December 2011 by PrintAction

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IT’S A BIG, WIDE WORLD OUT THERE SUPER TRADE PRINTER

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CONTENTS Volume 50, Number 12 Features

The MET Resource Nikos Kallas, at age 32, takes over one of the world’s best-known commercial printing operations and plans to continue leveraging sheetfed to build the MET brand

Canadian Printing Awards Over 300 printingindustry leaders converge in Toronto to celebrate last year’s technological and environmental accomplishments of printers and suppliers across Canada

NEWS HP invests in commercial print with its purchase of Hiflex, Sandy Stephens is named Chairman of the CPIA, and The Vincent Press builds in Peterborough

CALENDAR January 2012 Peter Ebner speaks about how to play the quoting game, Canadian papermakers converge in Montreal, and Mimeo opens its doors to automation seekers

SHOW Graphics Canada 2011 A pictorial account of the country’s most recent showcase of printing technologies and strategies

your link to print one world – one drupa may 3 – 16, 2012 düsseldorf, germany www.drupa.com

Columns

NICK HOWARD Dissecting manroland AG Under the hood of manroland, after years of innovations are hit hard by the financial and marketplace storm

VICTORIA GAITSKELL Popular MPP Printer The growth and contributions of Dickson Printing’s very own Member of Provincial Parliament for Ajax-Pickering

Your link to more – experience drupa already now! Scan logo with the webcam. For smartphones/ the drupa tablet: install the free Junaio App, select the drupa channel. With PC-webcam: select drupa.com/augmentreality. For more help: www.drupa.com/help

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December 1976 Fidel Castro becomes President of Cuba, Wonder Woman debuts, and Southam Murray reacts to Eaton’s phasing out its mail-order business

Resources 23 Services to the Trade

Canadian German Chamber of Industry and Commerce Inc. Your contact: Stefan Egge 480 University Avenue, Suite 1500 Toronto, ON, M5G 1V2 Tel: (416) 5 98 - 15 24 Fax: (416) 5 98 - 18 40 E-mail: messeduesseldorf @germanchamber.ca

33 Marketplace

Cover Photo: Kyrani Kanavaros • www.klikphotographic.com

DECEMBER 2011 • PRINTACTION • 3

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Footprints of Giants A

Digital Printing

Data Services & List Management

PERSPECTIVE

e-tools

Variable Imaging

fter closing out 2011 with manroland AG, one of printing’s most-historic and dominating technology companies, filing for bankruptcy protection, the New Year began with a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report that 131-year-old Kodak is also preparing to file for bankruptcy protection. Kodak refused to comment on WSJ’s report, stating it “does not comment on market rumour or speculation,” as news agencies around the world weighed in on the company’s performance over the past decade. While WSJ suggests the sale of Kodak’s patent portfolio would help the company avoid Chapter 11, the article points to deeper challenges like the fact that Kodak had only one profitable year since 2005 – when current CEO Antonio Perez took over. WSJ, however, suggests Kodak’s root troubles began back in the 1980s, as it started to lose its massive market share in film to foreign competitors. This market challenge was soon followed by the arrival of the 1990s, when Kodak – despite being credited with the invention of digital photography in 1975 – stumbled out of the gates during the transition from film to digital photography. While most technology companies struggled under the speed of digital-imaging adoption, Kodak, despite its rich patent portfolio, seemed to lose its identity – particularly, if characterized by dominating the film market – and allowed its competitors to catch up. This month, printing-press expert Nick Howard describes how manroland AG also stumbled through some of its own ahead-of-time innovations with the late-1980s development of the fibre-optic-based ROLAND 700 press (Dissecting manroland AG, page 12), which he describes as “embarrassingly well ahead of everyone else.” Howard feels the company went through some major challenges in this period, primarily because of its commitment to a 5-cylinder press concept, which ultimately allowed aggressive competitors to keep up. Of course, Howard ultimately ties manroland’s bankruptcy protection filing to the economical and market struggles of today’s printing industry. At press time, the company’s auditor, Werner Schneider, announced his team had conducted “numerous negotiations with interested parties” looking to purchase all or part of manroland: “We now have parties seriously interested in all three production sites in Augsburg, Offenbach and Plauen, with whom we are involved in ongoing negotiations.” Schneider set a January 31, 2012 timeline in order to ensure manroland’s continued operations and to save as many jobs as possible. Around this timeframe, according to the WSJ, Kodak would also submit its own bankruptcy-protection filing if its financial conditions remain unchanged. The Washington-based newspaper reports that Kodak is in discussions with large banks – J.P. Morgan Chase, Citigroup Inc. and Wells Fargo & Co. – about some $1 billion in financing to keep it afloat. Given the size and scope of both organizations (Kodak alone employs 19,000), there are numerous potential outcomes for manroland and Kodak – too many to speculate on. Whatever hits in the next couple of weeks, the global printing industry will surely look drastically different come February because of the footprints created by these two gigantic technology players. Jon Robinson, Editor

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Editor Jon Robinson • 416.665.7333 ext. 30 • jon@printaction.com Associate Editor Clive Chan • 416.665.7333 ext. 25 • clive@printaction.com Contributing Writers Zac Bolan, Clint Bolte, Peter Ebner, Chris Fraser, Victoria Gaitskell, James Harvey, Nick Howard, Thad McIlroy, Gordon Pritchard, Josh Ramsbottom, Nicole Rycroft, Andrew Tribute, Trish Witkowski Publisher Sara Young • 416.665.7333 ext. 31 • sara@printaction.com Associate Publisher Stephen Longmire • 416.665.7333 ext. 26 • stephen@printaction.com Production Manager Anders Kohler • 416.665.7333 ext. 37 • anders@printaction.com Intern Tiffany Kay Garcia • 416.665.7333 ext. 34 • tiffany@printaction.com Advertising Sales Sara Young • 416.665.7333 ext. 31 • sara@printaction.com Stephen Longmire • 416.665.7333 ext. 26 • stephen@printaction.com Circulation ADPIC Subscription Services • 800.363.3261 • subscriptions@printaction.com

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LET’S EXPLODE SOME MYTHS ABOUT THE PRICE OF KOMORI PRESSES Some people think KOMORI presses are expensive - as much as 20% more than the competitive makes. It just isn’t true. Most KOMORI models are within the range of other makes. Some even closer than that. It just happens that our presses have more features, perform better and look as though they cost a lot. But, when it comes down to price, they don’t. For example, we’ve unleashed the new GL40 platform machine that matches competitive brands on price and beats them on features. Next time you’re considering a new press, don’t automatically assume that a KOMORI costs more. Check with K-North. You could end up with the very best press, exclusive features and industry’s lowest operational costs along with a price that surprises you. That’s no myth.

