Printing World articles from March 2005

Printing World archives from March 2005

Walmesley retirement on ice while he handles Leeds role.(Mike Walmesley of Polestar)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Mike Walmesley, the Polestar main board director who retired last week, is to stay on in temporary charge of the Leeds operation. Mr Walmesley received a celebratory send off in London on reaching his 63rd birthday, coinciding with a plan...

Battle to keep Caerphilly alive hots up.(St Ives Caerphilly in discussions with its workforce)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... The fight to save St Ives Caerphilly intensified this week as union leader Tony Burke prepared to address the plant's workforce. Mr Burke joined local representative Martin Hodges of Amicus GPMS South Wales & Shires branch at a meeting with...

Local firms lose out.(Adare Carwin awarded contract by city council)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Printers in Peterborough have criticised the city council for awarding a #1.5m three-year contract to Hampshire print management firm Adare Carwin. Local firms say they will lose out although the council said officers will have the final say...

Norcros laid to rest.(Norcros Ltd winds up businesses)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... The name of Norcros Packaging was laid to rest this week when Norcros Ltd applied to voluntarily wind up a number of dormant operating businesses. Norcros sold its packaging business to Bunzl In 1996 and two years later let the Norprint labels...

IIR appointment.(Gordon Kirk, new event manager of IIR Exhibitions)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... IIR Exhibitions has appointed Gordon Kirk event manager for Northprint 2005 next month. Mr Kirk was promoted from sales manager and has spent eight years in the advertising and exhibitions industry. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Archant headquarters blessed.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Archant London's new headquarters was the unlikely setting for a gathering of the faiths last week. Ilford priest Father Jeffrey Woolnough blessed the new building as a symbol of the area's regeneration. The ceremony began with readings and...

Charterhouse contract.(Cattle)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Two large direct mail campaigns per year will be up for grabs after Hatfield print management company Charterhouse won the contract with financial services provider Cattle. Charterhouse, which outsources all printing, is to manage the marketing...

Sale of Sericol completed.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... The sale of speciality screen inks manufacturer Sericol to Fuji Photo Film has been completed. Sericol, which has a manufacturing plant in Broadstairs, was sold for #123m but its management team led by ceo Ed Carhart will remain in place. The...

Astron Award.( Astron Group )(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... The Astron Group has been awarded the Private Company of the Year Award by Business Weekly. The prize is awarded to the company which has made the most commercial progress in the last 12 months. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Biddles bolsters management as Mills joins.(William Mills)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Biddles has bolstered its senior management team with the appointment of former Jarrold Printing managing director William Mills. Mr Mills joins the Norfolk book printer as non-executive chairman two weeks after the mbo led by managing...

MAN's new ceo looks to make sheetfed closures.(MAN Roland UK's Hakan Samuelsson)
March 3, 2005... Hakan Samuelsson, chief executive of MAN, is seeking to close two plants making sheetfed presses with the loss of up to 700 jobs. Mr Samuelsson took over from one time MAN Roland chief Dr Rupert Rupprecht at the head of the engineering...

Ditchling's Lawrence Pepler dies after long battle.(Ditchling Press)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
March 3, 2005... Lawrence Pepler, chairman of Ditchling Press and a true character in the printing industry, died on Monday after a long struggle with cancer, aged 67. He was prominent at Ditchling and an enthusiastic supporter of training in the industry...

Oce creates DMS for Consortium.(Oce Business Services, document management system)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Oce Business Services is to create a Document Management System (DMS) for The Consortium, a stationery provider to governmental organisations, schools and universities. The DMS creation is an extension of an existing facilities management...

Commercial printing at Wyndeham Keyne halts.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Wyndeham has told staff at Keyne Print in Milton Keynes that the commercial print plant is to cease printing. It will become a project management operation managing design and print and calling on the group's other production resources. ...

Danwood adds EFI to portfolio.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Danwood Group, the developing digital solutions provider, is taking on EFI colour and workflow systems to run alongside its previously announced deal with Konica Minolta. This partnership will be unveiled at Northprint where Danwood is...

WCPC all set for simulation.(Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... The Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating is installing a press simulator to combat a lack of training in Wales. The simulator will be installed at the university with remote machines placed at partner institutions Swansea College and...

Mellow training course.( Mellow Colour)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Colour management company Mellow Colour, Evesham, is offering a one-day on-site training course for ISO 12647. Companies hoping to improve colour quality and consistency can also attend. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Fastek appointment.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Fastek has appointed Michael Stephenson to head sales of its Fastgraphics consumables range. Mr Stephenson previously worked for Bradley Graphics, David Hulme, Kingston Reprographics and, most recently, Openshaw. Copyright: CMP Information...

