Print Solutions Magazine: News

Doctors Outsourcing Billing 07/01/09
The Denver Business Journal reports that more doctors are turning to outside companies to handle billing because of increasing workloads and greater difficulty in getting reimbursements from insurance companies. One billing service that was founded in 1974 reported 20 percent growth in its client base in the past year, and membership in the American Medical Billing Association has grown from 900 to 1,200 in the last three years.

Wolf Envelope FSC Certified 07/01/09
The Wolf Envelope Company, Troy, Mich., announced it has received Chain-of-Custody certifications under the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI)

Arthur Blank, American Bank Note and Keystone Become ABnote North America 07/01/09
Arthur Blank & Co., American Bank Note, and Keystone Plastics of Canada, three subsidiaries of the worldwide ABnote Group, have united under a new brand, ABnote North America. The companies provide secure printed products and related services, including plastic cards, secure documents and personalization, and warehousing and fulfillment. The companies' names will remain for an interim period and then be phased into the new brand.

Edible Postcard Wins Award 07/01/09
Advertising Age reports that Nestle's Kit Kat candy bar found a new distribution channel in Japan's competitive retail environment, earning its agency, JWT Japan, the Media Grand Prix award at the 56th Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. "JWT was struck by the Japanese translation of Kit Kat -- Kitto Katso means 'surely win' -- and the tradition of sending students good luck wishes before they take tough higher-education entrance exams. So Nestle partnered with Japan's postal service to create 'Kit Kat Mail,' a postcard-like product sold only at the post office that could be mailed to students as an edible good-luck charm." It was the first time Japanese postal authorities had partnered with a private company, "creating a new, competition-free retail channel."

Phil Taylor Retires 07/01/09
Former PSDA Board of Directors Member Phil Taylor of Taylor Business Products, North Wilkesboro, N.C., has retired. His company was acquired by Source4 four years ago when he became part of the Source4 team and orchestrated the integration of his company into Source4, which has 20 locations in 11 states.

Quebecor World Names Angelson New Chairman 06/24/09
Quebecor World has named Mark Angelson, former CEO of rival R.R. Donnelley, as its new chairman of the board as the company prepares to exit bankruptcy protection. Angelson, 57, was Donnelley CEO from 2003-07, and is credited with doubling the company's revenue and profits. He engineered the Moore-Wallace merger, served as Moore-Wallace CEO and was the "principal architect" of the merger of Moore-Wallace with R.R. Donnelley, according to his biography at MidOcean Partners, a private equity firm headquartered in New York City, where he has been chairman since 2007. Angelson will replace former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney as Quebecor's board chairman. His appointment, effective next month, comes in the wake of Donnelley's failed bid to buy Quebecor for $1.5 billion. Details In other Donnelley-related news, retailer Eddie Bauer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection recently, according to the Seattle Business Journal, and reported that it owed $856,000 to the Seattle branch of R.R. Donnelley.

Ennis Q1 Sales Down 06/24/09
In its first quarter ended May 31, Ennis Inc., Midlothian, Texas, reported a decline of 19.8 percent in net sales of $130.8 million compared to $163.2 million for the same quarter last year. Print sales for the quarter were $71.7 million, compared to $85.3 million for the same quarter last year, a decrease of 15.9 percent. Apparel sales were $59.1 million, compared to $77.9 million last year, a decrease of 24.1 percent. Overall gross profit margin decreased from 24.8 percent to 23.7 percent. Details

SICPA Announces Price Hike 06/24/09
SICPA Securink Corp., Springfield, Va., has announced a five percent price increase for
desensitizing ink 199500A effective Monday, July 20. Since the last increase in 2006, "we have continued to witness the escalation of prices for materials, energy and distribution," said Tom Jay, VP of sales and marketing, in a news release.

SR's Industramark Business Unit to Focus on Manufacturing Industry 06/17/09
Standard Register announced last week the formation of Industramark, a business unit to provide labels and technical literature to industrial manufacturers seeking to reduce the total cost of ownership of all printed production parts. Industramark provides design, sourcing and inventory management, and operates printing facilities in Dayton, Ohio and Tampa, Fla., as well as a 30,000-square-foot production and service facility in Monterrey, Mexico. The industramark.com website is under construction.

Transcontinental Announces Layoffs, Q2 Loss 06/17/09
Newspaper publisher and commercial printer Transcontinental Inc. said it will lay off another 250 workers on top of some 1,500 job cuts announced earlier this year. The Montreal-based company reported a loss of $144 million for the second quarter of FY09, as restructuring and other charges reversed a net profit of $36.9 million for the same year-ago period. Details

Carlson Craft Cuts 114 Positions 06/17/09
Carlson Craft, North Mankato, Minn., cut its work force by 114 positions last week to align the business with current economic conditions, according to the Mankato Free Press. The company is part of Taylor Corp., which has had a series of layoffs in several of its companies since last fall. "Two forces have combined that require us to realign our business. First, consumers' needs have migrated to our solutions that are more technology enabled and secondly the worldwide economic decline compels us to restructure our operation," General Manager Barb Kaus said in a prepared statement.

Harland Clarke to Close N. Y. Plant 06/17/09
Harland Clarke will close its 101-employee check printing plant in Salina, N.Y., according to the Syracuse Post-Standard. The company informed employees last week of the shutdown that will take place in November. It also will close a plant in Chicago later this year. The Salina plant was founded in 1986 by American Bank Stationery. That company was later acquired by Clarke American Corp. That company was combined with the John H. Harland Co. in 2007 to form Harland Clarke. In addition to check printing, the company provides direct marketing services, anti-fraud products and other services to banks, credit unions, thrifts and securities firms.

Strategic Print Alliance Chosen by American Solutions for Business 06/17/09
American Solutions for Business has designated Strategic Print Alliance as Patriot Level Partners for Progress, the highest level of its vendor relationships. Strategic Print Alliance, formerly UnigraphicsUSA, is a network of printers including Apex Color, Bradley Graphic Solutions, Printgraphics, Superior Business Associates, The Flesh Company, and Wright Enterprises.

Despite Signs of Recession Abating, Industry Sales Remain Down 06/10/09
NAPL, the National Association for Printing Leadership, reports in its latest business conditions survey that although there are signs the recession may finally be reaching its lowest point, the commercial printing industry continues to experience poor sales. There is "little hope for a meaningful industry rebound in 2009," NAPL says, predicting a decline in industry sales of a record 8%-12% this year. More than 90 percent of survey respondents reported declining sales last quarter ranging from 10-20 percent. On a positive note, the report said that more than twice as many respondents are "seeing some encouraging signs--no matter how minor--[more] than they did in March and reports of such positive signs have increased significantly in every geographic region."

Pitney Bowes Launches Print and Mail Software 06/10/09
Pitney Bowes, Stamford, Conn., announced P/I OfficeMail software, which allows users to create documents on an office PC and submit jobs for printing, inserting and mailing. Instead of being output on local printers and manually processed, jobs are transmitted to an in-house print-and-mail center or an off-site facility where desktop print is aggregated for production. In this way, smaller jobs leverage the benefits and capabilities of a centralized print-and-mail production environment.

NCR Relocating HQ to Georgia 06/10/09
NCR Corp. is relocating its Dayton, Ohio, corporate headquarters to Duluth, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. The move angered Ohio officials who accused the company of not giving the state a chance to compete for the headquarters. Details

Cenveo Notes Management Changes 06/10/09
Cenveo Inc. announced three management appointments last week: Mark S. Hiltwein was promoted to president of field sales and manufacturing; he had been EVP and CFO, and formerly was CFO at Moore Wallace. Kenneth P. Viret was named senior VP and CFO. Scott J. Goodwin was named corporate controller.

Appleton Coated Offers Green Storytelling 06/10/09
To represent best practices in responsible, green storytelling, Appleton Coated's "Driving Your Green Story Home" features Subaru of Indiana, a facility that became the first auto manufacturer to achieve zero landfill status. Other examples of corporate sustainability stories are included as single-sheet case studies. Visit the site to request a copy.

FormStore Adds Kodak Dimensional System 06/10/09
FormStore Incorporated, Fenton, Mo., has added a Kodak Dimensional Clear Dry Ink system to its complement of Kodak NexPress digital presses. The capability can be used on a wide range of digitally printed items to give them a raised, tactile feel and greater depth of color. Typical applications include direct mail and direct marketing pieces, book and booklet covers, posters, sales collateral, photo prints and educational materials. FormStore also will use the system for dimensional printing on its membership ID cards and DigiMagnets. Details

Kodak and Xeikon Announce Web-Based Label and Packaging Solutions 06/03/09
A new alliance between Kodak and Xeikon enables label printers to extend their web-based businesses with branded online ordering of tags, labels and other print products using Kodak software and output from Xeikon 3300 Digital Color Label Presses.

UPC Code Celebrates 35 Years 06/03/09
Packaging Digest reports that the Universal Product Code (UPC) bar code will soon celebrate its 35th birthday. One of the world's best-known symbols, the UPC code's 59 machine-readable black and white bars and 12 human-readable digits convey a product's identity and manufacturer. Originally developed to help supermarkets speed up the checkout process, the first live use of a UPC took place in a Marsh Supermarkets store in Troy, Ohio, on June 26, 1974, when a cashier scanned a pack of Wrigley's gum.

Shareholder Sues Nashua Over Cenveo Deal 06/03/09
A shareholder lawsuit has been filed against Nashua Corp., claiming the proposed sale to Cenveo Inc., is unfair to investors. Under the proposed merger, the suit states, Cenveo would pay 75 cents cash and offer $6.13 in Cenveo stock for every share of Nashua Corp. stock. The suit charges that price is "unconscionable, unfair" and "grossly inadequate," and for Nashua Corp. directors to accept it would be a breach of fiduciary duty. Details

NAPL Reports: Printers are Committed to Sustainability; Recovery Near? 06/03/09
More than 80 percent of 175 printers surveyed by NAPL are either pursuing or soon intend to pursue environmental sustainability measures, despite the troubled economy.

Printers surveyed were from throughout the U.S., with sales from $3 million to more than $40 million. The association also reported that its printing industry economic indicators show some signs of stabilizing. "For the first time since September 2007, reports of rising activity have increased and reports of declining activity have decreased," NAPL said in a news release.