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PRINT NEWS SANDY STEPHENS, VP and Partner at Informco in Toronto, was elected as Chairman of the Board for the Canadian Printing Industries Association for 2012. Also elected to the CPIA board are: PDI’s Jamie Barbieri as Secretary– Treasurer; Unicom’s Dean McElhinney, Immediate Past Chair; Ariva’s Kevin Deveau, Director at Large; Unicom’s Kevin Henderson, PGIA representative; Globe Printers’ Daryl Breckner, SGAIA rep; Willow Printing’s Jeff Ekstein, PIA rep; and Heidelberg’s Don Robinson, Supplier representative. THE VINCENT PRESS’ Mike Skalba, Press Operator, Andrew McCulloch, President and owner, and Scott Norton, Press Operator, oversaw the installation of a Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 75 press into their Peterborough, Ontario facility. Founded in 1969 by Don Vincent, the McCulloch family, led by Andrew’s father Joe, purchased The Vincent Press some 30 years ago. Today, the company – with 24 employees – also operates a wide-format department, as well as a digital storefront shop, called Custom Copy. In early December, The Vincent Press also finalized the purchase of nearby Lazer Graphics. “I am most proud of the fact that I can keep my manufacturing base local and contribute to the community of Peterborough,” said Andrew McCulloch.

JOSÉ MACÉDO, Art Director at Groupe Guérin, and Stan Tranter, Agfa Account Manager, celebrate the installation of an Agfa Avalon N8-22S at Groupe Guérin’s Montreal facility. The company’s new Avalon computer-to-plate system is being integrated with Agfa’s :Apogee Manage workflow and :Apogee Impose. Groupe Guérin will run Agfa’s environmentally progressive Azura TS plates through the Avalon.

IMAFIX COMMUNICATIONS VISUELLE’s Kim Savard, Purchaser; Charles Lavoie, Operator; David Boutin, President; and Emmanuel Bonin, VP, oversaw the installation of a Screen Truepress Jet2500UV system. Purchased through Nustream Graphic, the wide-format Jet2500UV is a UV-inkjet system that works with both rigid and roll medias, while reaching a maximum resolution of 1,500 dpi and a top printing speed of 67.5 square meters per hour. Based in Terrebonne, Quebec, Imafix focuses on graphic design services and producing large-format graphics, including vehicle wraps. VYOMESH JOSHI, Executive VP of HP’s Imaging and Printing Group, announced the purchase of Hiflex Software GmbH, which was founded in Aachen, Germany, back in 1991 to develop Management Information System (MIS) software for the commercial printing industry. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. “HP wants to break the traditional barriers of how and where business customers print, making it easy for them to produce custom or personalized materials anywhere, anytime,” said Joshi. “Hiflex’s technology provides a powerful platform to deliver on this goal as part of our overall cloud printing strategy.” GIESECKE & DEVRIENT, headquartered in Munich and self-described as one of the world’s largest privately owned banknote printers, announced plans to restructure BA International, resulting in the closure of its banknote printing operation in Ottawa by the end of 2012. The company specifically relates its decision to the introduction of Canadian polymer banknotes, which are expected to last longer. The company states it is committed to continuing the production and personalization of payment and ID card systems for the Canadian market.

MULLER MARTINI CANADA in December celebrated the retirement of industry stalwart Cyndie Crysler, who spent 25 years with the technology company. Prior to Muller Martini, she worked for a small advertising firm before starting up her own agency to specialize in the development of business-to-business campaigns – ultimately, for companies like Heidelberg Canada, Canadian Fine Color, Compugraphics and Muller Martini. She continued to focus on brand develop for her first eight years with Muller Martini, but in 1994, based on her burgeoning post-press expertise, Crysler began to sell finishing technology in the Toronto area, followed by Ottawa, the Maritime Provinces and then, over the past few years, British Columbia and Alberta. “The people in the printing industry are simply the best. They have made my career an absolute joy,” says Crysler. “I have been very fortunate to have had a career I loved for many years.”

6 • PRINTACTION • DECEMBER 2011

RITA MATT, Mark Sexton, Dianne Olmstead and Judy Peace of the University of Regina’s Printing Services shop oversaw the installation of a Kodak NexPress SE2500 press. The University installed the SE2500 over the summer, but is in the process of upgrading to the NexPress SX platform, allowing the machine to run smaller particle toner. The Printing Services shop provides print to faculty and students, as well as local businesses. CANOPY of Vancouver released a new report, called Above the Fold: Environmental Leadership in the Newspaper Sector 2011, profiling North America’s top newspapers and newspaper publishers for forest conservation. Canopy describes the profiled newspapers and publishers, including the likes of The New York Times, Hearst, McClatchy and The Globe and Mail, as organizations that have incorporated elements of sustainability into their operations, business models and brands. The report, being distributed to 50 top advertisers in North America, acknowledges key issues like paper procurement policy, production efficiencies, and engaging suppliers to support forest conservation. WATERLOO COMMUNITY ARTS CENTRE opened a new facility to promote the craft of printmaking in the Southern Ontario region. Dubbed the Waterloo Print Studio, the facility features custom hands-on workshop for school groups and businesses. The studio is open every Friday from 10am to 4pm to allow experienced printmakers access to its equipment (which includes a Takach etching and lithography press), under the supervision of a trained technician. The program features instructor Hubert Haisoch, a printmaker with over 50 years of teaching experience in Canada and the U.S.

MCLAREN PRESS of Gravenhurst, Ontario, launched a new division called Media Solutions Group, which is to provide online and mobile media solutions to assist publishers of community newspapers and specialty publications. The Media Solutions Group is comprised of in-house expertise working in conjunction with technology partners City Media and Voodu Media. “As the pace of change in our industry continues to accelerate, McLaren’s Media Solutions Group is a great example of how we go well beyond printing to bring our customers new ideas, and maximize the value we add to their business,” said Drew McLaren, President of McLaren Press.

JACKIE CHAN, owner Modo Design, and Craig Gallagher of Coast Paper celebrate the installation of an Océ Arizona 360GT UV flatbed printer at Modo’s Richmond Hill, Ontario location. Founded in December 2008, within a 1,000-square-foot facility, Modo now operates out of 3,000-square-foot shop, while focusing on producing large-format graphics for the trade. The Arizona 360GT, sold through Coast Paper, a division of PaperlinX Canada, reaches a top speed of 35 square meters per hour and provides Modo with white-ink capabilities.