Norsdon purchase.( Hhs Leimauftrags-Systeme)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Norsdon Corporation, which produces dispensing equipment for adhesives, sealants and coatings, is to purchase Hhs Leimauftrags-Systeme, a cold glue and hotmelt adhesive dispenser manufacturer. The sale has to be approved by the German Federal...

Belgian printer to increase capacity.(Drukkerij A de Cuyper)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Belgian printer Drukkerij A de Cuyper has ordered a KBA 24-page Compacta 318 to increase commercial capacity at its Zele plant. The press will join an existing 16pp Compacta 215, another 16pp and three sheetfed presses. Both Compactas are...

CP Formstyle renamed.(Verve Print Management)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Yorkshire print management company CP Formstyle has been renamed Verve Print Management and made two new appointments each to its sales team and management to promote organic growth. It is also looking for acquisition targets. Copyright:...

Optimus joins Picon.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... MIS supplier Optimus has joined Picon. Managing director of Optimus Nicola Bisset said: `Picon is an important association for the industry and one that is playing an increasingly relevant role.' Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Roberts Mart accreditation.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Flexible packaging printer Roberts Mart has been awarded the BRC/IoP accreditation for its recently built factory near Leeds. The #8.7m plant was opened in August to handle a diverse product line, including household textile packaging and a...

Price rise.(hardwood pulp)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Swedish pulp producer Sodra has upped the price of its hardwood pulp by $30 to $580 a tonne. The move follows a similar increase last month for Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft (NBSK) pulp to $660 a tonne. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Akiyama comes back to UK with GAE as partner.(Graphic Arts Equipment)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Japanese press manufacturer Akiyama is returning to the UK with Graphic Arts Equipment taking on the agency for the B1 format press. The move means that GAE can offer Shinohara presses in B3 and B2 formats, Polly SRA2 and B2 machines and...

PPF kit up for grabs.(Parkside Performance Films' production equipment at sale)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... The production equipment at the defunct Parkside Performance Films is to go under the hammer next month. Sanderson Weatherall, marketing the auction, said this will be the largest ever offering of flexible packaging equipment and plant in...

Gomer opens book plant.
March 3, 2005... Gomer Press has completed the start up of a book manufacturing plant in Llandysul to produce its own titles and provide book printing and binding in Wales. The 100-year-old company has a print shop and commercial printers, and is a...

Jobs to go at SDC.(Stream Direct Communication)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Thirty-five staff at Stream Direct Communication in Cirencester are to be made redundant when the company relocates to Swindon next week. Stream Direct, which specialises in direct mail, is to be integrated into Swindon based sister company...

Mitsubishi appointment.(Mitsubishi Lithographic Presses appoints Howard Jones)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Mitsubishi Lithographic Presses, the UK supplier of B1 and B2 Mitsubishi presses, has appointed Howard Jones as area sales executive for the north-west and Ireland. Mr Jones brings with him 40 years' experience in the print industry, from...

Print Design and Graphics appointments.(Jo Morgan and Peter Riley)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Print Design and Graphics, the specialist carton printer, has appointed two new members of staff. Jo Morgan has been made manager of the company's newly formed tray services division and brings with her 12 years' experience in the packaging...

FAQ section.(European Metallizers Association)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... The European Metallizers Association has introduced a frequently asked questions section to its website. The company said the section addresses some common issues that metallizers of film and paper may encounter and seeks to provide simple...

Pending sale.(Quebecor World Inc. sells it printing plant in France)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Quebecor World is selling its printing plant in Torcy, France to a group led by local management. The Montreal commercial printer said last week it had informed French authorities and its employees' representatives of the pending sale. Quebecor...

Printers keep close eye on magazine changes.(Periodical Publishers Association )
March 3, 2005... Magazine printers have this week kept a watching brief on the shake up facing the sector's supply chain, following a report from the Office of Fair Trading last Wednesday. Conflict has erupted over the impact of the OFT's findings on...

Paragon upgrades Optimus.(Paragon Group uk )(Optimus 2020 MIS)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Paragon Group UK has automated stock ordering and tracking after upgrading its Optimus 2020 MIS. The company says it is now receiving more than 700 orders a day through its new automatic order intake facility, and has now automated back...