Dupli-Systems Offers Digital Color 06/03/09
Dupli-Systems Inc., Strongsville, Ohio, recently installed a new digital press and now offers short-run, on-demand color digital printing for full color sell sheets, flyers, brochures, post cards, booklets, manuals, catalogs and posters at competitive prices.

Datatel Offers Cut Sheet Enhancements 06/03/09
Datatel, Monaca, Pa., announced that all standard cut sheets produced on 24# laser MOCR and 20# laser bond will be eligible for FSC or SFI certification at no additional cost. Also, all cut sheets are now printed with UV inks and curing. The custom cut sheet order quantity minimum is 25M.

Indiana Approves 50 Rx Pad Vendors 05/27/09
The Indiana Pharmacy Board has approved at least 50 additional secure prescription pad providers since it agreed last month to give vendors a second chance at approval.

In an approval announcement to Micro Format, Wheeling, Ill., the board said it will require vendors to resubmit proofs and renewal applications every two years. In the meantime, it will conduct on-site inspections and random audits of prescription security paper being used by practitioners.

Micro Format President Steve Singer said he is not concerned about the inspections but added that the board's approval standards are still out of date with modern equipment, which could lead to rejection of compliant vendors. Along with his application, Singer submitted documentation on security paper features and their limitations.

In addition to the new approvals, the board also announced the departure of Director Marty Allain, who is replaced by Phil Wickizer. Allain is now chief legal counsel for the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency.

A previous initiative to reapprove vendors sparked concern from distributors and manufacturers after 290 approved vendors were rejected, leaving only six firms to supply controlled-substance prescription pads until Aug. 1, when the board said it would again review applications.

Singer credits pressure from distributors, manufacturers and PSDA for the board's reversal and subsequent approvals. "PSDA is a vital resource to our company," he says. "Only through professional associations can a small company obtain the vast resources needed to succeed in this complex business world."

Approved Rx Pad Vendors, a/o May 22

A-1 Graphics Inc.
Allegra Print & Imaging-West
Alphagraphics
AMS Business Forms
Ancom Business Products
Automated Systems
Beacher Business Printers
Better Business Forms Inc.
Bibbero Systems Inc.
Brand Printing & Photo Litho Co Inc.
Broadway Press LLC
Case Printing Inc.
Clarity Print Services
D & E Printing Co., Inc.
DFI
Dr. Quick Print Inc., dba. DQP Printing
Elite Printing Inc
Elite Print Services
Ewing Printing Co., Inc.
Fast Print Inc.
Faulkenberg Printing Company Inc.
Fine Print
Hightower Graphics Inc.
Horoho Printing Co., Inc.
Humphrey Printing Company Inc.

Image Builders/Rowland Printing
InHealth Systems & Services
Micro Format Inc.
NPC Inc.Pearson Printing Company
Premier Print & Services Group Inc.
Print Source Consulting
Printing Place
PrintCo Inc.
Professional Business Systems
Professional Office Services Inc.
Professional Office Systems Inc.
Proforma Lakeshore Print & Promotion
ProPrint Forms LLC
Russ' Print Shop Inc.
Standard Register
Tabco Business Forms
The Copy Print Shop Inc., dba. The National Group
The Graphics Group, Inc.
The Printing Center Inc.
Triple I, Division of MediMedia USA Inc.
Wilmer
Wise
Workflow One
Worrell Corporation

New Study: Advertising During a Recession 05/27/09
Nearly half of U.S. adults believe a lack of advertising by a retail store, bank or auto dealership during a recession indicates the business must be struggling. Most view businesses that continue to advertise as competitive or committed to doing business. The study, "Advertising's Impact in a Soft Economy," says advertising may play a key role in consumers' perception of how a business is doing. By not advertising, businesses may be sending a negative message to clients and prospects.

$440 Million in Wasted Printing 05/27/09
A study by Lexmark and O'Keeffe & Company says that of the nearly $1.3 billion the federal government spends on printing every year, almost one-third--$440 million--is waste. The "2009 Government Printing Report" is based on a survey of federal employees conducted in March. Federal employees on average print 30 pages every work day, totaling 7,200 pages printed per employee, per year and 92 percent say they print more than they need. On average, federal workers discard 35 percent of the paper they print out every day. The numbers hold true across various federal agencies and across all age ranges. The report says the trouble stems from the fact that 89 percent of federal agencies don't have formal printing policies in place, 91 percent have yet to adopt automatic duplex printing, and 95 percent don't require employees to enter personal codes to print. When employees work from their home offices, they print only one-third as much paper as they do in federal buildings.

Forecast: Direct Mail Advertising Down; Email Ads Up 05/27/09
Borrell Associates, Williamsburg, Va., a research and consulting firm that tracks local ad spending across 11 forms of media including online, newspapers, direct mail, cable and radio, predicts that direct mail ad spending will plummet 39 percent over the next five years from $49.7 billion in annual ad spending in 2008 to $29.8 billion by the end of 2013. It will be replaced by email advertising, which the firm says last year became the No. 1 online ad category, when advertisers spent $12.1 billion on email marketing. The company predicts email ads will grow to $15.7 billion and remain the preferred channel among many marketers. Borrell says its track record includes a prediction eight years ago that newspaper advertising would decline steeply and permanently and a prediction last August that Yellow Pages advertising would decline 38 percent.

Appleton Announces U360 Competition 05/27/09
Appleton Coated announced its U360 competition for 2010, a call for contest entries that "embrace all-around excellence in communication, design and execution and demonstrate the power of 'Print with Purpose.'" Submissions must be printed all, or in part, on Utopia and/or Curious Collection papers, accompanied by a completed entry form, produced in 2009 and postmarked no later than Dec. 11, 2009. Winners will be featured in a book which will be distributed throughout North America, showcased on the Appleton Coated website, and featured in other marketing materials.

WebbMason Selects Strategic Print Alliance as Preferred Partner 05/27/09
The member companies of the Strategic Print Alliance have been selected as preferred partners by WebbMason Inc., Baltimore. Alliance members include Apex Color, Bradley Graphic Solutions, Printgraphics, Superior Business Associates, The Flesh Company and Wright Enterprises.

RRD Bids for Quebecor 05/20/09
RR Donnelley, Chicago, has offered $1.4 billion for rival Quebecor World Inc., Montreal, Canada, which is currently restructuring during bankruptcy protection. The transaction is not subject to any financing condition and no shareholder approval is required, RRD said in a news release. An interesting take on the proposal can be found at this blog.

Fey to Acquire Reflectix 05/20/09
Fey Industries Inc., Edgerton, Minn., has signed a letter of intent with Printmark Industries Inc. to acquire the brand and assets of Reflectix, Hazelton, Pa. Fey manufactures imprinted promotional items such as vinyl ring binders, calendars, tally books and desk and clip folders. Reflectix manufactures reflective promotional products that combine advertising impressions with walking, cycling, auto, home and pet safety.

Profile: Precision Dynamics 05/20/09
This L.A. Times story about Precision Dynamics Corp., San Fernando, Calif., traces the company's growth from making plastic hospital wristbands out of a Burbank garage more than 50 years ago to the nation's top producer of RFID wristbands for amusement parks, concerts and resorts. At Precision Dynamics, what started as a hospital ID product has become a high-tech admission pass, a cashless debit card, a hotel room key and more.

Last Chance: Take the Green Survey 05/20/09
Please take a couple minutes to complete this quick survey on the green marketplace. Survey results will be reported in Print Solutions Magazine. For every completed survey, the magazine will contribute $1 to the Nature Conservancy. Distributors, click here for the survey. Printers, click here.

Bar Code Design Ideas 05/20/09
Bar codes are utilitarian, so you should never tinker with their design. Well, maybe not. Although they're a necessary part of packaging and must be carefully printed, bar codes can incorporate packaging aesthetics. Of course, you must ensure that the bar code remains machine readable. For instance, in the photo to the right, hops are sprouting from the bar code on a bottle of Widmer Hefeweizen beer. More examples of bar codes incorporating packaging design can be found here.

Cenveo Buys Nashua; Reports Q1 Loss 05/13/09
Cenveo, Stamford, Conn., announced it will acquire Nashua Corp. for $44.4 million. Nashua was founded in 1849. With annual revenues of $265 million, the company is a leader in the label and specialty paper markets. Cenveo also reported results for Q1, which ended March 28, as follows: net sales were $412.1 million, compared to $534.3 million for the same period last year; the company saw a net loss of $4.3 million, compared to a net loss of $3.4 million, in Q1 last year. The company repaid $17.5 million to lenders.

Norwood Sells Operations 05/13/09
Norwood Promotional Products, Indianapolis, has entered into an agreement to sell Norwood to Aurora Resurgence, an affiliate of Aurora Capital Group, a private equity firm. The deal "is the culmination of the refinancing and restructuring efforts that the company has been working on since 2006," Norwood said in news release. The company's website includes a page of questions and answers about the move, including this: "Does this mean that Norwood is closing? Absolutely not. This is a voluntary transaction. This sale improves the company's balance sheet and positions it for long-term success." The news release says "The sale will be completed through a proceeding in a Chapter 11 case … with a targeted closing by the end of June." Meanwhile, the company says it will "purchase inventory and take and ship orders under normal schedules, so it is business as usual."

InnerWorkings' Revenue Up, Income Down 05/13/09
InnerWorkings Inc., Chicago, reported results for Q1 ended March 31, as follows: revenue grew eight percent to $94.3 million compared with Q1 last year, however net income was only $248,411, compared to $3.9 million in Q1 last year. The company reduced its non-sales workforce by 15 percent, which is expected to save $6 million annually.

NewPage and Unisource Announce Expanded Partnership 05/13/09
NewPage Corp., Miamisburg, Ohio, and Unisource Worldwide Inc., Norcross, Ga., announced a new agreement increasing their joint manufacturing and distribution relationship. The agreement defines expanded trading areas for Unisource and now includes all of their locations in the United States and Canada. In addition to NewPage supplying several of Unisource's private label brands, Unisource now has a national distribution footprint for NewPage commercial sheetfed brands and becomes an authorized reseller of coated web products.