CAMERON WHEATLEY, Art Director of Displayco Canada, oversaw the installation of an HP Scitex FB500. The 64-inch wide machine, jetting UVcurable pigment-based ink, reaches a top speed of 121 square feet per hour and a top resolution of 1,200 x 600 dpi. It is a 6-colour system with the option of adding a white-ink kit. Calgarybased Displayco, with a sales office in Edmonton, focuses on producing trade-show exhibits and point-of-sale promotions. CANADIAN PRINTING INDUSTRIES SCHOLARSHIP TRUST FUND (CPISTF), which awarded $83,750 in funding to 61 printing students across Canada for the current school year, released its list of donors over the past year, including: Advocate Printing, Agfa Canada, Ariva, Domtar, Fujifilm Canada, Harmony Printing, Heidelberg Canada, HostmannSteinberg, Howard Graphic Equipment, KBR Graphics, Lowe-Martin, Maracle Press, Metroland Media, Muller Martini Canada, PESDA, Schawk Canada, Sun Chemical Canada, The DATA Group, Transcontinental, Unicom Graphics, Unisource Canada, Wayzgoose Society, Webcom, Willow Printing, Xerox Canada and PrintAction.

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IAPHC’s Toronto chapter initiated a new scholarship program called the Craftsmen’s Graphic Design Challenge, with a January 2012 entry deadline. The program is open to all college and university students enrolled in a Canadian-based printing program. Students are asked to submit a single print design project (poster, brochure, banner, stationery, etc.) to win funding for their graphic arts studies. This IAPHC design may be reproduced commercially or not; and can represent a fictional company or person. KEMPENFELT GROUP of Barrie, Ontario, expands its prepress department with the installation of a new DI-Plot Preproofer, which utilizes Epson 9700 technology. In addition to colour control, the duplex imposition printer accounts for technical issues like marks, traps, overprints and bleeds. Kempenfelt has been operating for over 35 years in Barrie, Ontario, focusing on commercial printing, retail solutions, digital marketing, packaging, kitting and distribution. QUEBECOR, according to a report by the Canadian Press agency, plans to cut upwards of 400 jobs from its Sun Media division, which publishes 43 paid circulation and free dailies and more than 200 community newspapers across Canada. In an interview with the Canadian Press, Paul Morse, President of the Southern Ontario Newsmedia Guild, claimed several layoffs at the Toronto Sun were attributed to the outsourcing of prepress work to India. Quebecor purchased Sun Media in 1999 and its last major round of cuts occurred just before Christmas in 2008 when 600 jobs were eliminated.

FUJIFILM and Kodak separately announced plans to increase plate production through their European manufacturing facilities. Kodak has upgraded a second plate manufacturing line at its facility in Leeds, UK, and will increase its capacity for producing processfree Thermal Direct and PF-N plates. In January 2012, Fujifilm plans to start up a new production line at its Netherlands-based plant, which is one of four primary platemaking sites and sources around 20 percent of its power needs through wind turbines. ST. JOSEPH COMMUNICATIONS purchased an HP Indigo 7500 press for its Ottawa Print Centre location. Involved with variable-data printing for over 15 years, St. Joseph claims to have one of Canada’s largest “digital printing platforms.” The company has developed various patented, Web-to-print solutions, including U-Book, a personalized University recruiting magazine, and ESUBMITit, described as an end-to-end logistics solution being used by several departments of Canada’s Federal Government.

PJ DESAI becomes CEO of St. Louis-based flexography press manufacturer Mark Andy. He replaces Paul Brauss, who is retiring from the company after 12 years, while retaining his position as an executive member of the board. Desai previously spent several years at chemical giant Monsanto, managing business groups before taking on the positions of CFO, President and CEO. He has a chemical engineering degree from MIT and an MBA from the University of Michigan.

BRAMPTON’S BOARD OF TRADE recently named the Rutherford Road location of Kwik Kopy Design & Print Centre as its Small Business of the Month. The Brampton Kwik Kopy location is owned by Karim Mohammed, who began the operation in 2002. The shop now employs four local residents and most recently introduced services for CD/DVD burning, duplication and printing. HEMLOCK PRINTERS of Burnaby, British Columbia, added an HP Indigo 7500 press to its production floor, which will continue to hold the company’s previously installed HP Indigo 5000 press. Allowing Hemlock to expand its substrate range from the earlier HP press, the Indigo 7500 works with basis weights from 60 to 180 pounds and up to 21 points in thickness. According to Hemlock, this new substrate range also allows the environmentally progressive company – running a carbon neutral facility in Burnaby – to employ its eco house stocks, as well as work with textured finishes, translucent vinyl and metalized finishes.

BALDWIN TECHNOLOGY, which develops processautomation equipment and related consumables for the printing industry, signed an agreement to be acquired by Forsyth Baldwin LLC, which is a new company controlled by Forsyth Capital Investors. The agreement allows Baldwin’s board to solicit and enter into alternative proposals through January 28, 2012. If there is no superior offer, the Forsyth Baldwin transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2012, subject to customary approvals and closing conditions. PATRICK CHAPUIS becomes President and CEO of Océ North America. He succeeds Joseph Skrzypczak who will retire in 2012. Chapuis previously served as President of Wide Format Printing Systems for Océ North America, a role he held for the past eight years. Océ also announced that its parent company, Canon Inc., started the process to delist Océ N.V. from the Amsterdam stock exchange. By the start of 2012, Canon brought its ownership of Océ up to 98.83 percent of the entire issued share capital.

DECEMBER 2011 • PRINTACTION • 7

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PRINT CALENDAR

JANUARY 18

Billed as a business survival guide, the Be Different or Be Dead seminar is presented by Roy Osing, a leading executive in the telecommunications industry, and the BCPIA. It is available both in person or as a live-cast webinar. $89

Print sales guru Peter Ebner returns with another of his hotly attended webinars, entitled How to Win at the Quoting Game. Topics covered will include how to outsell your competitors without lowering your price. $69.95

Attention web printers: Deadline to enter the 2011-2012 WOA Print Awards is today. Each of the 38 category winners will receive admission and accomodations to the Offset and Beyond conference where the awards ceremony will be held in St. Louis this June. US$100.

The Sign and Graphic Print show in Dubai enters its 15th year serving the Middle Eastern market. More than 10,000 visitors are expected to attend the show, which is part of Dubai’s famous Shopping Festival, drawing more than three million visitors a year.

8 • PRINTACTION • DECEMBER 2011

FESPA Digital Europe kicks off in Barcelona, one month from today with over 400 exhibitors from across the globe. This year's show will also include representation from the narrow format digital print, labeling, and textile printing segments along with its traditional wide-format coverage.

PaperWeek Canada, the annual conference and trade show for the pulp and paper industry, starts today at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. This year’s program includes sessions on biorefinery, improving paper machine efficiency and the launch of the Canadian Mill Managers Community.