MAN gains Used first.(MAN Roland GB)(Used Machinery Direct initiative)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... MAN Roland GB has netted the first sale of a secondhand press under its Used Machinery Direct initiative, launched in December. Coltec Parker, in Keighley, West Yorkshire, is trading in a four-colour MAN Roland Favorit in a deal for a...

Polestar purchases fourth GMI ColorQuick.(Polestar Group)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... The Polestar Group has purchased its fourth GMI ColorQuick on-web spectrophotometer measurement tool. The system will be installed next week at its Colchester site, with three existing systems already up and running at Petty. Md at...

McGurk appointment.(McGurk Studios)(Ian Newton)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... McGurk Studios, the packaging artwork and reprographics company based in Hull, has appointed Ian Newton to the role of financial controller. The company said that Mr Newton brings with him a total of 11 years' experience within various...

Tsunami appeal.(Sri Lanka Educational, Cultural and Welfare Foundation )(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Companies across the UK have donated cardboard boxes to the Sri Lanka Educational, Cultural and Welfare Foundation on its request to the Tsunami appeal. The companies included Robert Horne Paper, Beswick Paper, Howard Smith Paper, Lithotec and...

New cameras.(Alrad Imaging)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Alrad Imaging, Newbury, used IPOT/Machine Vision 2005 to launch a new product line of IEEE1394 cameras. Manufactured by New Technology, the CCD cameras are available in monochrome and colour versions. The range includes different resolutions,...

Peters Papers sale.(Izingwe Capital)(Actis)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Izingwe Capital, a black economic empowerment investment company, has partnered with private equity investor Actis and the management of Peters Papers to purchase the paper merchant from Nampak. This week Nampak announced that it sold Peter...

Second phase of joint programme.(Toppan Printing Company Ltd and Cambridge Display Technology Ltd )(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Toppan Printing and Cambridge Display Technology have announced the second phase of their joint programme to explore alternative printing processes for fabricating displays based on light emitting polymer technology. Phase two will concentrate...

Kay Jay in DPX four first.(Kay Jay Print)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... A Yorkshire printer has taken the UK's first four-up DPX polyester ctp platesetter from Esko-Graphics. Kay Jay Print, Keighley, will run the B2 machine to feed both a Ryobi 662HX SRA2 press as well as its B3 machines, including a...

Used SM52 at Livesey.(Speedmaster SM52-5)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Commercial printer Livesey, Shrewsbury, has installed a Speedmaster SM52-5 as a stepping stone to putting in a second six-colour press. The Heidelberg five-colour is the latest stage in Livesey's growth plan. "We thought that rather than...

HP soothes doubts with consistent colour aim.(Hewlett-Packard Co)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Hewlett Packard has reaffirmed its commitment to the commercial printing industry despite doubts about the future of its Indigo investment after a shake up at the computer giant. This placed its PC division inside its printing and imaging...

Trinity Mirror appoints Barclays' Gary Hoffman to the board.(Trinity Mirror Digital Media Ltd.)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Trinity Mirror, which is due to unveil its full-year figures today (Thursday), has brought in the chief executive of Barclaycard as a non- executive director. The newspaper publisher is predicted to announce pre-tax profits of around...

Production Co tests Indigo 5000.(The Production Company)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... The Production Company, Sheffield, is beta testing the new HP Indigo 5000 digital press. The company said the press, part of an ongoing #4m investment plan, has enabled it to win several new contracts and has increased productivity by 50%....

Ancient plates finally reach press at Bewick.(production management of Bewick Studios)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... The world's smallest security printer has completed what must be one of the world's most delayed printing jobs, with an impressive 396 years from prepress to on-press. Bewick Studios in Allendale, Northumberland, was commissioned by St...

BPIF warns over claims rise.(British Printing Industries Federation)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... The BPIF legal team, which handled 60 tribunal cases last year, has warned that the latest rises in minimum payouts may result in more claims. The annual increase in capped compensation levels, which came into effect on February 1, may not...

Call for franking to be treated equally.(Pitney Bowes Inc)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Pitney Bowes is calling for franking to be treated equally by postal operators. Private postal companies are currently lobbying the European Commission with a view to terminating the Vat exemption enjoyed by public postal operators. Pitney...

Quark appointment.(Quark Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Matthew Wallis has joined Quark as vice president of sales and professional services for Europe. Mr Wallis, who will be based in the company's new London office, joins Quark from Blue Order, where he was managing director and vice president for...

