July 31, 2001
Heidelberg Canada names new president
MISSISSAUGA, Ont.— Effective Aug. 1 Heidelberg Canada will have a new president. Richard Armstrong will take the helm of the company's Canadian operation, while outgoing president William Blair returns to Atlanta to run Heidelberg USA's digital business unit. Blair became president of Heidelberg Canada in April 1998. Armstrong has been with the company for more than four years, most recently as vice-president of customer support. He has also worked for several printers including Transcontinental. "Richard is extremely qualified. He knows the business and he knows most of [our] customers in Canada," Blair says.

Deadline set for Ward Press property
TORONTO— Customers interested in reclaiming their property from Ward Press have until Aug. 31 to do so. Receiver BDO Dunwoody will dispose of any items not claimed by this date. According to an ad in Saturday's Globe and Mail, unclaimed items include film, dies, plates and electronic files. For further information contact Les Fulton at BDO Dunwoody, (416) 369-6042.

Michael Hill joins packaging company
TORONTO— Michael Hill has left his position as partner of Caxton Group Inc. to join Toronto-based packaging firm Polytainers Inc. as vice-president, sales and marketing. Hill joined Caxton as a partner with Gordon Griffiths in January to help launch the marketing and consulting firm. He said his departure made sense because Caxton has been experiencing slower growth than originally expected. "We were probably a little heavy for the size of the company in terms of the number of management," he said. He remains involved with Caxton as an investor and member of the company's advisory board.

July 27, 2001
Arthurs-Jones creditor list released
TORONTO— Arthur Andersen Inc. has issued a detailed list of Arthurs-Jones Clarke creditors. Listed assets including equipment, work in process and receivables come in at $16 million. Outstanding payables totalled just under $16 million to 299 creditors, not including money owed to government agencies. Banker CIBC is the largest creditor, and is owed $11.6 million. Amounts owed to provincial and federal governments were listed as unknown. Appointed by CIBC as receiver, Arthur Andersen is in the process of converting the assets to cash for debt repayment.

Quebecor unveils new US$23 million press
MERCED, CA.— Quebecor World introduced its new KBA four-colour web offset heatset press at its plant in Merced, Calif. on Wednesday. The US$23 million press will be used primarily to produce telephone directories for telecommunications giant SBC Communications Inc. The investment is part of deal that included a multi-year US $500 million contract extension with SBC. The new press produces up to 144 pages per impression making it the largest web offset heatset press in service worldwide, according to Quebecor.

July 24, 2001
Ward Press will likely auction assets
TORONTO— Assets belonging to Ward Press Inc. could be sold through a public auction, according to receiver BDO Dunwoody. The date for an auction could be announced within the next two weeks after the printer's financial records are updated, according to BDO representative Mark Chow. Ward Press went into receivership on July 12 after 31 years of operation.

Graphic Monthly goes online
MISSISSAUGA, Ont— Graphic Monthly, Canada's leading printing publication, is now available online. The site was officially launched last week and will serve as an archive directory for back issues of the magazine. Features, digital reports, Print Watch and sales and estimating columns are available from issues dating back to February 2000. It's all online at www.graphicmonthly.ca.

July 20, 2001
Invesprint writes off Arthurs-Jones debt
MISSISSAUGA, Ont.— Invesprint Corp. has written off the remainder of a debt owed to it by Arthurs-Jones Clarke Lithographing. Invesprint sold Arthurs-Jones to Clarke Lithographing in Dec. 1998 and received $2 million in promissory notes and $1 million in convertible Clarke shares, in addition to cash. Invesprint has written off about $2.6 million of the debt in the last year. "I don't think the bank is going to come out whole, and if they don't come out whole, nobody else is going to get anything," says Invesprint CFO Wes De Shane of Arthurs-Jones's debt. According to receiver Arthur Andersen, Arthurs-Jones owes about $14 million to secured creditors.

Ward Press shuts its doors
TORONTO— Ward Press has declared bankruptcy, PrintCan has learned. The 31-year-old sheetfed printer had been struggling following its expansion into 40 inch, six-colour printing in late 1999. Turnaround specialist, Ron Morgenthal was hired as CEO in July 2000 by owner Don Ward, and the company's financial position improved as a result of increased sales and reduced costs. Ward Press had sales of about $6.5 million in 2000. Don Ward did not return PrintCan's phone calls requesting comment. Look for further details on Tuesday's update.

July 17, 2001
Receiver moves into Arthurs-Jones
MISSISSAUGA, Ont.— The process of updating financial records and gathering outstanding debts has begun at Arthurs-Jones Clarke Lithographing Inc. The company's banker, CIBC, has retained Arthur Andersen Inc. to cover outstanding payroll expenses and deal with employee termination issues following the shut down last Friday. This process will take approximately one week. A search for a potential buyer for the business as it currently exists is underway. If a buyer does not come forward Arthurs-Jones's assets are likely to be auctioned, says an Arthur Andersen representative.