MOD-PAC Reports Q1 Revenue Growth, Net Loss 05/13/09
MOD-PAC, Buffalo, N.Y., reported 22 percent growth in custom folding carton sales and overall revenue growth of 6.5 percent for its Q1 ended April 4. Revenue was $12.3 million compared to $11.6 million in Q1 last year. However, the firm reported a net loss of $533,000 compared to last year's loss of $500,000.

Consolidated Reports Loss 05/13/09
Consolidated Graphics Inc., Houston, announced record annual revenue of $1.1 billion for the year ended March 31, a 5 percent increase over last year "due to business acquisitions and election-related business…" However the company recorded a net annual loss of $39.6 million, including a pre-tax, non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $83.3 million. Net income last year was $59.3 million. Q4 revenues were $247.2 million, a 14 percent decline from the same quarter last year. The quarterly net loss was $15.9 million, compared to net income of $13.1 million last year.

This Bud's for Me--and I'll Pay for it in 120 Days 05/13/09
Ad Age reports that Belgian brewer InBev, which bought Anheuser-Busch last fall and controls nearly half of the domestic beer market, has announced it will take up to 120 days to pay its bills. The story, describing InBev management as "ruthless" and "machete-wielding investment bankers," says the Belgian government is investigating.

Update: Who's Using Social Media? 05/13/09
A new Harris poll says that:

Three-quarters of those 18-34 years old (74 percent) have a Facebook or MySpace account but only 24 percent of those 55 and older have an account;
Tweeting is slightly more prevalent among the young, but not by much; 8 percent of 18-34 year olds use Twitter, 7 percent of those 35-44 use it, and 4 percent of those 45-54 and just 1 percent of those 55 and older use it.

Ward/Kraft Offers New Short Run Program, Shipping Label/Packing List 05/13/09
Ward/Kraft Inc., Ft. Scott, Kansas, now offers short runs of blown-on or piggy-back labels. Distributors no longer need order large quantities to meet material minimums for these products. Options include static cling face stock, silver polyester and vinyl. The company also announced it is the exclusive licensed manufacturer of "duplexpackslip," a new label and packing list combination for duplex thermal printers that cuts costs, reduces packaging and shipping times and has the added benefit of being a green solution for distribution centers.

VistaPrint Reports Q3 Gains, FedEx Deal, New Service 05/06/09
VistaPrint, Hamilton, Bermuda, announced financial results for the quarter ended March 31 as follows: Revenue grew to $127.5 million, a 21 percent increase over Q3 last year; net income was $14.2 million, a 24 percent increase compared to last year. The company acquired approximately 1.5 million new customers in the quarter; repeat customers generated approximately 66 percent of total quarterly bookings, compared with 64 percent a year ago; average daily order volume in Q3 exceeded 44,000, about 33 percent more than a year ago; average order value, including revenue from shipping and processing was $31.06, a 5 percent decrease compared to a year ago. Website sessions were 65.8 million, a 38 percent increase over last year. DETAILS

The company also announced a strategic alliance with FedEx Office under which customers can design, order and print stationery and marketing materials online at fedexoffice.com or at any of the 1,600 FedEx Office Print & Ship Centers in the United States. The printed products can be shipped to any location FedEx serves or picked up at any FedEx Office Print & Ship Center. DETAILS

VistaPrint also announced the launch of a new email marketing service. Customers can use online design tools to create, deploy and track personalized email campaigns. Pricing starts at $5 monthly for the ability to send to an email list of up to 50 contacts six times per month. DETAILS

Appleton Reports Q1 Sales Down 05/06/09
Appleton, Appleton, Wis., reported net sales of $212.5 million for the first quarter ended April 5, a decrease of 5.4 percent compared to the previous quarter and a decrease of 10.2 percent compared to Q1 last year. The decrease was largely due to weak economic conditions worldwide, the company said, noting a quarter-to-quarter rebound in operating income: Q1 operating income was $7.4 million compared to a loss of $32.5 million in the previous quarter and operating income of $10.3 million in the same quarter last year. DETAILS

ASI Sales Down in Q1 05/06/09
The Advertising Specialty Institute, Trevose, Pa., reported Q1 sales were down 17.6 percent, a decline of $700 million compared to Q1 last year. Fewer than 24 percent of distributors reported an increase in sales in the quarter, while only two quarters earlier 40 percent reported increases. DETAILS

Workflow Amends Credit Agreement, Closes New Berlin Facility 05/06/09
Workflow Management Inc., Dayton, Ohio, has amended its credit agreements to provide enhanced liquidity and financial flexibility and to provide second lien lenders warrants to acquire a minority equity interest in the company. Workflow's lead equity sponsor, Perseus LLC, will also make a further equity investment in the company. Also, the Milwaukee Business Journal reported that the company has told Wisconsin officials that it will close its facility in New Berlin this year, resulting in the loss of 34 jobs. DETAILS.

Wacky Warning Labels 05/06/09
From Packaging Digest: A toilet seat that attaches to a trailer hitch has gained recognition for a warning label that says not to use it while the vehicle is moving. "The Original Off-Road Commode," a product presumably designed for hunters, won this year's "Wacky Warning Labels" contest, now in its 12th year. The seat is not designed to lock onto a trailer hitch, but company officials added the warning label after learning that at least one consumer had modified the product and was driving around with it on the back of his vehicle.

Chatco Pilgrim Relocates 05/06/09
Pilgrim Plastics, Brockton, Mass., has moved production from its Chatco Pilgrim division in Chatham, N.Y., to Pilgrim's main facility in Brockton, Mass. Sales and manufacturing functions will now be done exclusively in Brockton. Pilgrim, in its 96th year of operation, is a founding member of the Promotional Products Association International and the exclusive marketer of several copyrighted plastic promotional items including the Hispanic American History, the African American History Ruler, Pregnancy Calculator and the new "Socket Pocket" cell phone and PDA holder.

Wise Maine FSC Certified 05/06/09
Wise's Portland, Maine, facility has earned Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody (COC) certification for its business forms, commercial printing and document services groups. FSC is an international nonprofit organization devoted to encouraging the responsible management of the world's forests.

Wisco Envelope Certified by SFI and FSC 05/06/09
Wisco Envelope, Tullahoma, Tenn., has been certified to sell SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) and FSC Chain of Custody Certified envelopes and stationery. The company will provide SFI and FSC certified paper at no additional cost if the paper is in stock.

Sales and Profits Down at Ennis 04/29/09
Ennis Inc. reported a decline of 4.4 percent in annual revenue and an annual earnings loss of $32.8 million, "primarily due to a goodwill and trademark impairment charge of $67.9 million relating to our apparel division." Print sales for the year were $327 million, compared to $345 million last year, a decrease of 5.2 percent. Annual apparel sales decreased from $265.6 million last year to $257 million for this fiscal year, which ended Feb. 28, a decrease of 3.2 percent. For the quarter ending Feb. 28, net sales decreased 21.5 percent to $117.3 million from $149.5 million in Q4 last year. Print sales for the quarter were $73.8 million, compared to $87.6 million last year, a decrease of 15.8 percent. Apparel sales for the quarter were $43.6 million, compared to $61.9 million for the same quarter last year, a decrease of 29.6%.

Standard Register Reports Revenue Decline in Q1 04/29/09
Standard Register, Dayton, Ohio, reported a 15.7 percent decline in revenue for the quarter ended March 29. Revenue was $174.6 million, compared with $207.2 million last year. Gross margin remained at 31 percent, the same as last year, thanks to cost cutting. Net income was a loss of $11 million compared with income of $2.5 million last year, "primarily due to considerable pension settlement charges representing $19.7 million on a pre-tax basis," the company said in a news release.

CE Printed Products Buys Rainbow Envelope 04/29/09
CE Printed Products Inc., Carol Stream, Ill., has purchased Rainbow Envelope Company, a Chicago-based envelope supplier specializing in high-end, quick turn manufacturing. CE will incorporate the Rainbow Envelope business into its Carol Stream, headquarters. "This acquisition will solidify our position in the market as one of the top envelope providers to the trade," said Robert Ohr, CE Printed Products president. Katie Nolan, Rainbow's production manager, has joined CE's sales team.

Deluxe Revenues, Income Down in Q1 04/29/09
Deluxe, St. Paul, Minn., reported a 10 percent decline in revenue of $339.5 in Q1, compared with $377.1 last year, and a 54 percent drop in net income to $12.5 million compared with $27.3 million last year, which the company attributed to "asset impairment charges of $24.9 million related to the write-down of goodwill and a trade name within Small Business Services, as well as restructuring-related costs of $2.4 million."

UPS Q1 Numbers Down 04/29/09
UPS, Atlanta, announced Q1 revenue was down 13.7 percent at $10.9 billion.
Quarterly profits were $401 million, down 55.7 percent compared to last year. The company said the continuing deterioration in global economic activity resulted in decreased revenue and profitability across all business segments. DETAILS

Looking for Economic Upticks? 04/29/09
Packaging Digest reports that a spike in orders early this month at Packaging Corp. of America, while "hardly an economic bellwether," may be "among the early signs that the recession is easing." Maybe a 15 percent order surge for boxes means consumer demand is starting to edge up.

Marketing Tip: VDP Birthday Cards 04/29/09
PSDA's Source Listserv this week included a discussion about a service for end users to create birthday cards to send to their clients and vendors. Ed Brandt, of Brandt Affixing Inc., Carrollton, Texas, mentioned a hugely successful solution described by a conference speaker whose client was a local politician who wanted to send birthday cards to constituents. He took a digital picture of the politician holding a large birthday cake with chocolate frosting. Then he used a special font to write the words "Happy Birthday (constituent's first name)" in white frosting.

Roger D. Buck, CDC, of Emerging Solutions Now, Frontenac, Kan., said "Image font software is used to create unique fonts. Companies like Direct Smile offer this. Though it does raise the cost of the card, the impact and response rates are very good."

Linda Bova of Primadata Inc., Green Bay, Wis., said her company offers distributors a cross media birthday campaign.

Randy Jann, SELECT SOURCE, Austin, Texas, added that Sound Line, Randolph, N.J., (ASI 88241) offers a VDP birthday card program.

