NEBS to Buy Safeguard Business Systems
Dallas-based distributorship network Safeguard Business Systems agreed to be acquired by Groton, Mass.-based New England Business Service Inc. for $72.5 million in cash. Safeguard will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of NEBS.
"Like NEBS, Safeguard has a long history of providing products and services to small business customers," said Mike Magill, president and CEO of Safeguard. "Together, our companies will now serve more than 3 million small-business customers who will benefit from our combined expertise."
Safeguard's products are sold and delivered through a network of approximately 360 distributorships. The company employs approximately 850 people, primarily in Dallas, Atlanta, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. NEBS is a leading business-to-business direct marketing company with 2.6 million active small business customers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and France.
Paris Business Products, IBM Ink Deal
Burlington, N.J.-based manufacturer Paris Business Products signed a licensing agreement with White Plains, N.Y.-based information technologies firm IBM Corp. to produce and market laser cut sheets and computer paper under the IBM brand in the Eastern region.
In addition, Paris Business Products won the 2002 Vendor Award of Excellence from Minneapolis-based discount-merchandise firm Target Corp. The award recognizes companies for superior business practices and dedication to the Target brand.
Paris Business Products offers a wide range of products, including laser cut sheets, continuous computer paper, health care forms, security checks and papers, and custom forms and papers.
ISO Issues International Safety Standard
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has issued the first international safety standard for printing press systems. The standard ("ISO 12648:2003 Graphic technology-Safety requirements for printing press systems") can be used by equipment designers to minimize the number of special designs manufacturers must provide to meet safety requirements of international markets.
An ISO technical committee developed the standard. The committee included executives at NPES The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies, as well as experts in Brazil, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
SPF Joins UnigraphicsUSA
Specialized Printed Forms (SPF), Caledonia, N.Y., joined UnigraphicsUSA, a strategic alliance of forms manufacturers. Founded in 1951, SPF supplies mailers, pocketed forms, rotary-produced booklets, blown-on cards and labels, customized forms management, fraud and counterfeit deterrents, and wire binding, among other products.
UnigraphicsUSA includes nine plants nationwide with combined annual revenues of more than $115 million.
Ennis Reports Sales Increase
DeSoto, Texas-based manufacturer Ennis Business Forms Inc. reported increased sales and operating results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ended Feb. 28. The firm's net sales were $67.2 million, compared with $58.9 million for the same period last year. The company's net earnings for the quarter rose 22 percent to $4.45 million. For the 12 months ended Feb. 28, Ennis' net sales were $240.8 million, a 1.6 percent increase over last year.
Sales Slip at SR
Dayton, Ohio-based manufacturer Standard Register (SR) reported net sales of $236 million for its first quarter ended March 30, down 10.5 percent compared with the same period last year. The company cited continuing weak economic conditions and residual effects of its restructuring in 2001 for the sales decline.
Proforma Info Pros Acquires Accounts
Proforma Info Pros, a printing, promotional products and e-commerce solutions distributorship in Galveston, Texas, acquired the accounts of Proforma Ace Plus Marketing, Pearland, Texas.
"We are able to create a more fully integrated organization with additional products and service capabilities for our clients," including more than 70 new customers in the manufacturing industry, said Kathleen Brennan, CDC, owner of Proforma Info Pros.
Proforma is a network of nearly 600 independent distributorships in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico.
