read our 2018 outlook articles that addressed trends in the commercial printing, book manufacturing, direct mail and catalog and publication segments for the coming year.