Chuck Gehman will discuss Mimeo.com’s facilities use of automation techniques at this year’s Automation Solutions Network meeting in Memphis, Tennessee. The event includes tours of Mimeo.com and FedEx facilities.

Barcelona is the second largest city by population in Spain. Aside from its worldfamous beaches, the city is also the origin of World Book Day, which stemmed from the city’s tradition of gifting a book to a lover on St. George’s Day (April 23). The city was also once seen as the publishing capital of the Catalan and Spanish languages. Pricing listed at standard rates, with * denoting available member or early-bird discounts.

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Babak Doostdar of Ernest Green prepares Disney wide-format prints for show attendees

PRINT SHOW

Julian Iosifescu of ML System

Hugues Piaud of Mississauga’s All Graphic Supplies

Graphics Canada 2011 John Mitchell of 3deltaE

Dave Kisiloski of Pressdown Services Liza Lam and Mike Meshkati of Toronto’s Sina Printing Marc Raad of EskoArtwork with Fujifilm Canada’s Steph Biasi, VP, Graphic Systems division

Andaria Alexander on Boss Logo’s booth

Lori Cohen and Warren Werbitt of Montreal’s Pazazz Printing

Heidelberg Canada’s Graham Carl discuss the XL 162 press

Bruce Vasey and Scott Taggart of Deco Labels & Packaging

4over Inc.’s Varaz Gharakhanian, Jose Valencia, Tom Hogan, Roger (the goalie), Aurailia Arnold, Jed Weber and Martin Bambanian

MultiCam Canada’s Bob Austin and Sonia Saunders

Nick Howard of Howard Graphic Equipment at PrintAction’s display of 50 years of Canadian printing

PrintAction 12-2011 FINAL_PrintAction 12-01-12 10:35 AM Page 11

Mark Wiedener and Ian Freeman of Greenflow Environmental Services

Kevin Moll of B&R Moll with manroland’s Justin Vachon, Gina Gigliozzi, Sera Biancucci, Michael Mugavero and Bob McCrae Paul Kelly of The Witz Learning Centre holds Creative Suite seminars

Satoshi Tachioka, President of Konica Minolta Canada, throws a card at the “Stanley Cup” built over the duration of the show

Andrea Adams and Dan Huff of Multiple Pakfold

Gary Hughes, President of Muller Martini Canada

Gord McGinn of Anstey Book Binding in Toronto

Fujifilm Canada’s Eden Kim, Monica Dionne and Naoko Hirota

Anne Munro and Brad Munro of Vertex Graphic & Business Equipment with Britt Cary of Challenge Machinery and Duplo’s Larry Stewart

Dylan Westgate and Michael Steele mark Sydney Stone’s 60-year anniversary Jason Hamilton of UpLinX, a division of PaperlinX Canada with his daughter, Helen Harry Stinson of FloClear Fountain Solution Recycling

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Anateresa Mendes-Collins and Bob Elliot of the CPIA Members of Ryerson’s RyeTAGA chapter: Joanne Lu, Kaneesha Serjue, Anna Whatman, Shafia Shuikh and Trung Nguyen

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Dissecting manroland AG

Frank Augurusa ext. 14 frank@blackiprint.com

anroland AG’s late-November filing to initiate insolvency proceedings with an Augsburg district court was shocking, but not really surprising. Despite being Germany’s biggest insolvency filing in over two years, as pointed out by Bloomberg News, most everyone in printing were just waiting for one of the industry’s historic press makers to succumb to the market pressures we have seen for a few years now. In particular, the three major German press manufacturers – Heidelberg, KBA and manroland – were involved in varying degrees of consolidation discussions, including a range of public tit-for-tat statements about the health and viability of joining forces. Printing pundits certainly weighed in on these press-maker issues over the past several months and I have read a great deal of commentary about the filing of manroland AG. Most of the mainstream financial media, unfortunately, paint the struggles of manroland with a broad brush of printing’s demise – those typical, obvious arguments of fighting against the Web. Certainly manroland’s insolvency filing can be easily tied to slumping print markets, however, I also feel manroland made several key strategic errors over the past decade that ultimately positioned the company in a difficult state relative to its competitors. I alluded to these critical issues back in PrintAction’s February 2011 with an article called Women and Children First, describing the potential future failure of a German printing giant. As this issue of PrintAction was going to press, manroland’s insolvency administrator, Werner Schneider, released a statement that his team has conducted various negotiations with parties interested in purchasing the insolvent press maker. Schneider referred to concluding these negotiations by January 31, 2012, to ensure the continued operations of manroland and to save as many jobs as possible. Several pundits suggest one of the emerging Chinese-based companies would be very interested in picking up pieces of manroland, which certainly makes some sense. As we are left wondering who exactly is negotiating with Schneider’s administration, and to what degree, manroland has certainly been an integral part of the global printing market for decades. In the heyday of print

Dominant is a good word to describe manroland during the heyday of print. When it was purchased by the gigantic MAN Group (Maschinenfabrik Augsburg und Nürnberg) in 1979, Roland (Faber & Schleicher) was a leader in mid- to large-format sheetfed machines. By 1989, MAN purchased Miller and combined the two companies into a truly formidable press maker. With the backing of MAN Group, manroland continued to be a major influence in the development of key functionality of press equipment. In fact, many of the press maker’s onboard systems have been copied by others, including instrumental technologies like air transfer, vacuum feed-board, pneumatic side-guides, bender-less plate loading, computerized make-ready, plate cylinder de-clutching, on-press cold foil, 12 • PRINTACTION • DECEMBER 2011

closed-loop colour control and the first widely accepted off-press control console – to name but a few. The Drupa 1990 tradeshow proved pivotal when manroland introduced the world to what was, at that time, leading technology in a sheetfed machine – the Roland 700. The fibre-optic 700 was embarrassingly well ahead of everyone else. This press should have become The Gold Standard moving forward, but unfortunately it also gave manroland agonizing teething pains because of earlier decisions – or stubbornness – by the company. manroland stayed committed to its 5cylinder press concept far too long, allowing competitors like Heidelberg and Komori to gain ground. I clearly remember a snipey, late 1980s comment from one competitor, who said he was always so pleased to arrive at the quadrennial Drupa tradeshow and see the 5-cylinder machine on manroland’s booth. By the early 1990s, every other press maker was developing unitized presses and manroland, with its 9-sided transfer machines, seemed hard headed about changing. The new concepts of press automation were impossible to integrate into a 5-cylinder press and seemingly everyone except manroland were ready to acknowledge the shift. As a result, it is not a stretch to tie the beginning of manroland’s struggles to the launch of the 700 and its early problems. If the press stabilized faster and had not received so much negative publicity it really was the bestengineered piece of equipment available. In the era of creative financing