Domtar Achieves FSC Certification at Four Mills 04/29/09
Domtar Corp., Montreal, has achieved Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain-of-Custody certification at four more of its paper mills. Its coated groundwood mill in Columbus, Miss., and uncoated freesheet mills in Hawesville, Ky., Kingsport, Tenn., and Marlboro (Bennettsville), S.C. are now FSC-certified. Domtar is FSC-certified at more than 40 sites, including 11 paper mills, three pulp mills and 14 off-site converting operations, the company said in a news release.

Ward/Kraft Wins Award 04/29/09
For the second consecutive year, Ward/Kraft Inc., Ft. Scott, Kan., has been selected for the 2009 Best of Fort Scott Award in the Labels category by the U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA), whose "Best of Local Business" award program recognizes local businesses for exceptional marketing success. Winners are determined based on information gathered by the USLBA and from data provided by third parties. USLBA, a Washington D.C.-based organization funded by local businesses, promotes local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

Attitude Survey: Generation Gaps on Sustainability 04/22/09
Packaging Digest reported this week on a web-based research study of different generations' attitudes about environmentalism and sustainability as they relate to packaging. Generational groups were organized as follows:

	Age range	% of U.S. population
Millenials	17-25 years	32%
GenXers	26-40 years	20%
Boomers	41-55 years	28%
Matures	56+ years	20%

Some of the survey results:

All ages regard recycling as the key component of good environmental practices: "My job is to recycle; yours [manufacturer] is to make the packaging recyclable."
Most Millennials will recycle when it's convenient (56.8 percent). But most GenXers (69.6 percent), Boomers (67.6 percent) and Matures (89.7 percent) say they always recycle.
Most believe that packaging has a major impact on the environment. Some 61.7 percent of the Millennials indicated that it has somewhat of an impact while 56.5 percent of the GenXers said it has a big impact, 58.8 percent of the Boomers indicated it has a big impact and 75.9 percent of the Matures said it has a big impact.
All four groups believe they can have a significant impact on the environment, and they seek data on the environmental impact of a product and its packaging on which to base purchasing decisions. "The entire group sees a company, its brands, products and packaging as one and the same," the report said. "This validates the sustainability approach adopted by the green front-runners: Sustainability is not a trend. It's a cultural keystone and a key attribute that must permeate the organization."

RFID Market Forecast 04/22/09
IDTechEx announced a 268-page report, "RFID Forecasts, Players & Opportunities 2009-2019," which addresses areas of growth, supply and other global trends. Some of the report's findings:

Total value of the global RFID market will be $5.56 billion, up from $5.25 billion in 2008. This includes tags, readers and software/services for RFID cards, labels and all other form factors. About $3 billion will be spent on RFID cards and associated services. Market growth is due to government-led RFID schemes, such as national IDs, transportation and military tagging.
The tagging of apparel is in roll-out phase with 200 million RFID labels expected to be used for apparel globally in 2009. The tagging of animals such as pigs and sheep (105 million tags expected in 2009) is growing as it becomes a legal requirement in more jurisdictions. Transportation should account for 350 million RFID tickets sold worldwide in 2009 for city transit operations.
The tagging of pallets and cases remains a failure, with only 225 million passive UHF tags predicted to be used in 2009, a fraction of the 35 billion tags that one consumer goods company predicted (in 2003) that it would buy in 2009. Reasons for this include technical failures (poor read rates from high moisture content and metal products), lack of infrastructure and lack of mutual benefits among retailers and the rest of the supply chain.
In total, 2.35 billion tags are predicted to be sold in 2009 versus 1.97 billion in 2008; 1.74 billion in 2006 and 1.02 billion in 2005.
Average price was $1.13 per tag. With the launch of printed RFID later this year for transit ticketing and other applications, and the increased use of RFID labels rather than cards, that average will fall to $0.22 in 2014.
More RFID manufacturing capacity was installed in East Asia over the last 12 months. China now has substantial manufacturing capacity. Many companies in the West have formed alliances or joint ventures with companies in the East.

Study: Photo Print Quality of Digital Presses 04/22/09
SpencerLab Digital Color Laboratory, Melville, N.Y., a consulting and testing organization, released a free white paper summarizing the results of a study comparing photo image print quality for the photo book market. The study, commissioned by Xerox, covered print output from several digital presses as well as conventional photo processing. Conventional photo processing (silver halide, or AgX) was "the benchmark to beat via the Fujifilm Frontier 570," the report said, noting that "the 4-color Xerox iGen4 emerged as overall best, barely edging out the 6-color HP Indigo Press 5500 in a weighted average analysis.... While overall ratings were somewhat lower, the test prints from both the 4-color Kodak NexPress S3000 and the HP Indigo 7000 would still be acceptable for the current photo book market."

Yet Another Study: Trust in Business Has Declined 04/22/09
Public relations agency Edelman's annual "Trust Barometer" study, a survey of 4,000 individuals in 20 countries, says B-to-B companies "need to be transparent with their business practices and relationships in order to be credible," according to a BtoB Online story. The survey measured attitudes about business, government, the media and nongovernmental organizations. In the U.S., trust in all four institutions has decreased since last year, with trust in business declining from 59% to 36%. "B-to-B companies have to become more comfortable sharing their business practices with the rest of the world," an Edelman spokesman said. Honest, frequent communication with customers is one of the most important factors in creating a company's reputation. "They have to put their relationships and information online for broader consumption." Edelman emphasized the credibility of multichannel communications for B-to-B companies—online is becoming an important channel for building trust and credibility. It's important to participate in business-focused social networks and to increase face-to-face communication.

DataSource Buys FRI Resources 04/15/09
DataSource Inc., Kansas City, Mo., announced today that it has purchased FRI Resources, St. Louis.

"Joining DataSource is a win-win for our customers, our employees and the company's founders," said George Crump, CEO of FRI Resources and vice president of the PSDA Board of Directors. "Our sales executives and staff are very supportive of this deal. They were especially excited about the enterprise solutions, new technology and cost reduction tools they will be able to bring to our customers."

DataSource is a large print supply chain management company whose clients include Lee Jeans, Americo and Blue Cross/Blue Shield, plus national restaurant chains, franchises, commercial banks and auto dealers. Data Source manages more than 18,000 SKUs for customers in 85,000 locations worldwide.

FRI Resources is a large distributorship offering a wide range of services including commercial printing and promotional products, custom documents, warehousing and fulfillment. Among FRI's national clients are American Express, US Soccer Federation and Dent Wizard. FRI Resources will operate under the name DataSource Inc., effective immediately.

Consumers Want Proof It's Green 04/15/09
Almost a quarter of U.S. consumers say they have "no way of knowing" if a product is green and they actively seek information to verify green claims, according to a new report. The report says:

28 percent of consumers will look at certification seals or labels on products.
51 percent say they are willing to pay more for green products (but 66 percent say price is very important in purchasing decisions).
67 percent agree that "even in tough economic times, it is important to purchase products with social and environmental benefits."
55 percent tell others to shop for products based on a company's social and environmental practices.
48 percent tell others to drop products based on a company's social and environmental practices.

Green benefits have increased in importance since last year, says the report:
Energy efficiency (47 percent said it was very important in 2008, 41 percent in 2007)
Made from recycled materials (29 percent said it was important in 2008, 22 percent in 2007)
USDA organic (22 percent said it was important in 2008, 17 percent in 2007)

Invitation: Newtown Open House 04/15/09
Newtown, Fredericksburg, Va., invites all print distributors, mail shops and trade printers to attend Newtown's Appreciation Day, May 6, 10 a.m.- 2 pm.

The day will include plant tours and educational sessions on integrated label/card solutions, digital printing and a special sales strategy workshop, "Selling in Tough Times," led by sales consultant Linda Bishop. Lunch begins at noon and there's a door prize--a 32-inch flat screen TV. (You must be present to win!) RSVP to (800) 336-2110 by April 17. For details, contact Gwynne Brown, sales and marketing manager.

Salar Teams with SR to Provide Hospitals Electronic Records 04/08/09
Salar Inc., Baltimore, an electronic clinical document solutions provider, announced last week that it has aligned with Standard Register, Dayton, Ohio, to offer solutions to hospitals seeking to transition from paper to electronic documentation. Under the agreement, Salar's TeamNotes Embedded will be offered to SR clients, which include 62 percent of U.S. hospitals. TeamNotes Embedded is designed to integrate electronic clinical forms into other existing applications. Capable of creating and deploying everything from basic consent forms to advanced clinical notes, TeamNotes Embedded is easily customized to address specific document needs.

NewPage Taking Downtime in Q2 04/08/09
NewPage Corp., Miamisburg, Ohio, announced last week it will take 150,000 tons of downtime on paper machines at various mills in the second quarter of this year because of the recession. NewPage, one of the largest coated paper producers in North America, owns mills in Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Nova Scotia, Canada, with total annual production capacity of 4.4 million tons of paper.

Appleton Reports Q4 and 2008 Results 04/08/09
Appleton, Appleton, Wis., last week reported a net loss of $97 million for 2008, compared to a net loss of $6 million in 2007, primarily due to noncash accounting charges against earnings. Net sales for Q4 were $223 million, a 7% decline compared to the same quarter in 2007. Mark Richards, Appleton's chairman, president and CEO, said that Appleton has responded to the challenges of 2008 with a series of cost reduction measures including personnel reductions and employee furloughs, production curtailments, temporary shutdowns and productive negotiations with suppliers to more effectively manage costs. "We expect first quarter 2009 results to benefit from our aggressive cost reduction efforts, lower input costs and the excellent performance of our new thermal paper operations at West Carrollton," Richards said. MORE

e-LYNXX Hires Weinzierl 04/08/09
Buster Weinzierl, CDC, former president of Belknap Business Forms in Mayville, N.Y., and a former vice president of PSDA, has been named business development officer at e-LYNXX Corporation, a print and procurement management firm in Chambersburg, Pa. He will be responsible for matching clients with the services of American Print Management, the e-LYNXX division specializing in printing cost reduction services. He also will identify organizations to work with the e-LYNXX division that licenses the company's patented procurement services.

