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Consolidated Graphics Reports Q3 Profit
Consolidated Graphics Inc. said its third-quarter profit increased 18 percent, helped by cost control efforts. The company’s earnings rose to $19.4 million, compared with $16.4 million in the prior-year period. Revenue for the quarter improved to $289.5 million, up 7 percent from a year earlier. In December, the company completed the acquisition of The Cyril-Scott Co., a printing company based in Lancaster, Ohio.

Ikon to Cut 350 Jobs, Q1 Profits Fall
Ikon Office Solutions Inc. will eliminate 350 jobs and cut management bonuses because of disappointing results in its fiscal 2008 first quarter and to accelerate its cost-cutting efforts, according to a Philadelphia Business Journal story. The company didn’t say where the jobs will be cut. Ikon reported earnings of $15 million in the quarter ended Dec. 31, down 44 percent from $27 million in fiscal 2007 first quarter. Ikon’s revenue in its fiscal 2008 first quarter was $998 million, down slightly from $1 billion in the prior-year period. Ikon also is creating a new operating unit for the United States. The company now has three operating units—Ikon U.S., Ikon Canada and Ikon Europe.

Images to Data to Offer Printing, Scanning Services to American Red Cross
Images To Data said it’s been selected by the American Red Cross to provide printing, scanning and verification services related to the REDS-II donor study. Under a multi-year agreement, Images To Data will design and print the automated REDS-II survey to be completed by blood donors at several participating collection centers throughout the country. Donor surveys will be processed and the data will be validated utilizing specific business rules and custom error-checking software developed by Images To Data.

Deluxe Q4 Profit Declines
Deluxe Corp. said its fourth-quarter profit fell 15 percent because the year-ago period benefited from a lower tax rate and a terminated contract, according to an Associated Press story. Its earnings declined to $40.2 million, compared with $47.5 million in the previous year. Revenue for the quarter was $414 million, down 3 percent a year ago.

Avery Dennison Reports Q4 Loss
Avery Dennison Corp. said its fourth-quarter profit slid 24 percent on restructuring charges and costs related to its Paxar Corp. acquisition. For the period ended Dec. 29, earnings fell to $79.4 million, compared with $104.7 million in the prior year. Avery Dennison purchased label-maker Paxar in June for $1.3 billion.

WorkflowOne’s Charlotte Facility Earns ISO Certifications
WorkflowOne said its Charlotte, N.C., plant has become the company’s second manufacturing facility to earn both the ISO 9001:2000 and ISO/TS 16949:2002 quality management process certifications. The Charlotte plant produces a wide range of printed products, including short run digital to long run jumbo rolls, pressure sensitive labels, continuous and cut sheet forms and offset sheetfed printing.

Four Vertis Direct Mail Facilities Get FSC Certification
Vertis Communications said that its North Brunswick, N.J.; Monroe Township, N.J.; Chalfont, Pa.; and Bristol, Pa., direct mail facilities have received the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) chain-of-custody certification. The facilities will adhere to the requirements defined by SmartWood, a program of the Rainforest Alliance, and the world’s first global timber certification program, in order to maintain FSC certification.

Domtar’s Cougar Goes Green
Domtar announced that its Cougar uncoated printing paper is FSC-certified. Cougar paper is already SFI-certified and is made up of 10 percent post-consumer fiber content. It’s ideal for finishing techniques such as embossing, foil-stamping and die-cutting, the company said.

Standard Register to Provide Prescription Pads to Miss. Medical Association
The Mississippi State Medical Association (MSMA) reached an agreement with Standard Register to make available to its members tamper-resistant prescription pads that meet both federal and state security prescription requirements. Under the terms of the agreement, MSMA members will receive a discount on their prescription pads and paper from the Dayton-based company. Standard Register’s ScripPlus prescription pads combine heat-sensitive inks, micro-printing and unique background patterns, artificial watermarks, chemical-sensitive coatings, warning bands and consecutive numbers.

Quebecor World Gets U.S. Approval for $750M Loan
Quebecor World, the embattled commercial printer that filed for creditor protection in January, has staved off immediate financial disaster after clearing a hurdle to getting its hands on a $750 million cash infusion, according to a Reuters story. The company, which filed for protection both in Canada and the United States, said that it had obtained the U.S. court approval needed for it to borrow the money from Credit Suisse and Morgan Stanley. The U.S. authorization clears the way for the company to get the first part of a total of $1 billion in new financing from the two financial institutions. It obtained the approval of a Canadian court for the loan earlier in the week. “The proceeds of the financing will be used to fund its operations as the company reorganizes under the protection of the courts,” the company said.