As printing stability in 1990s turned toward market uncertainty of the new millennium, largely because of a maturing World Wide Web, manroland had started to put the squeeze on its wholly owned sales and service businesses. Shortly after Yves Rogivue took the post as CEO of MAN Roland North America in 2001, the company’s new sales position became very clear to the marketplace. Rogivue spent the next few years publically chastising manroland’s competitors for creative financing, basically providing press-purchase packages with artificially low initial payments but significant medium- to long-term risks. While there was certainly a good deal of truth to Rogivue’s public position on press financing, the inevitable consequences hit hard at manroland’s bottom line. Sales commission structures changed drastically at manroland as corporate-led stubbornness on sales prices created an immediate and severe drop in orders, which ultimately precipitated the company’s slow decline in sheetfed earnings. manroland, of course, is much more than a sheetfed press maker, as the company has dominated the global web offset press arena for decades. The web business was always manroland’s ace card with notable brands as the world-class ROTOMAN and LITHOMAN, which may have masked the underlying issues of the group’s overall profitability. The web arena has been hard hit by the financial downturn, but having the number-one player stumble creates a Continued on page 32

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VICTORIA GAITSKELL

Popular MPP Printer oe Dickson, President of Dickson Printing Ltd. of Ajax, Ontario, is the only printer I know who is currently active in provincial politics in Canada. Following on a prior political career of remarkable longevity, Dickson was re-elected on October 6, 2011, to serve a second term as the Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) representing the riding of Ajax-Pickering in the Liberal government of Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty. Dickson’s electoral district, some 25 km east of Toronto, encompasses the Town of Ajax and the northern part of the City of Pickering (combined population 117,183). Owing to the area’s rapidly growing demographics, the riding was newly created for the 2007 provincial vote – the same year Dickson was first elected to the Ontario legislature. Accordingly, he holds the historical distinction of being his riding’s first and only MPP. In his first term, Dickson served as Government Deputy Whip; now McGuinty has appointed him Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister Responsible for Seniors. Considering Dickson’s vast prior community service and his present age of 70, this new post seems particularly apt.

The printer

The oldest of 10 children, Dickson identifies his mother, Mary, and father, Lou, as his most formative influences. Understandably, Lou had to work hard to support his large family, initially as Ajax’s first door-to-door Fuller Brush man. Back then, the area had no postal service, so Lou lit on the stratagem of delivering his customers’ mail to and from the local post office at an additional cost of 50 cents per

household per month. Lou expanded his mail-courier business for several years, until Canada Post moved in and put him out of business. Next Lou went on to found and publish his community’s first newspaper, the Ajax Advertiser. In 1959, as a teenager, Dickson started the family printing business as an offshoot of helping his father produce the community newspaper. As early as grade school, Dickson can recall cranking out mimeographed sheets in his bedroom on a tabletop, hand-cranked Gestetner. Later he advanced to a small electric floor model. “We continued in the newspaper business until the day before I got married, when a company that is now Metroland was buying up all the local weeklies and bought the business from my father. So I was married and out of a job simultaneously,” Dickson laughs – “Perfect!” Afterwards he worked various jobs, including nine months as an assembly-line inspector for General Motors. To earn more cash, he also took on second and third part-time jobs, one as the production manager for a religious publishing house. Eventually Dickson’s printing activities led him to create a full-time printing business that prospered during the 1970s and 80s, eventually expanding into office products. At one point, Dickson owned five office-supply outlets and from 1980 to 1991 served as national chairman of the Stationers Marketing of Canada, comprising 47 retailers in 10 provinces. At another point, Dickson sold this printing business to the 77-year-old Brown and Collet Corporation of Toronto. But to everyone's surprise, the purchaser filed for bankruptcy shortly after the sale, forcing

Joe Dickson (seated centre) and family celebrate his contributions to Ontario, including (left to right): son Jim Dickson, daughter-inlaw Elaine; daughter Joanna; wife Donna; and the Clerk for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Deb Deller.

Dickson back into business. He reassembled some of his former equipment and staff, and has continued upgrading his technology regularly ever since. Today Dickson Printing comprises 10 staff, prepress department, 6-colour 40inch offset and Xerox DocuColor tonerbased equipment, plus bindery, with some equipment housed separately at a second production site. “Over 50 years the business evolved from a little offset production with letterpress to 100 percent offset, but in more recent years I find the Xerox units are much better and more competitive on the short runs. Offset is still the dominant production tool in longer runs,” explains Dickson, whose clients are a wide commercial mix, most in Durham Region and some in Toronto. Since politics has increasingly absorbed Dickson’s time, his brother Paul, who has been with the company for several decades, has taken over as General Manager. “When you’re in public office, you’re in constant touch with public, and their needs come first,” says Dickson. He still visits the printing company for two to three hours weekly, but only to answer messages he receives at the e-mail address he still publishes on the company’s Website to make it easy for his constituents to contact him personally with their concerns. The politician

Dickson’s political career grew alongside the family business. His first foray was two terms as a Catholic school trustee, initially prompted by encouragement from other trustees plus support from his church parish. Later, after he entered municipal politics, he was elected Ward 2 Councillor

in Ajax for an impressively long seven terms (with a break of two terms in the middle during the recession in the early 90s to allow him to concentrate on the business). His past and present track record of community service includes founding, directing, chairing, and sponsoring countless sports, nonprofit, and charitable teams, events, and organizations, and has earned him numerous citizenship awards, as well as the nickname “Mr. Ajax” from more than one local news reporter. Like many other successful politicians, Dickson was once defeated in an election. It occurred in 1995, when he made a first unsuccessful bid to enter Ontario politics in the riding of Durham West. He remained in the municipal arena until his second successful bid for the provincial legislature in 2007. “I made the jump to the provincial arena, because I felt I could do more at the provincial level. When I was younger, I had a golden opportunity to run federally, but I made a conscientious decision that it was not the right thing to do. Because of the young ages of my [two] children, I didn’t want to be away from home in Ottawa for a week at a time.” Dickson repeatedly emphasizes the importance of a strong family to his political success: “My wife [of 46 years], Donna, is fully supportive of my political and community efforts. I tell people she’s not only my right arm, she’s also my left arm. I would be lost without her.” Donna has a hereditary advantage in understanding the demands of provincial politics: her great-grandfather, William John Bragg, was a Liberal MPP representing Durham from 1919 to 1937. Continued on page 33

DECEMBER 2011 • PRINTACTION • 13

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TheMETResource BRAND BUILDING WITH NIKOS KALLAS