Strategic Print Alliance Elects Adkison 04/08/09
The Strategic Print Alliance, six independent printers that combine their efforts to help distributors sell to national accounts, has elected Dan Adkison, president and COO of Wright Enterprises, Portland, Ore., to a two-year term as the group's president. Adkison is a print industry veteran with 26 years of experience in sales, sales management and general management. Bob Berardino, president and COO of The Flesh Co., St. Louis., will serve as vice president. In addition to Wright Enterprises and The Flesh Company, the organization includes Apex Color, Jacksonville, Fla.; Bradley Graphic Solutions, Bensalem, Pa.; PrintGraphics, Vandalia, Ohio and Superior Business Associates, Greeneville, Tenn.

EMA Offers E-commerce Sites 04/08/09
EMA-Specialty Envelopes & More, Austell, Ga., has launched a free e-commerce website solution distributors can offer their clients. The ecommerce sites feature EMA's catalog of products and pre-designed templates clients can use to order letterhead, envelopes or business cards.

Ward/Kraft Offers Camera Verification 04/08/09
Ward/Kraft's Forms Division, Ft. Scott, Kan., announced online camera verification to verify barcodes on chain of custody forms. "We made this investment to ensure all barcodes are verified and will pass the ANSI standards for barcode readability," said Phil Quick, general manager of the Ward/Kraft Forms Division, in a news release. "Every barcode on every form can be verified for accuracy. We now have the capability to read and verify multiple barcodes in multiple positions on the chain of custody forms."

Paper Companies Could Benefit from Highway Bill 04/01/09
The Washington Post reported last week that big paper companies could get hundreds of millions of dollars in cash payments from the Treasury this year by taking advantage of an alternative fuels tax credit in the 2005 highway bill. MORE

Green Packaging Sales Rising 04/01/09
Converting Magazine reports that U.S. demand for green packaging using recycled content, biodegradable and reusable materials is projected to increase 3.4 percent annually from $37 billion now to $44 billion in 2013.

Highlights: GPO Annual Report 04/01/09
The Government Printing Office, the printer for the federal government, recently issued its annual report with the following highlights:

GPO is making significant investments in digital production.
The continued production of security and intelligent documents, such as e-Passports and smartcards, and the development of new security documents such as Federal identification cards, will be vital to GPO's success.
GPO expects reductions in printing and duplicating for government agencies and a decline in printed products sold to the public. "An upward trend in government electronic documents available on the internet, and a downward trend in customer demand for printed documents will continue to place downward pressure on sales," the report said.

Survey: Electronic Medical Records 04/01/09
The New England Journal of Medicine last week reported on its survey of acute care hospitals on the prevalence of adoption of electronic health records as follows:

Only 1.5 percent of U.S. hospitals have a comprehensive electronic-records system (i.e., present in all clinical units), and an additional 7.6 percent have a basic system (i.e., present in at least one clinical unit). Computerized provider-order entry for medications has been implemented in only 17 percent of hospitals.
Respondents cited capital requirements and high maintenance costs as the primary barriers to implementation, although hospitals with electronic-records systems were less likely to cite these barriers than hospitals without such systems.

The survey concluded that "very low levels of adoption of electronic health records in U.S. hospitals suggest that policymakers face substantial obstacles to the achievement of health care performance goals that depend on health information technology."

Money Woes: USPS Wants Five-Day Week 04/01/09
The Postal Service will run out of money this year unless it gets help, Postmaster General John Potter told Congress last week as he sought permission to cut delivery to five days a week. "We are facing losses of historic proportion. Our situation is critical," Potter said. The agency lost $2.8 billion last year and is looking at much larger losses this year. Reducing mail delivery from six days to five days a week could save $3.5 billion annually, Potter said. MORE

RFID Use By Apparel Retailers Gains Momentum 04/01/09
RFID Journal reports broader adoption of RFID by clothing retailers and more sharing of the benefits achieved with the technology. The University of Arkansas recently studied inventory accuracy of apparel stores in the U.S. and found that it is correct only 65 percent of the time. That means retailers are losing sales because customers cannot find goods on the shelf. Often an item is in the back of the store but not replenished on the shelf. With RFID, inventory accuracy on the sales floor can be increased to 98 percent by using handheld interrogators or fixed shelf readers, according to the article.

RFID Tag Data Security Guidelines Published 04/01/09
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has published implementation guidelines for providing RFID tag data security. The document provides solutions that prevent unauthorized or inadvertent access to data on an RFID tag and in an RFID system. MORE

Ward/Kraft Adds Second Indigo and Wide Format Photo Printing 04/01/09
Ward/Kraft's Commercial/ShortRun Division, Ft. Scott, Kan., has installed a second Indigo 3050 digital press to enable faster turnaround on pURL campaigns and other variable data printed projects. The faster, higher quality, wider format Indigo 3050 has a 12" x 18" sheet size that enables distributors to offer their customers full bleed 11" x 17" artwork at 812 dpi in quantities up to 2000. Ward/Kraft's Creative Technology Center (CTC) Division announced 60" photo quality, short run printing capabilities. The new 60" wide format provides photo quality output using vibrant UV inks that remain colorfast for up to 3 years of sunlight exposure. Virtually any substrate up to 2" thick can be printed, including gator board, foam core, metal and wood. The available paper options run the gamut from popular matte and gloss stocks to fine art papers. Minimum quantity is just one piece. Applications include point-of purchase items, translucent light box signage, custom wall paper, trade show displays and floor graphics.

P&G Pulls Plug on RFID Project; Data Wasted by Stores? 03/25/09
RFID Journal reported last month that Procter & Gamble sent an email to contract manufacturers that said, in part: "P&G has made the decision to end the EPC [electronic product code] Display Tagging project at Wal-Mart, effective immediately." Mark Roberti, editor of the journal, said the implication of Procter & Gamble's move was that Wal-Mart was not acting on the data. The tags were being used in promotional displays for Procter & Gamble's products. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette investigated and filed this story.

Paper Index Bellwether of the Economy? 03/25/09
Does a small basket of paper company stocks foretell where the economy is headed? The Dow Jones U.S. Paper Index, if you believe the readings of such tea leaves, suggests that despite recent stock market rallies, we have not seen a bottom yet in the recession. The key is demand for cardboard boxes and packaging. MORE

Consolidated Graphics Reduces Expectations 03/25/09
Consolidated Graphics Inc., Houston, last week revised expectations for its fourth quarter ending March 31, saying sales would be down 20-25 percent for the quarter. Previously management expected a sales decline of 12-18 percent. "We are presently experiencing the worst overall business environment in commercial printing since the company was founded in 1985," said Joe R. Davis, chairman and CEO, in a news release. "We are also facing unprecedented pressure on margins due to the decline in demand and an extremely competitive marketplace." Consolidated, a commercial printer, operates 70 companies in 27 states.

FedEx Q2 Earnings Down 03/25/09
Logistics Management reported last week that the recession is having a significant impact on freight and parcel delivery, as evidenced by an announcement from FedEx, Memphis, that its Q2 earnings are down 75 percent: $97 million compared to last year's $393 million. The company plans to reduce fiscal 2010 expenditures by $1 billion.

Value Added: Reinvention in a Downturn 03/25/09
This $12 million Northern Virginia printer, profiled in the Washington Post, has prospered thanks to its evolution from a traditional commercial printer to a tech-savvy marketing consultancy. Founded in 1978, the company was named Global Printing. Today it's named Global Thinking.

BR Creative Printing Inc. Celebrates 30th Anniversary 03/25/09
BR Creative Printing Inc., a Philadelphia area printing company, is celebrating its 30th anniversary. The company offers total printing solutions from concept and design to the finished piece, and specializes in business cards, stationery, post cards, mailers, brochures, forms, product sheets, price lists, full color catalogs, directories, brochures and newsletters.

Thermochromic Ink Speeds Beer Consumption 03/25/09
Imagine a bottle of beer with a 1950s-style pin-up on the label whose red bikini disappears as the bottle is emptied and the label warms up. A new brew--Skinny Blonde--has hit the Australian low-carb beer market with a splash. MORE

Plastag to Close 03/18/09
The Daily Herald in suburban Chicago reported last week that Plastag Corp., a 76-year-old maker of plastic gift cards, casino cards, prepaid phone cards and driver's licenses, will close operations in Elk Grove Village by late April and eliminate 121 positions. A spokeswoman for parent company Premier Card Solutions said manufacturing would be moved to the company's Roseville, Minn., plant.

Indigo Halting Production for a Month 03/18/09
Haaretz.com reports that Indigo, HP's digital printing division, is halting production of its new digital printing presses for a month because sales have slumped and inventories have been building up. Indigo has three plants in Israel with 600-700 employees. About half work in production, and the rest in development, administration and management.

Cenveo Announces Losses 03/18/09
Cenveo Inc. this week announced results for the fourth quarter and full year ended Jan. 3, 2009. For the quarter, net sales were $517.2 million compared to $584.4 million in the same period last year. The quarterly net loss was $309.6 million, compared to net income of $18.8 million last year, including non-cash goodwill impairment charges of $372.8 million resulting from reductions in the fair value of reporting units. For the year ended Jan. 3, net sales increased 2.5% to $2.1 billion, compared to $2.0 billion last year, and the company recorded a net loss of $298 million, compared to net income of $40.8 million last year.

Landmark Wins Award 03/18/09
The Landmark Image Inc. recently won an award for Outstanding Media Coverage of Public Education, sponsored by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA). The award honors organizations that publish the truth about the virtues and value of public education. Landmark was selected to represent Region 4 of ACSA, including Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Marin, Mendocino and Lake Counties. Winners of the state award will be announced in November. "The Landmark Image has done a wonderful job of improving internal communications with our own staff and a masterful job of communicating the good of our district to the public," said John Aycock, Vacaville Unified School District Superintendant.

Distributor Growth Partners Builds New E-commerce Site 03/18/09
Distributor Growth Partners, a Wellington, Ohio, marketing and design firm for distributors and trade printers, has partnered with OneSource.CC Inc., Minnetonka, Minn., a marketing and printing firm, to build a website featuring a new design, e-commerce capability, content management, a marketing engine that generates and validates discounts and promotions on the fly, and personalization tools allowing photo book creation.

