Industry News
- Published: December 14, 2006
Hot Topics, Management Tips, Newsmakers TIDBITS…
» Fans of NBC’s “The Office” might have witnessed Hammermill Papers’ television debut. The paper company starred in an episode set at a trade show.
» Document Management Industries Assn. (DMIA) will hold its TradeMart 2007 events alongside the ASI Advantages Roadshow in six locations. See www.dmia.org and www.asishow.com.
» Stephen Katz scored big when he participated in Appleton’s ongoing industry research effort. He won its “Game of Your Dreams” trip, receiving two tickets to the 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
» The Intl. Color Consortium (ICC) has launched a new user forum on color management. See www.color.org.
» Japs-Olson has joined The Print Council.
» Virginia welcomes Konica Minolta, which established a new branch location in Richmond.
» Videk has been awarded a contract to outfit one of the largest U.S. banks with Print Verification Systems (PVS) on its continuous form statement printing lines.
» CCL Label has contracted with Precision AirConvey to purchase a custom-engineered automated label matrix removal system.
» Sappi Fine Paper North America has achieved third-party certification as a Forest Stewardship Council chain-of-custody manufacturer for selected pulp and corrugated paper brands produced in its Cloquet Mill.
» Home Mountain Printing (Valpariso, In) and the Porter County Community Foundation have established the Home Mountain Printing Endowment Fund.
» In the first half of 2006, Xerox earned 146 honors and awards worldwide.
» UPM Raflatac has built a new pressure-sensitive labelstock factory in Dixon, IL.
HP, CARE collaborate on humanitarian effort
HP (Palo Alto, CA) is collaborating with CARE, a global poverty-fighting humanitarian organization, to demonstrate its portfolio of photo printing solutions. Together with CARE, HP unveiled the “I Am Powerful” exhibit at PhotoPlus Expo 2006 in New York. Sharing a common belief in the power of photography to draw attention to social issues and be a catalyst for change, HP and CARE worked together to bring CARE’s work to life through the “I Am Powerful” images. CARE helps women create lasting change for themselves, their families and their communities through hundreds of projects across 70 countries, and this exhibit showcases the power of women to take a pivotal role in the fight against poverty on a community level.
To create the exhibit, five photography teams were sent to CARE program sites in Angola, Cambodia, Egypt, India and Peru. The HP exhibit showcased more than 20 photographs that were printed exclusively with the new HP Designjet Z Photo Printer series.
“Working with HP allows us to continue spreading the word about our work across the globe,” says Deb Neuman, senior vice president, External Relations, CARE. “At CARE, photography is one of the fundamental channels we use to chronicle our work, and this exhibit truly maintains the authenticity of our projects.”
Canon to build digital university with ASU
Canon U.S.A., Inc. (Lake Success, NY) and Arizona State University (Phoenix) have announced a long-term partnership to build a world-class “Sustainable Digital University” at ASU.
ASU will use Canon digital technology to create a new university standard for digital document management and handling. “Canon and Arizona State University have a common vision for the future of digital technology in our everyday lives and within educational institutions,” says Ryoichi Bamba, executive vice president and GM for Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon will assist Arizona State in deploying a digital print management program across its campuses, improving the institution’s existing copy centers with Canon’s imageRUNNER line of copiers and multifunction printers. Canon also will open a digital showroom on the Tempe, AZ, campus; sponsor relevant student activities; and work with ASU to identify cooperative research projects for future consideration; and use ASU as a test laboratory for new Canon digital technologies.
RR Donnelley to acquire Banta Corp.
RR Donnelley & Sons Co. (Chicago) and Banta Corp. (Menasha, WI) have signed a definitive agreement for RR Donnelley to acquire Banta. The all-cash deal is valued at approximately $1.3 billion and has been unanimously approved by the boards of both companies. The acquisition is expected to close in Q1 2007, subject to customary closing conditions including regulatory approval and approval of Banta shareholders.
Banta has annual revenues of approximately $1.5 billion and provides comprehensive printing and digital imaging solutions to leading publishers and direct marketers, including advanced digital content management and e-business services. Banta also provides a wide range of procurement management and other outsourcing capabilities to the world’s largest technology companies. With operations in the United States, Europe and Asia, Banta will enhance RR Donnelley’s geographic footprint significantly and create opportunities for additional scale in locations where RR Donnelley already is present.