Photo: Kyrani Kanavaros • www.klikphotographic.com

By Jon Robinson DURING AN EARLY SEPTEMBER DINNER in Chicago, at the 2008 Premier Print Awards, I asked Nikos Kallas of Metropolitan Fine Printers what he liked most about being a printer. MET, housed in a 14,000-square-foot Vancouver facility, was nominated for its second They Said It Couldn’t Be Done Award, which the organizers (Printing Industries of America) hand out during the gala to recognize the most technically challenging project among thousands of entries submitted from across the globe. His response was precise: “I just love to hear the presses running full out.” D&D Global, a boutique printer out of Melbourne, Australia, ended up with They Said It Couldn’t Be Done in 2008, but MET picked up two best-ofcategory Benny Awards to make it the most-successful Canadian printing company in the history of the Premier Print Awards – widely recognized as the world’s top printing competition. Within a matter of days, however, presses across the printing world began to slow because of a global financial crisis triggered by valuation and liquidity problems in the United States banking system – what most economists consider to be the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. “[Nobody] wants to talk to one of the world’s most-awarded printers when they are cutting their staff in half,” recalls Scott Gray, Director of Brand for MET. At the time, MET was almost its own worst enemy, because of its reputation for producing high-end projects few other printers could match. This often meant clients were not giving MET a chance to quote on more simple collateral work that keeps press cylinders turning – as if their high-value clients would almost be insulting the boutique printer. “We have tried to reverse that over the past two or three years, because we almost took it too far,” says Kallas, who succeeded his dynamic father, George Kallas, as President of MET one year ago this January. “Now we want to push the high-level again, because it is tough to make a buck on the commodity stuff.” Kallas, at just 32 years of age, has every intention of driving the company’s two 41-inch manroland presses to once again solidify MET as one of the country’s preeminent high-end-printers. He says he does not have any immediate plans for major investments in production-strength toner presses or wide-format inkjet. Kallas instead is supporting the sheetfed focus through a new project-management division called MET Resource, which often sources processes beyond lithography, and a research-and development initiative called MET FX, to provide cutting-edge materials and production testing for long-standing clients. All of these programs rely on the years of expertise housed within MET’s management team, which includes some of North America’s most-innovative printing veterans. While he clearly shares his father’s passion for printing, Kallas, armed with a Bachelor’s degree in economics from The University of Western Ontario, also relates to the craft of printing on a pure strategic level going forward. Continued on page 16

14 • PRINTACTION • DECEMBER 2011

ANDREW. Andrew Rakovalis Distribution Supervisor – Toronto Ever wonder what happens after you place an order with our customer service team or click ‘submit’ when ordering online? Once our inside sales team checks availability of an item, Andrew and his operations team make sure it’s where the system says it is and that it gets to where it’s going on time. Ariva is not just a paper company. We are a leading provider of products and solutions that help organizations communicate and collaborate more effectively.

www.ArivaNow.com Print Action Magazine is printed on Sappi’s Flo Gloss and Flo Matte available exclusively from Ariva.

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MET picked up its 30th Benny Award in 2011, for the Living Shangri-La Toronto Private Estates brochure, as the company holds on to its position as Canada’s most-successful printer in the Premier Print Awards competition.

Putting the craft back into print

One of the positive externalities of today’s Long Tail economy, a term popularized by Wired’s Chris Anderson in his book Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More, is the growing demand for craft items. As the World Wide Web continues to push purchasing power into the hands of consumers, the Long Tail describes a retailing strategy of selling a large number of unique items in relatively small quantities – as opposed to selling fewer items in large quantities. “This is playing right into what we are,” says Gray, who recently finished a brand refresh by dropping the word Metropoli-

April 2010, MET partnered with Climate Smart, which conducted a carbon audit, and Pacific Carbon Trust, a Crown agency that provides carbon credits, to become a fully carbon neutral operation. “Carbon neutrality is a commitment, but it is not that difficult once you get your mindset into it – when it is part of your lifestyle.” MET first looked into carbon neutrality seven years ago, but the process was cost prohibitive and very confusing because of numerous reporting and credit schemes. For a number of years, carbon credits felt like the environmental movement’s answer to the Pet Rock. By 2010, however, the costs had come down dra-

clips. “Before we started this program we used to spend $2,000 or $3,000 a month on garbage collections and now it is around $200,” says Kallas. While MET begins to realize some cost savings to be found from these often longer-term green investments, most environmentally progressive printing projects are best described as a craft product for higher-end clients. “The high-end market just shrunk, but now it is coming back and we are pushing different techniques – unique finishing techniques – and we are doing cool tests on interesting, new materials that nobody even knows about,” says Gray. The MET FX program sets aside regular field-testing time for press crews to research synthetic materials and production techniques. This might involve prototyping with new die lines, working with liquid metal foils, or modifying press units to essentially create flexography-like products off of a litho press. “If you have a challenging job that you want to throw out there like a Hail Mary pass, let us know and we will find the materials and a way to do it. If it works, and it is viable, then we start offering it to our clients,” explains Gray. “We recently ran some synthetic materials made out of recycled water bottles. You grab a four-inch lift of this stuff and it’s as light as a feather, and looks amazing. It floats, is completely recyclable and it prints beautifully.” Most of the MET FX testing and research ends up in the hands of Vice President of Manufacturing, Mike Winteringham, who, at age 45, was also recently named the company’s Chief Operating Officer. He started with the company at age 19 on the pressroom floor and often travelled to tradeshows with George Kallas to investigate new technologies and strategies.

If you have a challenging job that you want to throw “out there like a Hail Mary pass, let us know and we will find the materials and a way to do it. ” tan to present the company as MET Fine Printers to the market, along with what he refers to as three pillars of engagement: Environment, Design, and Ethical Business. The brand refresh allows MET to reengage clients in conversation about initiatives like MET Resource, MET FX and its environmental progress. “[Our environmental investments] might not get us the job specifically, but we would not be getting jobs without it – we know that,” says Kallas, who points to the VOC-free production coming off of the company’s two UV manroland presses. “That is really a core part of the DNA of today’s buyers, at least on the West Coast,” agrees Gray, who included several environmental components in his recent redesign of the company’s Website. In

matically because of market penetration. “Then our government agency opened up, which we could trust because it was going to be regulated,” says Kallas. Whether it is fair or not, relative to taxing ecological issues like e-waste and industrial farming, printing will always be perceived by the public as an environmentally insensitive industry, particularly in a market like Vancouver. The city recently launched its Greenest City 2020 initiative to become the world’s most environmentally sound city by 2020. MET is recognized as a Corporate Climate Leader as one of the first signatories to the process. MET has also been working toward zero waste and feels it is almost there, recycling everything from paper to paper-

