October 29, 2004
BC Graphic Communications program gala
BURBABY, BC—The BCPIA Education Task Force is hoping to raise significant funds at an upcoming gala on November 17, at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, for a post secondary education program in graphic communications. The task force was formed last year in response to Vancouver Community College suspending its 40-year-old Graphic Communications and Production Technology program, which left the province without a formal print training program. The BCPIA is collaborating with the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) to host the gala. Marilyn Knoch, executive director of the BCPIA says the BCIT has committed to starting the program, which it plans to have available for Fall 2005. For further information on attending the gala contact Marilyn Knoch at mknoch@bcpia.org.

Q3 cheque sales up
TORONTO—Cheque printers, Custom Direct and Davis + Henderson are continuing to post sales increases. For the third quarter, Custom Direct increased sales and gross profit more than 4% and 6%, respectively, compared to the third quarter of 2003. Davis + Henderson’s third quarter sales increased 8.9% from last year with a net income 11.5% higher. A statement from the company says it benefitted from the first-time contribution of U.S. revenue; its new cheque supply program, ChequeAdvisor, and ChequeCentral. Despite declining traditional cheque usage, the company has benefitted from promotional programs initiated by its customers, which include line of credit cheque orders.

October 26, 2004
Confirmed, Northern Papers in receivership
MISSISSAUGA, ON—A receiver has been appointed for the property and assets of Northern Paper Converting. Earlier this month PrintCAN reported that Northern Paper was not responding to phone calls and the facility had been emptied. A spokesperson at the receiver’s office says the assets include paper converting equipment such as cutters and sheeters, but there is no plan for an auction. Plans to liquidate the assets have not been firmed up. The receiver cited lack of business, slow payers and a general slump in the industry as reasons that brought Northern Papers down.

Historic print artifacts headed for storage
PARIS, France—A collection of priceless artifacts tracing the history of the printed form from the 16th century to the present, held in the government’s printing office, L’Imprimerie Nationale, is headed for storage crates. The French government is selling off buildings and closing the printing business and the artifacts are scheduled to move in the first half of 2005 to an unknown destination. The Imprimerie Nationale is heir to the centuries-old tradition of French government printing. The historic collection includes hundreds of thousands of letterform and character punches for both western and oriental scripts; a foundry; presses for typography, lithography and copper-plate engraving work; stitching and binding; as well as a library with more than 30,000 volumes and the archives of the state printing works. A petition to save the Imprimerie Nationale has been set up by Graphê, the association for the promotion of typographic art. The association would like the Imprimerie to be set up as a foundation that includes a dedicated space for conservation and research. The petition can be found at www.garamonpatrimoine.org/petition.html

October 22, 2004
Quebec printing house expands operations
AMOS, QC—Imprimerie Harricana is planning a big move on November 12. The company is moving from its current 5,500 sq. ft. location to a 20,000 sq. ft. facility. With an investment of nearly $1 million, the new premises will have digital capabilities, CTP, and a new finishing system. Harricana is going into its 50th year of business serving the Abitibi region and expects to increase its market share outside of the region with its bigger plant. It has 15 staff and is planning to add about 10 more employees with the move.

Marcoux, man of the year
MONTREAL—Remi Marcoux, Graphic Monthly’s Printer of the Year, has also been awarded the Ernst & Young Lifetime Achievement award at the Entrepreneur of the Year 2004 ceremony and banquet. Marcoux was introduced at the 600-guest gala by Guy Crevier, president and publisher of La Presse, who praised Marcoux for building a prosperous company that also has a personal touch. In the last 18 months, Marcoux has received several honours of recognition from the Canadian business community, including an honorary doctorate from HEC Montreal; top Quebec CEO in the communications sector by the magazine, CEO of the Year; and one of the ten most respected CEOs in Canada, determined by a coast-to-coast survey of 225 business leaders. Now in its 11th year in Canada, the Ernst & Young Entreprenuer Of The Year awards celebrate the best of Canada’s entrepreneurial talent—the men and women whose achievements in building dynamic businesses are a testament to their vision, tenacity and leadership.

October 19, 2004
Transcontinental name change
MONTREAL—Transcontinental Direct U.S.A. is the new name for Transcontinental CC3, formerly CC3 before it was bought by Transcontinental in December 2003. The announcement was made during the Direct Marking Association’s annual conference & exhibition in New Orleans, La.

Printera has new president and CEO
TORONTO—Brian Schiedel is the new president and CEO of Printera, which produces custom labels for the beverage and food industries and is listed on Graphic Monthly’s Gold List, with 2003 sales of $34,000,000. Schiedel, who has experience in the packaging and label industries in Canada and the U.S., replaces Daniel Pelletier, who will remain on the company’s board of directors.