Western States Debuts Online Ordering 03/18/09
Western States Envelope & Label, Butler, Wis., has launched a new online stock ordering site allowing clients to order products, check order status or browse the selection of stock envelope products available for immediate shipment. Customers who use the internet to place stock orders will automatically get an acknowledgement and a shipping verification emailed to them. Click on the online ordering link on the home page to get started.

Business Stationery Launches New Website 03/18/09
Business Stationery, Cleveland, recently launched a new company website that more clearly reflects the company's products and services, including the new Kodak NexPress 2100 5-color digital press and new online ordering options. There's a new education page where visitors can download narrated educational seminars about selling stationery programs, stationery production and the basics of printing.

Maine Printing Co./MPX Certified by SFI 03/18/09
Maine Printing Company/MPX, Portland, Maine, has achieved certification to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) chain of custody standard. This is in addition to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification it received last year. "At MPX, we have a strong commitment to the environment, and so do our customers," said Bob Willis, a former member of the PSDA Board of Directors and president and CEO of MPX. "Chain of custody certification means we will be able to serve the increasing market demand for environmentally friendly products, which is good for our business and good for our forests."

Wal-Mart to Sell Digital Health Records System 03/11/09
The New York Times reports that the company plans to team its Sam's Club division with Dell for computers and eClinicalWorks, a fast-growing private company, for software. Wal-Mart says its package deal of hardware, software, installation, maintenance and training will make the technology more accessible and affordable, undercutting rival health information technology suppliers by as much as half. MORE

New Strategy for Salesforce.com 03/11/09
Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff announced recently that his San Francisco-based on-demand software business had more than $1 billion in revenue in 2008. The company had 3,566 employees at the end of 2008 and is now hiring for a wide range of positions. Salesforce's success reflects the growth of cloud computing, which analysts expect will see huge growth during the recession as companies seek new cost savings that software-as-a-service can provide. Benioff says his 10-year-old company is on to something--hosted custom software for companies that on a pay-as-needed basis can build and host online applications that integrate with Salesforce.com's web-based software for sales, marketing and customer service. "It's not just about sales anymore," Benioff says. Read the full story from the San Francisco Business Times.

Recession Hurts Printing Industry, But It Could Be Worse 03/11/09
While the printing industry has been hit hard by the economic downturn, other industries have fared worse, according to NAPL research. Based on U.S. Census data, printing was one of 10 major manufacturing groups in which shipments fell in 2008, NAPL said in a news release. However, printing's 3.9% decline ranked eighth. Seven other industries recorded steeper declines, with textile products (-12.3%) and transportation equipment (-10.3%) topping the list

McKinsey Survey Says: Economy Bad, But Not Getting Worse 03/11/09
A McKinsey & Company global survey of 1,800 business executives indicates that economies around the globe are viewed as bad now, but not expected to get much worse. The survey said in part:

"Three-quarters of all respondents, and more than 90 percent of those in the Eurozone, expect their nations' GDP to fall in 2009. This is an increase from November, when 59 percent of all respondents expected GDP to fall. Given that opinion, it's not surprising that executives indicate that their nations' economies are bad and that they have low expectations for the near term. Notably, however, those views have remained fairly stable between December and January, after falling markedly between November and December (Exhibit 1). This may indicate a belief that the economy has hit bottom and that even tens of thousands of layoffs and continued steep losses in shareholder value aren't worsening the situation. Some 40 percent of respondents expect an upturn to begin by the end of this year."

Small Firms Optimistic in Recession 03/11/09
A recent MarketWatch story says small companies are suffering as much as larger ones in the global financial crisis but some small-firm owners say they're ramping up sales even as they're forced to rethink how they do business. Despite some recent gloomy statistics about businesses with five or fewer employees--54 percent said they see business conditions worsening and 42 percent said they had temporary cash flow problems in the past 90 days--many small firms are optimistic based on their ability to change sales and marketing messages and internal policies quickly. MORE

Small Businesses Find a New Source for Funding 03/11/09
The Wall Street Journal reports that small-business owners are turning to credit unions, instead of banks, for loans. Most credit unions didn't get in on the subprime-loan market, so they're not smarting from multibillion-dollar losses like many banks. Many also have extra cash because deposits increased in 2008 as more investors abandoned the stock market and sought greater certainty in savings accounts. MORE

Envision Installs New Press 03/11/09
Envision Label Inc., Lewisville, Texas, recently installed an eight-color UV flexographic press, which features auto registration and enables Envision to print flexible packaging, screen printing and foil printing. Gary Dunlap, Envision president, said the company also invested in three pieces of finishing equipment to produce shrink sleeves, which enables distributors to provide 360-degree package coverage. For details, call (972) 829-8060.

Colortree Launches New Website 03/04/09
Envelope specialty firm Colortree, Richmond, Va., has launched www.colortree.com. Designed to make the print buyer's job easier, the website offers expertise in envelope design and purchasing through Colortree's new online quotation system. Customers now have the ability to upload files to Colortree production and have access to sales tools and resources for production, including envelope templates, window specifications and how-to articles. Colortree specializes in sheetfed four-color, die-cut and fold envelopes with no minimum order quantity.

How to Make Electronic Medical Records a Reality 03/04/09
This New York Times story explains that the Obama administration hopes to jump-start a market in electronic health records. In its economic recovery package, the Obama administration plans to spend $19 billion to accelerate the use of computerized medical records in doctors' offices. Medical experts agree that electronic patient records, when used wisely, can help curb costs and improve care.

R.R. Donnelley to Close Plant 03/04/09
The Chicago Tribune reported this week that RRD will permanently close its Hillside, Ill., commercial printing plant, which employs 118. The closure is in response to the "unprecedented economic times" that continue to take a toll on Donnelley's financial results, the paper said.

Free eBook on Common Paper Myths 03/04/09
Misinformation about paper abounds, says Sabine Lenz of PaperSpecs, a database about paper. To dispel some of the falsehoods, she offers a free download of her ebook, "Top Five Paper Myths Exposed." To get the download, you must register with your first name and an email address to "receive weekly paper tips."

SR Reports Increased Net for Q4 and 2008 02/25/09
Standard Register, Dayton, Ohio, reported Q4 income of $800,000, compared with a loss of $4 million last year. Revenue for the quarter was $196 million, down 10 percent from last year. For the year, net income was $6.8 million, versus a net loss last year of $7.3 million. Revenue was $791.1 million, down 8.6 percent from the $865.4 million reported in 2007. Management attributed most of the decrease to weakness in the economy. The manufacturing cost reduction program undertaken in mid-2007 enabled the company to report a modest improvement in the percentage gross margin for the year, despite lower revenues. Details

RRD Reports Q4 and Full Year Loss 02/25/09
RR Donnelley, Chicago, reported a Q4 net loss from continuing operations of $686.9 million on net sales of $2.8 billion compared with a net loss of $292.9 million on net sales of $3.1 billion in the fourth quarter of 2007. Details

InnerWorkings' Q4 Revenues Up 02/25/09
InnerWorkings Inc., Chicago, reported Q4 revenue of $104.5 million, a 16 percent increase over the same quarter in 2007. Annual revenue increased 45 percent to $419 million. "Unprecedented print and promotional budget cutbacks, combined with an additional $2.3 million of bad debt expense," resulted in operating income of $800,000; Q4 net income was $300,000, the company said.

Transcontinental to Cut 1,500 North American Jobs 02/25/09
Commercial printer and newspaper publisher Transcontinental Inc., Montreal, announced it is cutting 1,500 jobs, 10 percent of its North American workforce, and reducing costs because of the recession. The company said it has frozen hiring and will introduce unpaid leave, reduced work weeks and other cost-cutting measures. Senior managers will take two weeks of unpaid leave, but will work throughout the period. The cost-cutting measures are expected to save the company about $75 million a year, including $50 million in 2009. About half the cuts are in the U.S., with 40 percent in Canada and 10 percent in Mexico. Transcontinental, the largest printer in Canada and second-largest newspaper publisher, with 170 papers, including 12 dailies and 90 weeklies reaching two million readers, has more than 3,000 employees and annual revenues of $580 million.

Prodigital Launches Auto-Pilot for Distributors 02/25/09
Prodigital Printing, Edison, N.J., a trade-only IT services provider, digital/offset printer, lettershop and fulfillment center, offers free webinars covering web-to-print and personalized URLs (pURLs). The company's Self-Promo Auto-Pilot Program gives distributors access to a series of unbranded webinars that they can invite their end-user clients and prospects to attend. The program also incorporates a data management tool along with automatic monthly email and traditional mail. Contact Bill Doehler at 800-525-0775 Ext. 312 for details.

Small Businesses' Online Disconnect 02/18/09
While 63 percent of small business owners turn first to the internet for information about local companies and 82 percent use search engines to do so, only 44 percent of small businesses have a website and half spend less than 10 percent of their marketing budgets online, according to a recent survey by Webvisible and Nielsen.

If your services include search engine optimization or website design, there may be sales opportunities among the small businesses in your region.

The research found an accelerating trend toward online media for local search, with 92% of searchers saying they are happy with the results they get when using search engines, though 39 percent report frequently not being able to locate a particular known business. This may mean that searchers may choose to contact a similar business with a stronger online presence.

Though less than half of small businesses do have a website, the ones that do are not happy overall with their online marketing. Among those small businesses that have a website:

51 percent believe both the quality and ability of their site to acquire new customers is "fair" or "poor"
78 percent believe they advertise in the same places as their competitors
only 7 percent of small business owners say their primary marketing goal is to get more visitors to their website
61 spend fewer than three hours a week marketing their website
only 9 percent are satisfied with their online marketing efforts

Team Concept Gets FSC Certification 02/18/09
Team Concept Printing & Thermography has earned Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain-of-Custody Certification (COC). The certification assures print buyers that they have purchased paper with contents from well-managed forests, controlled sources, recycled wood or fiber and/or 100% post consumer recycled material. Team Concept also offers vegetable- or soy-based inks.

Ennis Leipsic Earns FSC Certification 02/18/09
Ennis Inc., Midlothian, Texas, announced that its Leipsic, Ohio long run forms manufacturing facility recently received Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain-of-Custody (COC) certification, the third Ennis facility to do so. Admore, Macomb, Mich., and Adams McClure, Denver, are the other plants holding FSC COC Certification.