Mark A. Angelson, RR Donnelley’s CEO, says, “This combination will create immediate cross-selling opportunities with our blue-chip customers as well as offer substantial synergies in our procurement, manufacturing and services operations. We are delighted to have the opportunity to better serve our customers by expanding the flexibility of our combined global manufacturing and service platforms. The addition of Banta furthers our goal of increasing long-term shareholder value and we look forward to maximizing the benefits for our customers, employees and investors.”
Gateway opens to MAN Roland cylinder maintenance
MAN Roland Inc. (Westmont, IL) press users in North America now can go directly to one of the world’s top reconditioning facilities for press cylinders—St. Louis Metallizing Co. in “Gateway to the West” St. Louis, MO. MAN Roland Inc. recently certified St. Louis Metallizing as its primary cylinder reconditioner for sheetfed and web offset presses. St. Louis Metallizing utilizes a state-of-the-art thermal spray coating process for cylinder surfacing.
Under the agreement, St. Louis Metallizing will be the only reconditioning facility with complete access to MAN Roland specifications and proprietary manufacturing information. “That means our customers can count on precision, factory tolerances and performance whenever their cylinders require reconditioning,” says Kevin Crawley, development manager for MAN Roland Inc.’s printservices. He adds, “Now our customers can send their cylinders directly to St. Louis Metallizing without the need for a service call or referral.”
Financial consulting firms merge
Print industry CPA firms H.R. Margolis and Becker & Co., P.C., have merged to form MargolisBecker. The new company will maintain the founding companies’ respective offices in Philadelphia and Washington, DC. Bart Krupnick and Joe Becker in Washington will share leadership with Stuart Margolis in Philadelphia.
“With the merger, MargolisBecker will be able to offer the most comprehensive range of financial management and consulting services available,” says Krupnick.
Ryobi to build third press plant in Japan
Ryobi Graphic Systems of Hiroshima, Japan, will begin construction on a new press manufacturing facility in January 2007. The new facility will be the third at Ryobi’s Hiroshima East central production center. Due to be operational in September 2007, it will add 99,000 sq. ft. for a total of 314,000 sq. ft. with more than double the production capacity Ryobi had in March 2006. The new plant represents a total expected investment of $27 million, according to the company.
xpedx Printing Technologies (Loveland, OH), the exclusive U.S. importer and distributor for Ryobi presses, reports this expansion will significantly increase capacity to meet growing demand for Ryobi’s two-, four- and six-up multicolor offset presses. The presses range from two to 10 colors and feature state-of-the-art print technologies including UV coating and drying, as well as convertible perfectors.
For more information, visit http://ryobi.xpedx.com.
Xerox personalizes RAMA event
Xerox (Rochester, NY) recently teamed up with the American Marketing Assn.’s Rochester, NY, chapter (RAMA) for an event where marketing author Seth Godin spoke about the realities of spreading ideas in today’s marketplace. All 500 attendees received a book with a special jacket cover, and those who registered in advance received a personalized copy of Godin’s latest bestseller, “Small is the New Big.” Printed on a Xerox iGen3 110 using Xerox FreeFlow Web Services software, each dust jacket was personalized with the recipient’s name on the front and back covers. Attendees also received personalized bookmarks and stickers.
Using the iGen3 press and FreeFlow software, the seamless personalization of the 1,500 four-color pieces was completed in just a few steps and in less than 24 hours. The process included converting the original Adobe InDesign files into PDFs, then importing the files into the FreeFlow Web Services software. A template was created with variable fields called out, then the files were merged with the supplied database, imposed and printed through the Web Services software.
Global Graphics MIS first in JDF certification
CIP4 and PIA/GATF (Sewickley, PA) have announced Global Graphics’ (Centreville, VA) Harlequin RIP is the first commercially available product to achieve JDF certification. This achievement signals that the Harlequin RIP meets CIP4’s established interoperability conformance specifications.
PIA/GATF provides testing services for the JDF Product Certification Program based on requirements established in CIP4’s Interoperability Conformance Specifications (ICS). The version of the Harlequin RIP that was successfully certified was Genesis Release 7.1R0 running on Microsoft Windows XP. The Harlequin RIP was certified to both Layout Creator to Imposition (LayCrImp) ICS as well as the Level 0 of the Base ICS, which requires support for hot folder exchange of JDF files but not JMF support.
Global Graphics’ native PDF RIP includes many prepress processes that are normally run as separate applications, such as color management, trapping and imposition. Global Graphics first introduced the JDF-Enabler for the Harlequin RIP at drupa in 2004.
