December 23, 2008
Domtar shutters Quebec pulp mill
MONTREAL—Domtar announced on Friday that it would permanently close its pulp mill in Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Que. The mill, which produced 300,000 tonnes of softwood kraft pulp annually, has been idle since November 2006. Domtar blamed the state of the economy and the weak Canadian dollar for the decision. The mill employed 425 workers.
C.J. Graphics expands, adds new facility
TORONTO—C.J. Graphics is growing, with the addition of a new 35,000 sq. ft. digital facility in Etobicoke, Ont., and a second Xerox Docutech. A Xerox iGen4 is also currently being installed, replacing the shop’s iGen3-90. Additionally, the shop just hired 20 former Grafikom employees, and added a multi-colour Heidelberg, and a 6-pocket stitching and collating line to its main Toronto facility. C.J. Graphics specializes in high-end work for designers, and was founded in 1981.
December 18, 2008
Four resign from Quebecor World board of directors
MONTREAL—Four individuals have resigned from Quebecor World’s board of directors, the company announced yesterday. Pierre Karl Péladeau, son of Quebecor World founder Pierre Péladeau, and his brother Érik Péladeau, vice chairman of the board, stepped down, as did Jean La Couture and Jean Neveu. The resignations are related to claims filed by Quebecor Inc. and its subsidiaries as part of Quebecor World’s restructuring process, the company said in a statement. Also, Quebecor World spokesperson Tony Ross told PrintCAN today that the company would consider changing its name to avoid confusion, when it exits creditor protection, likely to happen in the first half of 2009.
There was reader reaction to a Canadian Press story the Globe and Mail ran on the subject yesterday, including one former Quebecor World employee who commented “He (Péladeau) is the one responsible for the mess they are in now. This is by far the best news for the current employees. Maybe now they can be the great company they once were before PKP ruined what his father built.” To see the rest of the comments click here.
October shipments rebound
OTTAWA—Printing shipments were up slightly in October, after falling in August and September, according to figures from Statistics Canada. Note that these numbers are not seasonally adjusted.
| Shipments | 2008 | 2007 | Change |
| October | $933.29 million | $919.97 million | 1.4% |
| Year to date | $8.27 billion | $8.12 billion | 1.8% |
Toronto shop adds second Inca Spyder
TORONTO—About a year after installing an Inca Spyder, RP Graphics purchased a second. The shop also recently upgraded its prepress department with a high-speed Fujifilm Javelin 880011 with multiple and single cassette autoloader. RP Graphics specializes in digital and commercial printing, and 1:1 marketing. It has been in business for more than 30 years and employs 65 people.
With the new Spyder from left to right are: Danie Didow, press operator, and Brian Auty, chief technical officer, both with RP Graphics.
December 17, 2008
Sales down for Komunik in second quarter
MONTREAL—Komunik, which has been operating under creditor protection since late November, yesterday released its second quarter results, for the period ending October 31, 2008. It reported sales of $23.33 million, down from $30.51 million in the same period in 2007. The company also saw its net income fall, reporting a loss of $1.05 million, compared to a net income of $11,342 in the second quarter last year. Komunik is seeking potential buyers, and interested parties have until January 15, 2009 to submit purchase offers.
Quebecor World to install three Manroland web presses
MONTREAL—Quebecor World has disclosed the make and model of three new web presses it recently purchased to install at facilities in the U.S. and Canada. Three Manroland Lithoman S web high-speed offset presses will be dedicated to the company’s retail insert and delivery systems, segment, and the first will be operational in the third quarter of 2009.
December 11, 2008
RR Donnelly buys Grafikom MIL facility and other assets
TORONTO and CHICAGO—RR Donnelley is buying the assets of Grafikom’s Toronto-based MIL plant, the company announced today. RR Donnelley is also purchasing selected equipment from other Grafikom facilities in Canada to boost its printing services. The deal with RSM Richter, the receiver for Grafikom, is subject to court approval but is expected to close within two weeks. Grafikom also has facilities in Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, and Mexico, all of which have been idled since the Nov. 10 receivership announcement. Montreal-based Phipps Dickson Integria confirmed on Monday that it had bought the assets of Grafikom’s Sherbrooke, Que. plant.
Higher revenues, lower net income for Transcontinental
MONTREAL—Transcontinental today released its fiscal 2008 figures posting a revenue increase of 4% over 2007. The company reported revenues of $2.43 billion, compared to $2.33 in 2007. For the 12-month period ended Oct. 31, the company pulled in $7.9 million in net income, compared to $120.6 million for the same period last year. Transcontinental attributes the drop to costs associated with the restructuring and consolidation of direct mail services in the U.S, and the write-off of goodwill related to those services. In its fourth quarter results, revenues rose 6% to $653 million from $618 million in Q4 of 2007. Net income was down, sliding from $38.6 million in 2007 to a loss of $94.2 million.
Winnipeg shop adds two new HPs
WINNIPEG—Light Visions recently added two HP Scitex FB6100 presses to its shop floor. The company specializes in large-format digital printing for the real estate, retail, and telecommunications industry.