Data Management Wins Award 02/18/09
Data Management Inc.'s One Day Visitor Pass sign-in system has been named one of District Administration magazine's Readers' Choice Top 100 Products for 2008. The award is based on a poll conducted by the magazine, which asked readers to rate their favorite products from its online product directory. The pass was featured in a recent cover story in the magazine, a monthly publication for decision-makers in K-12 school systems. The passes are available in wire-bound books of 400-500 two-part adhesive badges. Data Management Inc. is located in Farmington, Conn.

Are You More Optimistic? 02/18/09
Small businesses are feeling a little more optimistic than they were a few months ago--or at least they were in January, when the survey of 776 small business leaders was conducted by City Business Journals. In November, only 37 percent expected their business prospects to get a lot or a little better. In January, 63 percent expected conditions to get a lot or a little better. Still, just 27 percent expect to hire new employees when the economy recovers, while 39 percent expect to pay down credit lines and 34 percent intend to increase their capital reserves. Forty-seven percent said they were very concerned about the long-term survival of their companies, up from 41 percent in November. Seventy percent say they're very concerned about the economy. That topped all other concerns, with the cost of health care coming in second at 66 percent. On average, small business executives expect it will take 2.4 years for the economy to turn around, and 63 percent expect the economy to regain its former strength.

VistaPrint Sued by Customers 02/11/09
Internet printer VistaPrint, Hamilton, Bermuda, has been sued in U.S. Federal District Courts in Texas, New Jersey, Alabama and Massachusetts for questionable credit card billing practices, according to the company's filings with the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission. VistaPrint's Aug. 29, 2008 10-Q filing with the SEC says the suits allege "that certain of our customers were, without their knowledge or consent, enrolled in and billed for membership discount programs offered by third party merchants on our vistaprint.com website; and our reputation, revenues and results of operations could be adversely affected if we or the third party merchants are unable to successfully resolve these lawsuits or similar claims that may be brought in the future.

"During each of the last three fiscal years, we generated a portion of our revenue from order referral fees, revenue share and other fees paid to us by third party merchants for customer click-throughs, distribution of third-party promotional materials, and referrals arising from products and services of the third party merchants we offer to our customers on our website, which we collectively refer to as referral fees. Some of these third party referral-based offers are for memberships in discount programs or similar promotions made to customers who have purchased products from us, in which we receive a payment from the third party merchants for every customer that accepts the promotion. Certain of these third party membership discount programs have been the subject of consumer complaints, litigation, and regulatory actions alleging that the enrollment and billing practices involved in the programs violate various consumer protection laws or are otherwise deceptive..."

"...For example, various state attorneys general have brought similar consumer fraud lawsuits against certain of the third party merchants asserting that they have not adequately disclosed the terms of their offers and have not obtained proper approval from consumers before debiting the consumers' bank account or billing the consumers' credit card. We have in the past from time to time received complaints from our customers regarding certain of the membership discount programs offered on our websites."

Postage Rising in May 02/11/09
The U.S. Postal Service announced price hikes this week, including a two-cent rise in first-class stamps to 44 cents effective May 11. Forever Stamps will be sold for the current 42-cent rate until the increase takes effect. Forever Stamps remain valid in the future regardless of rate hikes. The increases are tied to the rate of inflation in the prior year. Although the new 44-cent rate covers the first ounce of first-class mail, the price for each additional ounce will remain unchanged at 17-cents.
Other changes that take effect May 11:
• Postcard stamps increases one cent to 27 cents.
• The first ounce of a large envelope increases 5 cents to 88 cents.
• The first ounce of a parcel increases 5 cents to $1.22.
• New international postcard and letter prices are, for one ounce, 75 cents to Canada; 79 cents to Mexico; and 98 cents elsewhere.

Most Consumers Still Buying Green Despite the Economy 02/11/09
Four out of five people say they are still buying green products and services even in the midst of a recession, according to a survey commissioned by Green Seal and EnviroMedia Social Marketing. Half of the 1,000 people surveyed say they are buying just as many green products now as before the economic downturn; 19 percent say they are buying more green products, and 14 percent say they are buying fewer environmentally sensitive products. MORE

Kansas Auto Dealers Endorse Reynolds Sales Contract 02/11/09
Reynolds and Reynolds, Dayton, Ohio, announced last week that the Kansas Automobile Dealers Association has endorsed Reynolds' LAW 533 Universal Retail Sale Contract for auto dealerships. The company said the contract is the most widely used document in auto finance. Reynolds produces versions of the contract specific to each state and in various languages.

Admore Adds New Press 02/11/09
Ennis Inc. announced that Admore, Macomb, Mich., recently installed a new manroland ROLAND 500, a five-color, 23" x 29" sheet-fed press. The company said the new press can complete up to 40 jobs per day. Admore specializes in presentation folders and packaging products.

Domtar Reports Q4 Loss 02/11/09
Domtar Corp. last week reported a net loss of $676 million for Q4 of 2008 compared to net earnings of $43 million for Q3 2008 and a net loss of $26 million for Q4 of 2007. The company also announced it will permanently reduce fine paper manufacturing at its Plymouth, N.C., mill by immediately shutting down one of the two paper machines in the mill's fine paper production unit. This will result in the curtailment of the mill's uncoated free sheet production capacity by 293,000 short tons. MORE

Consolidated Graphics Reports Record Revenue 02/11/09
Consolidated Graphics Inc., Houston, last week reported record revenue of $316 million for its third quarter ended Dec. 31, 2008, due to prior year acquisitions and strong election-related printing. For the nine months ended Dec 31, revenue was $898 million, up 11 percent from the same time period in 2007. MORE

Pilgrim Plastics Buys Chatco 02/04/09
Pilgrim Plastics, Brockton, Mass., announced last week that it bought the assets of Chatco, a Chatham, N.Y., manufacturer of molded plastic products such as golf bag ties, custom tags and name badges. Pilgrim President Mark Abrams said in a news release that "this is the first in a list of complementary product lines that Pilgrim intends to pursue."

IP Earnings Plunged in '08 02/04/09
International Paper, Memphis, last week reported preliminary 2008 net earnings of $57 million, compared with $1.2 billion in 2007. In the fourth quarter of 2008, the company reported a net loss of $452 million, compared with earnings of $327 million in Q4 last year. MORE

MWV Earnings Decline 02/04/09
MeadWestvaco Corp., Richmond, Va., this week reported lower operating results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2008. Q4 sales were $1.6 billion, 7 percent lower than last year's quarterly figure; annual sales were $6.64 billion, four percent higher than last year.
Annual income was $80 million, compared with $266 million last year. MORE

Purchasing Expands Its Role in Outsourcing 02/04/09
As companies seek to reduce costs, outsourcing is getting a closer look from purchasing departments. Purchasing.com recently interviewed Robert E. Kennedy, author of a new book on outsourcing entitled The Services Shift, about this trend. MORE

Paris Introduces New Branding 02/04/09
Paris Business Products, Westampton, N.J., recently launched new product names, logos and packaging on its Printworks Professional and DocuGard product lines, in addition to refreshing its corporate logo and creating a new sustainability logo, Elementree. MORE

Adults' Social Networking Growing 02/04/09
The number of adult internet users who have a profile on an online social network site has quadrupled in the past four years, from 8% in 2005 to 35% now, according to a recent survey from Pew. Younger online adults are much more likely than their older counterparts to use social networks, with 75% of adults 18-24 using these networks, compared to just 7% of adults 65 and older. Overall, personal use of social networks seems to be more prevalent than professional use. Most adults, like teens, use online social networks to connect with people they already know.

Cheers! Web-to-Print Case Study 02/04/09
Printweek.com reports from the UK that Carlsberg beer has teamed up with Gecko, a print management company, to provide pub landlords with templates to create and order personalized direct mail and printed items to help public houses market themselves better. Carlsberg also provides a database of consumers that publicans can target.
The move comes as figures from the British Beer and Pub Association suggest pub closures have risen by 40% in 2008.

VistaPrint Q2 Revenue Up 01/28/09
Internet printer VistaPrint reported yesterday that second quarter revenues of $139 million rose 32 percent over the same period last year. Net income was $18.5 million, a 66 percent increase over last year. The company acquired more than a million new customers, and daily order volume exceeded 43,000, compared to 30,000 daily orders in the same period last year. Average order value declined 5 percent to $33.57 from $35.50 in the same quarter a year ago. MORE

InnerWorkings Announces Cost-Cutting 01/28/09
InnerWorkings Inc., Chicago, announced last week a non-sales workforce reduction of 15 percent, which is expected to save $6 million annually. The company expects 2008 annual revenue to be in the $415-420 million range, down from previous estimates of $435-450 million.

Graphic Dimensions Acquires Giraffix Assets 01/28/09
Graphic Dimensions Inc., Atlanta, has purchased some of the assets of Giraffix, formerly Giraffe Business Forms of Louisville, Ky., including all order information, composition files, artwork, order specs and order dockets. The assets have been transferred to Graphic Dimensions' facility in Cincinnati.

Survey: Print Buyers Prefer Digital Over Offset 01/28/09
A new survey by Gartner Inc. indicates that digital printing overwhelmingly ranks higher than offset lithography for better image quality and better value for money. The survey of 443 production print managers in the U.S., England, France and Germany was conducted to better understand the printing and mailing requirements of production print buyers. The 21-page report sells for $1,295.

Respondents believed that toner devices provide the best image quality and the best value for money; respondents preferred toner printing over offset printing by a significant margin. While the gap is smaller, liquid-ink printing is still preferred over offset and while inkjet is also preferred over offset, the difference is marginal, meaning the two are basically on par according to survey respondents.

Most in-house production printing work is done in monochrome, while outsource providers' volumes are split 50-50 between color and monochrome. However, the surveyed showed that color printing is not expected to grow in 2009.

Digital copiers and multifunction products (MFPs) were the dominant technology with 52 percent and 48 percent running those types of equipment, respectively. Digital presses and printers were close behind with 44 percent of organizations using and offset presses were significantly less at 27 percent

SR Names Joseph P. Morgan Jr. President and CEO 01/28/09
Standard Register, Dayton, Ohio, announced last week the appointment of Joseph P. Morgan Jr., 49, as president and CEO. He also was elected to the board of directors. He had been acting CEO since September and COO prior to that. Previously Morgan held the role of managing Standard Register's On Demand Solutions Group, in addition to having served as chief technology officer since 2003.