16 • PRINTACTION • DECEMBER 2011

The MET sales team is anchored by 40year industry veteran Bob Faulkner, who joined the company 23 years ago. Renowned for delivering perfection to his clients, Faulkner, who moonlights as a world-class extreme adventure racer, provides a unique level of intensity within the MET environment. Faulkner’s sales team also carries seasoned account representatives like Gray, who has been with MET for nearly 25 years, as well as Greg Iftody and Travis Evans who came on board in November 2010. “Bob Faulkner is the king of sales and I have been working with him and learning from him for so many years now,” says Kallas, who, like most sons and daughters of printing-company owners, remembers sweeping production floors and doing

odd jobs around the plant during his youth. He was also the focus for many veteran pranks of the close-knit MET family, such as being asked to go find the half-tone dots and paper stretchers. “I remember once I was on the press and I didn’t know how to close the fountain properly and – of all the colours – it was the yellow,” says Kallas, “so everybody was calling me yellow for a couple of years.” At the time, he was just finishing up high school and getting ready to attend Western, where Kallas would often centre his projects on the operation of a printing business. Faulkner describes Kallas as being more pragmatic than his father, who drove the company from an artistic passion for print. “I keep telling my dad I don’t know how he did it when he started out with absolutely nothing,” says Kallas. “When you have something to start with it is probably a little easier, but, at the same time, you don’t want to screw it up either. I am fortunate to be working with the best people in the industry.” Going home again

George Kallas spent his formative years growing up in Montréal after his family emigrated from Greece in 1962. He was just 11 years old and soon found a summer job delivering groceries to help out the family and to get a little spare change in his pocket. Shortly after finishing high school, he began night classes at Concordia University and spent his days working at Canadair Ltd. (eventually absorbed by Bombardier) building airplane parts. He wanted out of the city, which, in 1969, was reaching the darkest days of the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) terror campaign, including a total of 95 bomb detonations, in their fight to separate from Canada. It was not a friendly place for an immigrant worker to begin his career. Kallas had heard of a magical Canadian city called Vancouver where it never snowed and scheduled a two-week vacation for January – to test this weather claim. The plane landed at Vancouver’s airport, surrounded by green fields, Friday afternoon and on Monday Kallas called Canadair to let them know he was not coming back. He found a phone maintenance job with BCTel and – eager to start his own business – began sales and marketing classes at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. A neighbour put George in touch with a press operator, ironically from Montreal, who was looking for a partner who could handle sales. In 1977, the two entrepreneurs began Metropolitan Press with a 2-colour Miehle, printing stationary, business cards, pizza menus, whatever black-and-white work George could find. “Price Printing and Agency Press were doing all of the quality stuff and a lot of times I would be quoting against them, lower, sometimes by as much as 20 percent, but I still couldn’t get the work,” remembers Kallas. “Then I figured out the reason why: They had the branding, which they had built up for years.” A year before the 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication

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(Expo 86) landed in Vancouver, Agency Press purchased a new 6-colour Komori plus coater. Kallas, who by this time had taken sole control of the company and renamed it Metropolitan Fine Printers, after his partner was forced to return to Montréal, did not see any of the other local printers making a move and – to take advantage of the Expo 86 economic boost – paid a failing California printer $800,000 for its 6-colour Miller press plus coater. “Things were unbelievable for the next decade,” says Kallas. “We built a hell of a name and spent a lot of money on marketing.” At the turn of the new millennium, with his Expo 86 experience and MET fully entrenched as one of Vancouver’s preeminent printers, it was natural for George Kallas to push hard with the Canadian Olympic Committee when he heard about the city’s interest in hosting the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. MET began producing the bid materials back in 2001, including the critical Bid Book sent to the International Olympic Committee. In October 2009, George was part of the Michaëlle Jean’s delegation that traveled to Olympia, Greece, for the lighting of the Olympic torch before its long journey to the 2010 Games in Vancouver. “It was an unbelievable experience just to be there with the Governor General and have the flame given to you. Being in that position… it was an experience of a lifetime.” MET Fine Printers had been named as the official printer of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games and, for the second time in 25 years, a Vancouver-hosted world event would help shape the direction of the company. One of MET’s biggest projects came from the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), which involved providing graphics – both smalland large-format – for its hosting pavilions, athletes’ reception hall out by the airport, a secret location for handing out Olympic swag, and a huge log cabin up in Whistler, as well as daily printing needs. It was an immense RFQ, according to Gray: “Originally, they just wanted us to manage the implementation.” Instead, MET and its partners came up with a complete production and design strategy. “It opened our eyes that this is a really neat kind of business,” says Gray. Since the Olympics Games, MET has applied its MET Resource approach with Visa, Lululemon, TELUS, and Stanley Black & Decker. “Four over four, 8 ½ x 11 sheets – anybody can do that, but offering the whole package with expertise, well, there is not a lot of that around. This is where we see the future, where we can tie everything in,” says Nikos Kallas. “Sometimes you go to these big corporate events and everything is off. They want their brand to look consistent.” Set up for succession

If there is one thing MET understands, it is the value of brand. George Kallas estimates, that during MET’s prolific growth period, he was spending over half a million dollars per year on branding the company. “I figured, that if it is going to

get tough, we are going to be able to survive because we have good branding and because of all of these inventions we have done, including EIS.” Enviro Image Solutions (EIS) is a technology company fostered by MET to rejuvenate spent printing blankets used on ultraviolet presses. When MET turned to complete UV production in 2004, it quickly discovered the high cost of replacing press blankets. EIS‘ patent-pending rejuvenate program allows blankets to be reused on press, more than once, which the company claims can reduce blanket costs by up to 70 percent. Over the past few years, EIS has attracted attention from some of the largest printers in North America, Europe, Japan and Australia. George Retsos, who is George Kallas’s son-in-law, helped refine the EIS technology and also drove it into the global market. Kallas’ daughter, Penny, worked with MET for a while, but she always found her passion in fashion as opposed to the printing industry. Kallas made a point of never pushing either Penny or Nikos into the family business, hoping one of them would find their own reasons for taking over the company. Kallas actually planned to retire about 10 years ago, after a working life that began at age 11. “I said, ‘You know what, I have done my part. I just want to relax and look at printing as a craft, but I don’t want to be involved with all of this new stuff,’” he explains. “You have to be an IT person today to understand it. Nikos understands the younger people who are coming up in the buying world. Plus he was mentored by a lot of older experts like Bob and Mike.” The elder Kallas continues to explain that his son is a much better communicator: “I would say that Nikos is a 90 percent better communicator than I ever was.” He describes his approach as simply encouraging people to try new ideas, whereas Nikos stresses accountability with his team, asking for weekly reports to be submitted by noon Monday, which is vital in today’s business climate. “I see that Nikos is very level minded and I think he is taking the pressure very well, because he is very organized. He is always calm – much calmer than I ever was. “Printing is a business. It doesn’t matter what business you are in, you just need to have the drive to succeed,” continues Kallas Sr., who feels he sees printing strictly as a craft while Nikos sees it more as a business. The apple, however, never does fall far from the tree. “We want MET to be an experience,” explains Nikos. “We want people to come to a press check and be excited about coming back for the next one.” While this mindset appears to be counterintuitive to what most printers have been told about modern workflow efficiencies, MET’s craft strategy lives and breathes in the life of printing. There is every expectation that print is to become more of a luxury item as time, mobile computing and the World Wide Web march on. “Like staying in a really nice hotel, we want people to feel that way about print – like they are treating themselves to MET.”