BPIF conference.(British Printing Industries Federation)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... The theme for the BPIF's third regional conference for printers in the south-east will be `Added value - the key to winning business'. The conference, which is open to both BPIF and non-BPIF member companies, will be held on Wednesday March 16...

Questa adds titles.(Questia Media Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Questia Media, the world's largest online academic library, has added more than 3,500 titles from the Taylor & Francis Group to its collection. Taylor & Francis is one of more than 250 academic and commercial publishers who have licensed...

Digital print steals show at Direct Marketing Fair.(International Direct Marketing Fair)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Digital printing took centre stage at this year's International Direct Marketing Fair, an event more commonly associated with the sale of lists and demographic software. For the first time there was a dedicated digital print pavilion...

Global Graphics digital wing is star performer.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Revenues from Global Graphics' digital print and PDF businesses outstripped sales at the company's traditional commercial printing division for the first time in the final quarter of 2004. The firm's expertise in print and page description...

Tall diversifies with Your Move contract.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... The Tall Group is to provide an end-to-end printing service for Your Move, one of the UK's largest estate agencies. Tall will print all of the company's cheques, credit and invoice stationery and fill them with data provided by the agency....

Pims goes on growing as Hussey joins.(appointments)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Pims has continued its recent growth by appointing a new sales chief from Unwin's for its beefed up litho operations. Nik Hussey, formerly of Martins Printing Group's Unwin's division, will drive sales from Crewkerne, Poole and Cirencester....

Adobe set to ditch Type 1.(Adobe Systems Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Adobe is to drop PostScript Type 1 fonts this year, but has given no date to end its support of the first universal digital font format. It is instead moving to the Open Type format. It has transcribed all its fonts to Open Type, which will...

Canon hits right notes with third Concerto.(Canon Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Canon held its third Concerto event this week in London at the old Billingsgate fish market. It attracted close to 2,500 visitors suggesting that it now has a formula that is going from strength to strength. Many of the visitors were from...

Clear Channel has its eyes on Primesight prize.(Clear Channel Communications Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Clear Channel is said to be lining up a #30m offer for Primesight, the outdoor advertising arm of the Scottish Media Group, in the case of a possible break up of the company. Uncertainty currently surrounds the future of the group,...

COMMENT: Ever decreasing circles.(MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... MAN's announcement that it wants to close two sheetfed production plants was not unexpected. That does not mean that the decision will be welcomed by the staff affected, but there is little in reality that they or MAN can do. Across German...

Letter: Taylor made point.(Letter to the Editor)
March 3, 2005... I read with some interest and with a wry smile, Mike Taylor's article `At the top table' (Printing World, February 24) about commanding a price for quality work. How correct he is to make the point, and we do try to inform, help and suggest as...

Letter: Centred on excellence.(Letter to the Editor)
March 3, 2005... Re your article `Playing for keeps' (Printing World, February 24) on book conservation, the need for skilled craftspeople in the industry is not in doubt but there are more than just two colleges that provide courses in conservation. ...

Improvements to the Financial Assistance Scheme.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Work and pensions secretary Alan Johnson has unveiled improvements to the Financial Assistance Scheme, which would provide 80% of the expected pension for 85,000 victims of collapsed schemes. The funding applies to members of failed pensions...

Donnelley forecast.(R.R. Donnelley and Sons Co.)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... RR Donnelley expects to meet or beat its earnings forecast for 2004 and has reaffirmed its earnings view for 2005, following a strong first quarter. The company also named Glenn Richter as its new chief financial officer. Mr Richter takes over...

Minimum wage rise.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Tony Blair is set to increase the level of the minimum wage to above #5 this year. Mr Blair is expected to back a recommendation by the Low Pay Commission to up the rate from #4.85 to #5.05 in October and then to #5.30 in 2006. The move is...

UBM profits.(United Business Media)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... United Business Media, owner of Printing World publisher CMP Information, has reported a 33% increase in operating profits in 2004. The company's outgoing chief executive Lord Hollick said the growth was driven by the positive contribution from...

De La Rue appointment.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... De La Rue, which benefited last year from a contract to print banknotes for Iraq, could be extending its presence in the Middle East after the appointment of Sir Jeremy Greenstock to the company's board. Sir Jeremy, 61, was formerly UK special...

Wilmington increases earnings.(Wilmington Group)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Information and publishing group Wilmington increased turnover and earnings in the second half of 2004. Magazine advertising at the company was flat but sales in the legal and regulatory division expanded 10% to #4.3m. Copyright: CMP...