UBX out of business
MARKHAM—UBX, a prepress house located here, has gone into receivership as of this September. Trade Only Press and Film Bureau Inc. were merged about two years ago to form UBX.

October 15, 2004
New $50 bank note to curb counterfeiting
OTTAWA—The new $50 bill was unveiled this week and will be put into circulation mid-November. Its anti-counterfeiting features are similar to those of the new $100 and $20 note and costs 50% more to produce. The security features include a metallic holographic stripe, a watermark portrait, a windowed colour-shifting thread woven into the paper and a see-through number 50, as well as raised ink, fine-line printing, and red and yellow fluorescence under ultraviolet light. David Dodge, the Governor of the Bank of Canada, pointed out at the unveiling ceremony, “the best security features can only be effective if people use them” and encouraged Canadians to look closely at bills. The number of phoney bills in circulation last year increased by more than 100% to a total of $12.7 million.

Prodigy Graphics purchases web press
MISSISSAUGA—Prodigy Graphics recently inked a purchase agreement for a Komori System 38S, a full-sized, 16-page high-end commercial web press. The installation, which is expected to take place mid-2005, will be the first web press for the trade shop. Najib Jamal, president and COO, said the time is right for a web press and the shop is forming strategic alliances with its clients. Prodigy’s version is a four-unit press that features a 23 9/16” cut-off and automated controls. The press was sold by K-North Komori Canada.

Weyburn publishing and printing operations sold
VANCOUVER—The Weyburn Review and its publishing and printing operations were recently bought out by Glacier Ventures International. Glacier also owns several community newspapers and agricultural publications in Western Canada. With the acquisition, Glacier’s group of newspaper and magazine publications now have a combined distribution of more than 530,000 across Western Canada.

October 12, 2004
Quinn Data Services out of business
MISSISSAUGA, ON—PrintCAN has learned Quinn Data Services went into receivership last week. The company, which had a staff of 120 employees, provided direct mail, packaging, design and data processing services. Equipment such as polybaggers and wrapping machines may be up for auction.

October 8, 2004
Northern Papers falls off the radar
MISSISSAUGA, ON—Northern Papers has closed shop according to industry sources. The paper converter is not responding to phone calls and PrintCAN has learned that the facility has been emptied.

Quebecor battle with union continues
MONTREAL—Quebecor World workers and the GCIU filed nine new unfair labour practices this week with the National Labor Relations Board (NRLB) in the U.S., regarding alleged misconduct at two plants in Tennessee and Kentucky. A week earlier, the NRLB issued a complaint, which accused Quebecor World of violating U.S. federal labour laws on 22 other counts at a Mississippi plant. The union charges that the company continues to interrogate, threaten and retaliate against workers who want to form a union. Quebecor World has also issued a statement denying the allegations. The company says it will cooperate fully with the NLRB and expects the charges to be dismissed by the board as having no merit. It also says that the NLRB’s decision to proceed with the complaint phase on certain union allegations does not mean there is a finding of fault.

Creo makes cuts
VANCOUVER—Creo will be cutting 5% of its global workforce, which amounts to more than 200 positions, including 60 positions which were previously announced in August. The layoffs are intended to reduce expenses by approximately $24 million and reduce operating costs and the cost of goods sold equally. In a released statement, the company’s CEO said that Creo has grown to become the fourth largest plate vendor in the world, but has not generated the bottom line performance it forecast this year.

October 1, 2004
Paper industry on the upswing
OTTAWA—The paper industry is moving towards prosperity after hitting a cyclical downturn in 2003 according to a forecast published in the Conference Board of Canada’s Industrial Outlook. Poor profits in 2003 were a result of weak prices and the surge in the Canadian dollar, which restrained exports to the U.S., according to the study. Revenues are expected to rise 8.7% in 2004 and a further 10.2% in 2005. This growth is expected to offset increases in material costs, producing profits of $1.2 billion in 2004 and $2.6 billion in 2005. The board sees an increase in the Canadian dollar as the most significant risk for the industry. It reports that the Asian market is the best opportunity for pulp producers, with exports to China now accounting for 12% of all exports, four times what they were a decade ago.

Two binderies close shop
MISSISSAUGA, ON—Two binderies have recently closed their doors. Kennson bindery in Markham, Ont., has officially gone out of business, confirmed by the owner this week. Bindery Laval in Laval, Que., has also ceased to operate. Although no one could be reached from the Laval shop, the number is officially out of service and industry sources have told PrintCAN that the shop has gone under.