Global Graphics, Oki Data team on digital
Global Graphics and Oki Data Americas (Mount Laurel, NJ) announced at Graph Expo 2006 that they will work together to develop solutions to address the low-end digital press market.
Global Graphics will combine its Harlequin RIP technology with the LED print engine technology from OKI Printing Solutions to develop an entry-level (30 to 40 ppm, <$10,000) digital press. The system will be distributed worldwide through selected Global Graphics channel partners.
Global Graphics inks deal with HP
Additionally, Global Graphics has signed a contract with HP (Palo Alto, CA) for the provision of certain printing technologies, which Global Graphics considers to be a major contract. In accordance with applicable contractual provisions, specific terms of the contract have not been disclosed.
Absolute Graphic Technologies USA debuts
Industry veterans and former Technotrans America IST Sheetfed division executives Bill Bonallo and Steve Barberi have founded Absolute Graphic Technologies USA Inc. (AGT-USA) (Chino, CA).
Bonallo says AGT-USA is positioned as a single-source solution provider with a strong emphasis on the service and support segment of the business serving OEM and end-use customers throughout the United States and Canada.
In addition to systems, AGT USA provides factory-trained technicians for nonwarranty service, support and installations on several brands of ink temperature control systems, fountain solution management and related systems, thermal drying systems and UV curing systems.
Kodak’s imposition software is JDF Certified
Kodak (Rochester, NY) Preps Imposition Software is JDF certified. The new CIP4 designation verifies that the software meets all requirements for basic interoperability.
“This is another key step toward achieving a complete JDF certified Kodak Unified Workflow solution,” says Stan Coleman, GM, Kodak Unified Workflow Solutions. “JDF plays an important role in achieving a unified workflow, allowing modularity, openness and scalability.”
CIP4 provides JDF certification only after extensive testing is completed by PIA/GATF. Certification confirms that products are interoperable with other products that conform to the same Interoperability Conformance Specification (ICS).
100 WORDS OR LESS:
How has marketing your in-house solution to others helped your business?
“Our in-house solution has opened up opportunities to help other companies solve postpress converting challenges such as waste, cost, delivery time, or simply the inability to offer variable-data products with converting challenges. It has offered us the opportunity to partner with digital press manufacturers by providing a business solution—namely, revenue-driven products that can be utilized in the sale and support of the digital print market.
“Simply put: The business solution side of print development is imperative to the success and survival of digital print providers, and we feel our product line and business solutions enhance their opportunity to grow.”
—George Fry, managing director, Convertible Brands
Lithography director George Fry’s team at Inter-State Studio (Sedalia, MO) developed a preconverting process to produce complex digital print jobs without postpress conversion (and the resulting waste). Fry spun off the operation into a new business, Convertible Brands (www.convertiblebrands.biz), providing preconverted digital stock to others in the trade. (See “The Stevie awards,” November 2006, p. 40.)
PEOPLE
Global Graphics Software (Centreville, VA) has appointed Martin Bailey as chief technology officer.
Allied Pressroom Chemistry (Hollywood, FL) has appointed Eric London as vice president of sales and marketing.
Eastman Kodak Co. (Rochester, NY) has named Karl Post to the position of senior manager, customer development, Graphic Communications Group (GCG).
Gans Ink & Supply Co. (Los Angeles) has named Keith Duchene as commercial ink division manger.
Alison Heiser has joined Banta Corp. (Menasha, WI) as vice president and chief customer officer.
Printware (St. Paul) has hired Ron Reed as national sales manager, metal CTP systems.
La Crosse Litho Supply (Pewaukee, WI) has hired Tom Woodbury as a technical consultant.
Tom Dickson has been appointed product manager, die cutting, for Sandvik Die Cutting Products (Fair Lawn, NJ), responsible for the United States and Canada.
UniGraphic (Woburn, MA) has promoted Chuck Duggan to vice president of operations.
Rich Dunklee has joined Saepio Technologies (Kansas City, MO) as product implementation director.
Padgett Printing (Dallas) has hired Joe Ballew as a database processor.
Huston Patterson (Decatur, IL) has hired Carl Mount as new client services manager for the Southeast territory.
Print Tech (Mountainside, NJ) has named Paul Morisco sales manager.
Chris Lehan has jointed Impressions Inc. (St. Paul) as prepress and CAD manager.
Chromaticity (Grand Rapids) has appointed Richard Dannenberg to serve on the company’s board of directors and lead sales efforts on the East coast.