Buhrmann announcement.(Buhrmann N.V.)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Dutch office products supplier Buhrmann has announced it will buy back $520m worth of preference shares that were issued in 1999 to part fund the acquisition of US office group Corporate Express. Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.

Polestar comes through tough time for market.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Polestar prevailed through uncomfortable market conditions to register earnings growth in 2004 but ongoing restructuring costs dented any chance of an increase in profits. Amid "challenging" conditions in the year to September 30, Polestar...

SR has customer aim for PR.(Service Graphics Ltd)(PR Exhibition Services)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Display printing firm Service Graphics is aiming to extend its customer relationships through the acquisition of PR Exhibition Services. The purchase brings an online asset management offering to Service Graphics' 11 production sites...

Stora gives Papyrus a lift.(Stora Enso UK)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Stora Enso has bolstered the reach of its Papyrus merchanting division in western Europe and France through the acquisition of Papeteries de France from International Paper. The E18m deal is subject to formal approval but is expected to be...

Presstek performance boosts shares.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Shares in Presstek leapt by more than a dollar last week on better than expected sales and earnings from the digital imaging company. The company outperformed its earlier forecast with revenues of $54.1m in the quarter to January 1, up 140%...

HP ready to take the fight to inkjet rivals.(Hewlett-Packard Co.)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... The head of Hewlett Packard's printer business said the company is ready to take "aggressive action" to improve the company's sales of inkjet hardware after a disappointing performance in the last quarter. Vyomesh Joshi, one of the...

Compulsory winding up.(Brief Article)(Public Notice)
March 3, 2005... The following case is due to be heard at Manchester District Registry, 184-186 Deansgate, Manchester M60 9DJ * Lithographics Ltd Unit 1A, Everoak Industrial Estate, Bromyard Road, Worcester WR2 5HN on March 7 at 10.00am. Petition by HV...

Appointment of liquidators.(Brief Article)(Public Notice)
March 3, 2005... * Print2post Ltd Courier and direct mail. Liquidator: SS Sahota, BBK Partnership, 311 Ballards Lane, Finchley, London N12 8LY * B&S Swindells (Print Finishers) Ltd Print finishers. Liquidator: GAM Simmonds, Crown House, 217 Higher Hillgate,...

Appointment of administrators.(Printing industry)(Brief Article)(Public Notice)
March 3, 2005... * Technique Labels Ltd Label production. Administrators: SF Plant and D Plant, SF Plant & Co, Lutomer House, 100 Prestons Road, London E14 9SB * Nirvana Print Solutions Ltd Print services. Administrator: T Papanicola, Bond Partners LLP,...

Meetings of creditors.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... * Presslink Graphic Supplies Ltd at Tenon Recovery, Sherlock House, 73 Baker Street, London W1U 6RD on March 2 * Graphicon Designs (Thetford) Ltd at King Street House, 15 Upper King Street, Norwich NR3 1RB on March 11 at 11.00am ...

Final meetings.(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... * Roach Bridge Paper Company Ltd at Ernst & Young LLP, Citygate, St James; Boulevard, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4JD on March 30 at 10.30am for members and at 11.00am for creditors * Funpress Ltd (t/a Kall Kwik South Bank) at 2nd Floor,...

FACTS & FIGURES: I ink therefore I am.(European Printing Ink Association )(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Figures from the European Printing Ink Association (Eupia) reveal that there are massive growth opportunities for the ink industry in emerging economies such as eastern Europe and south-east Asia. The findings are based on the consumption...

FACTS & FIGURES: Market profile of the graphic arts.(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
March 3, 2005... The following data is taken from TrendWatch's 2005 Graphic Arts Market Demographic Profiles, which provides an insight into the various sectors that comprise the US printing industry. Commercial * There are fewer than 30,000 commercial...

CAMPAIGN - VALUE OF PRINT: The value of everything.
March 3, 2005... To add value to your offering, you need to see your customers' needs from a broader perspective and not base calculations merely on price By Rod Hayes Printers are like the last residents of Easter Island. The Easter Islanders...

Tips on adding value.(printing management)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Price cutting by competitors can be pernicious, but it is a fact of life. Even if it does seem like a war going on out there, it is not necessarily the best equipped the ones with the biggest guns that win. It does help of course to have...

Pensord is Intent on fulfilling Mobile's needs.(Pensord Press)(Intent Media)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2005... Pensord has extended its relationship with Intent Media, London, by winning the contract to print the publisher's latest launch Mobile Entertainment. The Blackwood, South Wales printer was awarded the contracts for Intent's four other...