Ashton-Potter consolidates stamp production
MISSISSAUGA, Ont.— Ashton-Potter Canada Ltd. has moved all its stamp production to its U.S. facility in Williamsville, New York effective July 12. The company's Mississauga facility will focus exclusively on its packaging business.
"We had stamps, credit cards and packaging [in Mississauga]. With some of the changes in buying at Canada Post, it made sense to consolidate operations as a way of reducing costs," says Tom Dopson, general manager of Ashton-Potter Canada. As well, card production has been relocated to sister MDC company, Metaca in Concord, Ont., he says.

July 16, 2001
Arthurs-Jones in receivership
MISSISSAUGA, Ont.— Arthurs-Jones Clarke Lithographing Inc. has declared bankruptcy, PrintCan has learned. A notice of receivership is posted near the plant's front door stating that Arthur Andersen Inc. has taken control of the company's operations. In business since 1906, Arthurs-Jones built a reputation for high-quality work in the 1980s and early 1990s. The company's outstanding debt is rumoured to be in the $15 to 20 million range. Look for tomorrow's update for further details.

July 13, 2001
Suppliers concerned about Arthurs-Jones
MISSISSAUGA, Ont.— Two suppliers to Arthurs-Jones Clarke Lithographing Inc. have expressed concern regarding the company's current financial position, PrintCan has learned. One confirmed it has placed the company's account in payment on delivery status, and the other stated it is very close to following suit. Both suppliers revealed this information on the condition that they not be identified. Arthurs-Jones declined comment when asked by PrintCan about these events and the departure of partners Paul Dossey and Casper Stabile.

Printing industry safer than average
TORONTO— According to Ontario Ministry of Labour statistics, the printing industry is safer than other business sectors. "[Its] injury record is slightly better than average," says Joel Waterman, provincial specialist for printing and textiles with the Ministry. Statistics compiled since April 2000 indicate the sector has a lower rate of long-term injuries, with a yearly lost-time injury frequency rate of 1.6 workers per 100 workers per year, while the provincial average across 29 sectors is 1.8. Waterman also points out that the overall number of injuries and fatalities reported in the sector has declined by about 30% over the last five years. Over the last year, the Ministry has stepped up its enforcement and inspection of machine guarding and lockout safety standards for heavy machinery. According to Waterman, the increase is partially due to a 1999 fatality when a Dolphin Direct press operator was killed while attempting to clean a Mitsubishi sheetfed press.

July 10, 2001
Union rejects wage rollback at Arthurs-Jones
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — According to an official at the Graphic Communications International Union (GCIU), Arthurs-Jones Clarke Lithographing Inc. was not in financial trouble. "They have a financial advisor [from the bank]. He and Emilio [Ciampini, president of Arthurs-Jones] both said that they're meeting all of their payments to the bank," said Frank O'Reilly, a union official with GCIU Local 500M in Toronto. O'Reilly inquired about Arthurs-Jones's financial position in April when the company asked its unionized workforce to accept a 20% wage reduction. Workers rejected management's offer and the matter was dropped, O'Reilly said. Circumstances regarding the recent departure of two Arthurs-Jones partners remain unknown.

Integria completes buyout of Bowne de Montreal
MONTREAL — Integria Inc. has completed a management buyout of Bowne de Montreal from New York-based parent Bowne & Company Inc. Integria now owns all shares and facilities of the company, and will expand its commercial printing and multimedia operations. Bowne of Canada Ltd. will continue to own and manage the financial printing services segment of the Montreal operations. Majority shareholder Jamie Barbieri is the president and CEO of Integria. The company has annual sales of $30 million and 170 employees.

July 06, 2001
Okidata prints magazine cover
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Rogers Media's IT For Industry cover is being produced by printer manufacturer Okidata. The six-page gatefold cover for the title's June-July issue is being printed on one of Okidata's LED laser printers. It will be the first magazine cover to be printed using a method other than offset lithography, according to Ken McMiIlan, director of sales and development at IT For Industry."It's a marketing opportunity. [Okidata] came to us, [and] we proposed the [cover] and they agreed," he said. The issue will have a press run of 25,000 and the cover will be printed on supergloss paper stock instead of the the usual 80 lb. multiweb stock used for the rest of the magazine. The remainder of the book will be printed and bound by Quebecor World as usual, McMillan said.

July 04, 2001
Partners strikes deal with U.S. firm
MISSISSAUGA, Ont.— Partners Graphic Support Service and Supply has formed a partnership with Pitman Company that will allow Pitman to supply Canadian customers with printing products bought through its online procurement service PrintNation.com. Partners will function as Canadian distributor and will also provide customer support. New Jersey-based Pitman, one of the largest U.S. distributors of graphic supplies, acquired PrintNation in May and relaunched the site in late June.

Webcom donates $100,000 to scholarship fund
TORONTO — Scarborough, Ont.-based printer Webcom Limited has donated $100,000 to the Canadian Printing Industries Scholarship Trust Fund. "To attract bright, young students into our industry we have to offer the scholarship, and with more and more students [entering graphic arts programs] we have to increase the size of the fund," said Webcom chairman Warren Wilkins. The CPIA aims to increase the fund to $1 million from its current level of $575,000, and will raise each scholarship from $1,000 to $1,250.