With one of the new Scitex’s from left to right are: Roland Dupont, general manager; Doug Seney, vice-president, and Allan Brooks, president, all from Light Visions.
December 9, 2008
DI buys Grafikom’s Sherbrooke plant; MIL also in play
TORONTO—PDI (Phipps Dickson Integria) announced yesterday that it has purchased the assets of the Grafikom-Sherbrooke facility, formerly known as Graphica. In a statement, the company said it is in the process of re-establishing communications with customers, and plans to re-open the facility in the near future. PDI is a sheetfed firm with about $43 million in annual sales that provides pre-media, offset and digital print, multimedia, Internet, and fulfillment services. In related news, Grafikom receiver, RSM Richter confirmed to PrintCAN that it is also negotiating the tentative sale of the MIL plant in Toronto but the spokesperson did not confirm the identity of the prospective buyer. PrintCAN has, however, heard from several sources that the interested buyer of the MIL plant is Chicago-based R.R. Donnelley, but the company could not be reached for comment. RSM Richter is also soliciting bids from liquidators for the remainder of Grafikom’s equipment, mostly from plants in Western Canada, that will be auctioned off in the first quarter of 2009. Grafikom went into receivership on November 10.
Quebec bindery expands, installs new gear
MONTREAL—Reliure LeBlanc has doubled its floor space and installed an assortment of new equipment, owner Michael McLaren told PrintCAN today. The bindery, which McLaren purchased in February, was expanded from 7500 sq. ft. to about 15,000 sq. ft. in the summer, and now houses a new FMC horizontal flow wrapper, Rollem Slipstream, and two three-knife trimmers. McLaren said the plant was expanded to make room for all the new gear, including a second Rollem, not yet installed. Reliure LeBlanc specializes in traditional bindery services for the card packaging industry and employs 22 people.
December 4, 2008
Quebecor World wins in dispute with Quebecor Media
MONTREAL—The events at Quebecor World continue to take strange twists and turns. A Quebec judge has sided with Quebecor World in a dispute between it and its former parent company Quebecor Inc., over the recently announced web-press purchases. The dispute arose because Quebecor Media claimed the new web press would cause it “serious harm” and tried to prevent the purchase, the Canadian Press reported. In 2005, Quebecor Media and Quebecor World entered into a verbal agreement whereby Quebecor World would utilize 90% of the excess capacity of a US$51 million press that Quebecor Media uses to print the Le Journal de Montreal and the Ottawa Sun. Quebecor World never signed the agreement, but Quebecor Media claimed in court that the agreement was legitimate because the two parties agreed in 2007 that Quebecor World would print the Yellow Book at the facility in Mirabel, Que. That contract came to an end about a year later. Quebecor Media stated in its claim that Quebecor World’s new press would negatively affect revenues at the Mirabel plant. A spokesperson from Quebecor World could not be reached for comment.
PIA/GATF changes name, logo
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| Printing Industries of America’s new logo |
Ottawa shop upgrades with new Presstek
OTTAWA—BCT Ottawa installed a Presstek 34DI in an attempt to offset a decline in its thermography business, and has since seen sales grow 10%. The company, which prints spot colour business cards, postcards, and brochures, had been relying on thermography, and said it upgraded with the Presstek, in part, because the press is waterless and uses no platemaking chemicals.
With the Presstek 34DI is Graeme Olmsted, left, and press operator, Marc Couturier, both with BCT Ottawa.
December 2, 2008
September shipments continue to fall
OTTAWA—Printing shipments were down again in September after falling in August, according to figures from Statistics Canada. Note that these numbers are not seasonally adjusted.
| Shipments | 2008 | 2007 | Change |
| September | $840.2 million | $860.6 million | -2.4% |
| Year to date | $7.22 billion | $7.2 billion | -0.7% |
Sina Printing prints MetalFX award winner
MARKHAM, ON—Full-service branding company Alive Pro Studios was the only Canadian company to win a MetalFX award in the annual international competition, creative director Javad Ahmadi told PrintCAN today. The company was named Design Agency of the Year for its Alive Pro Studios Corporate Brochure, which was printed using MetalFX at Sina Printing in Markham, Ont. Sina used embossing and foil stamping on the cover, and 12 pt. gloss stock throughout the 24-page brochure. It was also wire-bound and printed on a 10-colour Heidelberg. This was the final year of the MetalFX awards, because the company is ceasing operations Dec. 19.
The Alive Pro Studios Corporate Brochure.
Ontario shop installs second HP Scitex
RICHMOND HILL, ON—Large-format printer Icon Digital has added an HP Scitex FB6700 to its shop, to complement the HP Scitex Turbojet 8300 it installed earlier this year. The company says the new FB6700 will handle rigid substrates, and the Turbojet will print on pressure-sensitive vinyl. Icon Digital specializes in banners, posters, and vehicle wraps.
Juan Lau, president, and Peter Evans vice-president, both from Icon Digital.
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