Home | Subscribe | Contact Us | Advertise

Ennis Acquires Some Assets of Englund Graphics
Ennis Inc. acquired certain assets of Englund Graphics through its wholly owned subsidiary, Northstar. New Hope, Minn.-based Englund Graphics produces laser forms and checks, blank and printed stock, and other printed products. The operation will utilize the trade name of Northstar and become part of Northstar’s Roseville and Brooklyn Park, Minn., facilities. Before the acquisition, Englund Graphics had decided to exit the business after more than 30 years in the short run market.

WorkflowOne, SAP America Sign Marketing Agreement
WorkflowOne signed a joint marketing agreement with SAP America Inc. to provide improved supply chain management solutions for branded communications to customers. “Organizations can spend as much as 3 percent of their revenue on branded communication, from sales collateral and direct mail to invoices, labels, stationery and transactional documents,” said Greg Mosher, CEO and chairman of Workflow Management Inc. “We believe that the combination of SAP’s Business Process Platform and WorkflowOneAccess creates the most technologically advanced platform for managing the print and promotional products supply chain available in industry today.”

Advanced Systems and Forms Announces New Name, Logo
Advanced Systems and Forms changed its name to Advanced Marketing Partners to better reflect the company’s goals and direction. Company President Phil Schmidt, who was PSDA president in 2003-2004, says the company is creating new marketing materials, including a logo.

E-Payments, Cards Trump Paper Checks
Consumers are replacing checks with plastic and other electronic payments at an accelerating pace, according to a MarketWatch.com story. Electronic payments, including credit and debit cards, accounted for more than two-thirds of the 93.3 billion non-cash transactions in the United States last year, according to a Federal Reserve study quoted in the story.

PDF to Become ISO Standard
Adobe Systems Inc., San Jose, Calif., received approval for PDF 1.7 to become ISO 32000 standard by a vote of 13 to 1, or 93 percent, from participating countries. To move from draft to formal state, revisions will be made with technical editors and ISO staff at a work group meeting at the end of January.

R.R. Donnelley Signs Multi-Year Contract with Publisher
R.R. Donnelley signed an agreement with Hachette Book Group USA (HBG), a leading U.S. trade publisher, for a new multi-year contract to produce its one color hardcover and softcover trade books beginning Jan. 2008. HBG imprints include Little, Brown and Company and Grand Central Publishing. It annually publishes approximately 450 adult books, 150 young adult and children’s books, and 60 audio book titles.

Kodak, Trump Team Up on Apprentice
Eastman Kodak Company’s EasyShare All-in-One (AiO) printers were featured on NBC’s “The Celebrity Apprentice,” which aired Jan. 17. During the episode, teams of celebrity contestants were tasked with creating a Kodak Mobile Printing Station in New York City that drives brand messaging and awareness of the revolutionary value proposition of the Kodak AiO Printing System.

HP Acquires Wide-Format Press Supplier
Hewlett-Packard, Palo Alto, Calif., signed an agreement to acquire NUR Macroprinters Ltd., a manufacturer of industrial wide-format digital inkjet printers, for $117.5 million. NUR, based in Lod, Israel, supplies UV-curable and solvent inkjet printers for commercial, sign, screen and billboard printers.

Domtar to Cut Production, Lay Off 625
Domtar Corp. will reduce its paper-making capacity through restructuring and a mill closure, resulting in the layoffs of 625 employees, an AP story said. The operations shift will cut 342,000 tons from Domtar’s annual paper production capacity. Domtar will close its Port Edwards, Wis., mill, with about 500 employees losing their jobs. It will close one paper machine and two machines that cut paper down to a certain size at its Dryden, Ontario, facility. About 125 employees will lose jobs there.

Böwe Bell + Howell to Acquire OPEX Postal Technologies
Böwe Bell + Howell and Opex Corp., a high-speed digital mailroom automation and document image capture solutions provider, entered into an agreement for transferring Opex’s Postal Technologies division to Böwe Bell + Howell. By adding the Opex Postal Technologies’ line of mail sorters and software products, Böwe Bell + Howell will strengthen its position as a leading technology supplier to the commercial presort mailing industry.

Xerox Earns Environmental Certification in 17 Countries
Xerox, Norwalk, Conn., earned chain-of-custody certification from the Forest Stewardship Council and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification. The certification will help Xerox’s customers, including print providers, meet demand for eco-certified paper. FSC multi-site certification allows a distributed print program to be managed according to eco-friendly practices from a central location, rather than in separate offices. The company has nearly 80 FSC and PEFC distribution centers in 17 countries. The first certified products will be available in early 2008.

Pitney Bowes Expands in Asia
Pitney Bowes Inc., Stamford, Conn., will acquire two divisions that have worked as a distributor for its mailstream products in Singapore and Malaysia, CL Computers Pte. Limited and CL Computers (M) Sdn Bhd. CL computers is a major supplier of electronic banking equipment. “This acquisition is consistent with our strategy to expand in the most promising international markets,” said CEO Murray Martin. Pitney Bowes recently opened a regional headquarters in Singapore, announcing a strategy to double its sales in the area within five years.

New Passport Printing Facility in Ariz. Built by Stanley Inc.
Stanley Inc., Arlington, Va. will build and manage a secure passport production center in Tucson, Ariz. for the Department of State, planned to open in spring of 2008. The facility will employ more than 150 people, and is part of a 10-year, $164 million contract with the Department of State that authorized Stanley’s Hot Springs, Ark. passport plant.

Corporate Express to Purchase 100 Percent Renewable Energy
Corporate Express US Inc. will purchase 100 percent renewable energy credits for its Colorado facilities, including its headquarters in Broomfield and Northglenn, customer service and distribution centers in Aurora, and breakpoint distribution facility in Colorado Springs. It employs approximately 2,000 people in Colorado. Corporate Express has purchased renewable energy credits (RECs) from 3Degrees, a climate solutions company. The Center for Resource Solutions certifies all renewable energy credits provided by 3Degrees through its Green-e program.

Hot Off the Press
Manufacturers—get the word out about your new products, equipment, capabilities and services. Email details to abrown@psda.org.