Line Length Matters in Email Promos 01/28/09
Shorter subject lines perform better than longer ones, according to a new study on the importance of subject lines in email promotions, but the relationship between subject line length and response is weaker than previously thought. Shorter subject lines correlate with higher open rates and click rates, but subject line word order, word choice and brand awareness are also critical success factors. Another consideration is that email domains often limit subject line length. AOL, for example, limits subject lines to 38 characters. This report may interest your clients who use email marketing.

Email as Transpromo 01/28/09
According to a recent report, 60 percent of marketers who included offers or ads in their transactional emails reported increased sales. In addition, about half reported increased brand recognition and company satisfaction when such messages were delivered. Some tips:

Go for the soft sell. Transactional emails are one-to-one personalized communications. Customers open them because they are relevant and expected. Don't minimize the transactional information by maximizing your sales pitch.
Use plain text instead of HTML, which has a connotation of spam.
Make sure your "From" field is a valid email address. You should also include customer service telephone number as well as a number people can call for additional purchases.

Ward/Kraft Receives Honors 01/28/09
Ward/Kraft, Fort Scott, Kan., recently won several awards in the 34th International Gallery competition sponsored by the Graphic Professionals Resource Network. There were hundreds of entries from around the world. Ward/Kraft collected six awards in several categories, including continuous and non-continuous business forms, club promotions and direct mail-envelopes.

From the Annals of Packaging History... 01/28/09
Last week was the 50th anniversary of the seamless, recyclable, aluminum beer can. The celebration was led by MillerCoors because the first such can was used at the Coors Golden brewery on Jan. 22, 1959. Prior to that time, beer was either bottled or packaged in tin containers that not only gave beer an aftertaste, but also resulted in an environmental waste issue. Aluminum allowed the company to deliver fresher-tasting beer without needing pasteurization and was 100 percent recyclable.
Monday was National Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day, a celebration led by Sealed Air Corp., creators and makers of Bubble Wrap brand cushioning, which the company said has been "used and enjoyed by people of all ages around the world for nearly 50 years."

Another Use for Inkjet 01/28/09
At the CES Show earlier this month, Mattel introduced the Barbie Digital Nail Printer, which uses thermal inkjet technology to print images on fingernails. The printer, to be released next fall, takes about 15 seconds for each nail.

MeadWestvaco Announces Cost Cutting Moves 01/21/09
MeadWestvaco announced last week it would close or restructure up to 14 plants and implement other overhead reduction plans to save $125 million during 2009. About 2,000 positions, 10 percent of the global workforce, will be eliminated, and there will be no 2009 pay increases for salaried employees. These and other strategic initiatives should result in "run-rate pre-tax savings of $250-300 million by mid-2010", the company said.

RRD to Close Iowa Plant 01/21/09
Associated Press reported last week that RR Donnelley will close by March 13 its printing plant in Spencer, Iowa. Chicago-based RRD bought the Spencer plant, which employed 160, from Perry Judd's two years ago.

New PSDA Region 6 Director 01/21/09
Steve Kelsey, managing partner for Printhink Solutions, Richmond, British Columbia, is the new director for PSDA Region 6 (Northwest U.S. and Western Canada). The other Region 6 Director is Gordon Klepec of Wright Business Group, Portland, Ore.

Bar Coding and Labeling Drive Packaging Machinery Growth 01/21/09
World demand for packaging machinery is forecast to grow 5.2 percent annually through 2012 to almost $40 billion, with China surpassing Western Europe and the U.S. to become the largest market in the world, according to Modern Materials Handling magazine. Labeling and coding equipment will record the fastest gains of any packaging machinery type through 2012, driven by rising consumption of label-intensive nondurable goods, a growing need for shippers to accurately track items for safety and security reasons, and an expanding number of labeling regulations. MORE

Will Trans Meet Promo in 2009? 01/21/09
From the Digital Nirvana blog: "InfoTrends surveyed consumers, transaction document owners, direct marketers, and print service providers about the use of direct mail, transaction documents, e-Presentment and TransPromo. Below are some intriguing results from the study:

Consumer respondents spend an average of two to three minutes each reviewing statements; 20% of consumers spend five minutes or more.
Consumer respondents still prefer to receive bills via the mail; 44% of respondents prefer mail with an additional 18% preferring to receive transaction documents via mail and Internet.
68% of direct marketer respondents who include promotional messages in transactional documents are printing at least some of those messages directly on the statement.
54.4% of document owner respondents produce less than 100,000 bills or statements per month. MORE

Sage Offers Mobile Research 01/21/09
Sage, Carrollton, Texas, has announced product searching, supplier catalogs and more on-line capabilities for anyone with a web-enabled mobile phone. The new service, SAGE Mobile, operates on the iPhone, BlackBerry devices, Windows Mobile devices and others, and is available for a monthly subscription fee of $5.

Reminder: USPS Rate Changes 01/14/09
On Jan. 18 rates will change for Express Mail, Priority Mail, Parcel Select, Parcel Return Service, Global Express Guaranteed, Express Mail International, Priority Mail International and M-Bags. MORE

Quad/Graphics Cuts Production 01/14/09
Quad/Graphics, Sussex, Wis., announced last week it will reduce production capacity to match softening demand. The company, the nation’s third largest commercial printer, will eliminate 550 jobs in five states, about 5.6 percent of its domestic work force, and shut down equipment at nine plants.

RRD Buys Chilean Printer 01/14/09
R.R. Donnelley, Chicago, announced recently it acquired PROSA, a web printer in Santiago, Chile, for $23.5 million. RRD has spent nearly $2 billion on acquisitions in the past two years. MORE

Sign of the Times 01/14/09
The Albany, N.Y., Business Journal reports that sales of small businesses are down in its region. The median asking price for small businesses in the region during the fourth quarter of 2008 was $495,000, a 5.7 percent decline from the same period a year ago. The businesses for sale had a median revenue of $453,000, down 2.4 percent. The data is based on 70 businesses listed for sale during the fourth quarter of 2008. There were 58 businesses for sale in the fourth quarter of 2007. MORE

Avery Dennison Investigated for Bribery 01/14/09
The Los Angeles Times reports that Avery Dennison is under federal investigation after it said it might have violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits U.S. companies from bribing foreign officials. The story details the difficulties encountered by large corporations seeking multi-billion-dollar contracts from China, where bribery and corruption often seem part of the business culture. MORE

PODi's 2009 Best Practices Award Winners Announced 01/07/09
PODi, the Digital Printing Initiative headquartered in Rochester, N.Y., last week announced the 2009 winners of its Best Practices Awards, which recognize outstanding digital print and variable data solutions.

The winner in the Collateral Management category was General Motors of Canada Limited (GMCL), which built an enterprise-wide customer communication tool that allows 675 dealers to design and order customized sales and marketing collateral online. GM Dealer Direct, the web-to-print solution created by CM2 Solutions Inc., Toronto, enables dealers to create targeted direct mail campaigns, easily track results and plan future efforts. PODi said that 95 percent of GM dealers in Canada now use the system and that 8,000 campaigns have been produced since the launch last March. It has saved dealers and the corporation money and time, and has improved the quality and frequency of dealership marketing efforts.

The winner in the Direct Marketing category was the Maine Office of Tourism (MOT).
As part of an effort to improve the effectiveness of its marketing, MOT tested the use of customized digital printing versus a standard static one-size-fits-all approach. The VDP campaign featured custom travel guides based on the interests of people responding to questions on the Maine website. The customized mailing was run against a static mailing and the results were tracked. Personalization resulted in a 24 percent increase in response, which translated into a 23 percent increase in revenue generated from tourism.

The winner in the Self-Promotion category was Hansaprint, a leading print service company based in Finland. Hansaprint used a new product, Magazine 2.0, with targeted advertisements and articles to guide readers to a customized landing page containing content, advertisements, services and questionnaires that fit each reader's profile. The self-promotional magazine increased promotional seminar attendance and doubled the number of customers requesting picture personalization.

The winner in the TransPromo category was ING Australia, one of Australia's leading fund managers and life insurers. ING used a carefully structured side-by-side test to prove that customized color mailers (4.8 percent response rate) outperformed the usual black and white communications (0.6 percent response rate). ING employed strategic segmentation and personalization to increase funds under management by A$22,564,000 - a result directly attributable to this campaign.

Working with the GPO 01/07/09
The federal Government Printing Office awards $400 million annually in print jobs to about 400 printers who are the “active bidders” among the 10,000 printers registered to bid on GPO work. This article, written by a firm that helps active bidders, provides insight on the process.

Proforma Opened 13 New Offices in December 01/07/09
Proforma, Cleveland, announced this week 13 new owners who recently joined its network of more than 650 franchisees:

Christopher Bosworth, Proforma Printelligence, Nashville, Tenn.
Mickey Ha, Proforma One Marketing Solutions, Valencia, Calif.
Mitch Tendler, Proforma Pacific View Printing and Promotions, Chatsworth, Calif.
Ken Law, Proforma Advanced Print Solutions, Columbiana, Ohio
Pam Feingold, Proforma On Target Marketing, Overland Park, Kan.
Mark Binder, Proforma Bliss Branding Solutions, Schaumburg, Ill.
Larry Pritchard and Jim King, Proforma Premium Print and Promo, Indianapolis
David Powell, Proforma Promolink, Annapolis Junction, Md.
Charlene and Randy Stanaway, Proforma John Henry Printing, Yorktown, Va.
Ed Metoyer, Proforma Metoyer & Associates, South Elgin, Ill.
Toresa Bardell, Proforma Jaguar Advertising, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Dick Sandell, Proforma Combined Business Services, Fenton, Mich.
Maher Wareh, Proforma Hotwired Marketing, Corona, Calif.

Price Shopping Tool for Internet Print Buyers 01/07/09
PrintingChoice is a price search tool, similar to Travelocity, for comparing prices for uncomplicated print jobs such as business cards or brochures, based on quantity and turnaround time. After you enter job specs, a search is compiled and reported. Among the 10 internet printers polled for pricing are Printingforless, Vistaprint and 48hourprint.

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