HP to Acquire Exstream Software, Targets VDP Market
HP signed an agreement to acquire Exstream Software LLC, a privately-held provider of enterprise software that streamlines the creation and delivery of personalized documents and other communications materials. With this acquisition, HP will be a player in the rapidly expanding VDP market. Exstream Software will be integrated into the Web Services and Software business unit within HP’s Imaging and Printing Group.

IPG Acquires Wright Business Forms
IPG Inc., Elgin, Ill., said it recently acquired Wright Business Forms Inc., Broadview, Ill. IPG offers a variety of products and services, including business forms, direct mail, commercial print, cut sheets, e-commerce, and warehousing and fulfillment. Wright Business Forms manufactures high-quality business forms. It expanded its product line in 1998, adding an envelope converting division.

NewPage to Cut 660 Jobs in Stora Enso Deal
NewPage Corp. announced plant closings in Ohio, Wisconsin and Maine, eliminating about 660 jobs as it integrates the North American operations of Finland-based Stora Enso that it bought for $2.1 billion last September. NewPage acquired eight factories in the deal. Most of the cuts will be in Wisconsin, where NewPage will shut down a pulp mill and paper machines in Niagara and Kimberly, eliminating about 440 jobs. Newpage also will close an operation in Chillicothe, Ohio, that employs about 160 workers and shut down a paper machine in Rumford, Maine, that has 60 workers.

R.R. Donnelley Signs $200M Deal With European Directories S.A.
R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co. was awarded a new multi-year agreement to produce nearly 350 telephone directory titles annually for distribution by European Directories S.A., which is among Europe’s top five directory companies. The agreement is valued at approximately $200 million. Serving approximately 700,000 customers, European Directories is a geographically diversified group with strong positions in several European markets.

Appleton to Explore Sale of BemroseBooth
Appleton will explore options to sell BemroseBooth, a wholly owned subsidiary that Appleton acquired in December 2003. BemroseBooth provides products with security features and specialized print management services to the transactional services, secure logistics and promotional products markets. It employs more than 600 people in the United Kingdom, and reported net sales of approximately $113 million in fiscal 2006, accounting for approximately 10 percent of Appleton’s net sales in fiscal 2006. Appleton CEO Mark Richards, a member of the PSDA Board of Directors, said that Appleton intends to focus on its core businesses and will explore the sale of BemroseBooth because it no longer complements Appleton’s long-term strategic direction.

Staples to Provide Office Products at Democratic National Convention
Staples Inc. will be the office products provider for the Democratic National Convention (DNC) Aug. 25-28 in Denver, according to a Jan. 9 story in the Denver Business Journal. The Denver 2008 Host Committee has asked Staples to provide environmentally friendly office supplies, furniture and equipment for the DNC, which is expected to bring 35,000 people to Denver.

InnerWorkings Signs 3-Year Contract With Newell Rubbermaid
InnerWorkings Inc. announced an enterprise print procurement and management agreement with Newell Rubbermaid Inc. As part of the three-year agreement, Newell employees will use InnerWorkings’ PPM4 technology for print procurement and management. InnerWorkings began handling the print procurement and management for Newell-Rubbermaid’s Sanford division in 2004.

OfficeMax Opens Several New Stores
OfficeMax opened several new stores across the country. These include two stores in Minnesota, three in California and one store each in Howell, Mich., Las Vegas and Virginia Beach, Va. OfficeMax introduced a new multi-purpose store layout. Customers can download and print documents at OfficeMax ImPress, which provides high-tech digital printing and copying, binding, finishing and laminating.

After Adobe, FedEx Enables Shipping Through Microsoft Outlook
FedEx Corp. will now provide users of Microsoft Office Outlook the ability to connect directly to FedEx shipping services. The application, FedEx QuickShip, is an add-in that utilizes web services to provide fast and easy access to FedEx shipping functions. After the QuickShip installation, Outlook users will be able to generate labels, track packages, check rates, schedule pickups and find FedEx drop-off locations while still inside their Outlook 2003 or 2007 email application. Users right-click on an existing contact and choose “ship” from the menu. Shipments are then stored in a task view allowing users to conveniently recall and sort previous shipments.

Last year, FedEx Kinko’s and Adobe announced a collaboration that allowed users of Adobe Reader 8.1 and Adobe Acrobat (8.1) to access Print Online, a web-based print management tool from FedEx Kinko’s, to digitally send documents to FedEx Kinko’s Office and Print Centers for printing. Many printing companies and associations, including PSDA, raised concerns over the development. Adobe has been largely viewed as a neutral company that has vastly improved workflows within the industry. But after it’s collaboration with FedEx Kinko’s, Adobe was seen as funneling print business to FedEx Kinko’s.

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