Twenty-six hours before the first event of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, George Kallas, founder of Vancouver-based Metropolitan Fine Printers, carried the flame through Burnaby toward the opening ceremonies at BC Place.

In addition to its massive Canstruction Vancouver undertaking, founded by George Kallas in 2002 and now responsible for donating 1,056,000 cans of food, MET – for two decades – has participated in the BC Lions Society 24 Hour Relay for the Kids, raising over $225,000.

MET’s UV-light-cured, 9- and 10-unit manroland 700 presses allow the company to maintain a small footprint ideally centred in Vancouver for maintaining vital relationships with the city’s innovative design community. DECEMBER 2011 • PRINTACTION • 17

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The inaugural Canadian Printing Awards, presented by PrintAction, was celebrated by over 300 people in November. Take a look inside the awards program and the players who continue to advance the printing industry.

1^ Earle Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Born receives the John A. Young Lifetime Achievement Award

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q t

q Mike Collinge, CEO of Webcom, with

Muller Martini Canada’s Monica Vucovan and Cyndie Crysler w Steve Daigle, VP of Montreal’s Nustream Graphic, and Matthew Alexander, President of Colour Innovations in Toronto e Rachel Dierolf of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative r Richard Kouwenhoven of Hemlock t Warren Werbitt of Montreal’s Pazazz Printing y Fujifilm Canada’s Lou Pelletier and Steph Biasi u Roman Czyrski of HostmannSteinberg with Kempenfelt Group’s Taline Hepburn, Dino Sinnathurai, Barry Peacock, Mark Wilson (Hostmann-Steinberg), Craig Hinch and Chris Peacock i Agfa Canada’s Lawrence Robinson in discussion with Jay Mandarino, President of C.J. Graphics o Don Robinson and Bill Wilson of Heidelberg Canada 1) Nick, Sarah, and Liana Howard of Howard Graphic Equipment

1! Neil Stewart, President of Anstey Book Binding, with Sara Young, Publisher of PrintAction 1@ Diane and Martin Habekost of Ryerson 1# Jay Mandarino, C.J. Graphics, with Rich Pauptit, President of Flash Reproductions 1$ Todd Cober, VP with Kitchener’s Cober Evolving Solutions 1% Xerox’s Jim Solomos, Symcor’s Murali Dorai and Richard Corbett with Xerox’s Chris Connor 1^ PrintAction Editor Jon Robinson with Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, and Sara Young 1& Al Kershaw of The Print Wizard with Carl Pauptit, Founder of Flash Reproductions 1* HP’s Lloyd Bryant with event host Dianne Buckner and St. Joseph’s Tony Gagliano 1( Doug Ford, City Councilor for Toronto, Steve Robbins, APP Canada, Mayor Rob Ford, and Jim Prosser, APP Canada. Photos by Neil Ta

y u 1) 1! o 1$

1# 1*

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2) Ward Griffith, CEO of The Lowe-Martin Group 2! Ghislain Perreault, Production and Prepress Manager with Montreal’s Promoflex International 2@ Norm Beange and Natalie Roebuck of Specialties Graphic Finishers 2# Dick Kouwenhoven, President of Burnaby’s Hemlock Printers 2$ Scott Gray, Director of Brand for Vancouver’s MET Fine Printers

2% Julie Loyer, Cascades Fine Papers, Beth Craig, Webcom, Rod Stavelly, CEO of Sun Chemical Canada, and Vince Lapinski, CEO of manroland North America 2^ Tony and Lina Gagliano, Mary and Ray D’Antonio, and Cindy and Ryan Anderson from St. Joseph 2& Karl Belafi Jr. of Montreal’s KBR Graphics

2* Georgina Holloway, Rainforest Alliance, Monika Patel, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and Myrna Penny of the OPIA 2( Ryan Anderson of St. Joseph Print, Steve Kendrick of Colour Innovations and Brian Moore of C.J. Graphics 3) Kempenfelt’s Dino Sinnathurai with Presstek’s Todd Philips Photos by Neil Ta and Brad MacDonald

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2011

AWARD WINNERS

Quality Printing Categories Self Promotion Gold: The Lowe-Martin Group, Zero C Invitation Silver: C.J. Graphics, Lightening our Step Bronze: Parker Pad & Printing, Fantasy of Flight

Calendars

Gold: C.J. Graphics, Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation Silver: Thunderbird Press, Wall Calendar Bronze: Hemlock Printers, Butchart Gardens 2012 Bronze: Colour Innovations, Canadian Army Calendar 2012

Packaging Printing Brochures Gold: Kempenfelt Group, Hostmann-Steinberg Product Selector Guide Silver: Colour Innovations, Arcadian Court Booklet Bronze: St. Joseph Print, 2012 Fiat 500 Bronze: C.J. Graphics, Ornge brochure

Business Cards Gold: Flash Reproductions, Bucket & Whisk Silver: Flash Reproductions, Scratch Design Bronze: Kempenfelt Group, Brandora

Stationery packages Gold: C.J. Graphics, Sullivan Owen Silver: Hemlock Printers, Level Ground Trading Bronze: C.J. Graphics, The White Room

Variable Data Printing Gold: The Lowe-Martin Group, The Co-operators RRSP Mailer Silver: Pazazz Printing, My MNY

Direct Mail Gold: St. Joseph Print, Fiat 500 Welcome Package Silver: C.J. Graphics, MINI Cooper Pamphlet Bronze: Colour Innovations, Fairmont Hotels President’s Club

Handset Printing Gold: Anstey Book Binding, The Oscar Peterson Folio Silver: Ambrosi Printers, Handset Self Promotion Bronze: Anstey Book Binding, The Anstey Portfolio

Business & Annual Reports Gold: C.J. Graphics, VF Corporation Annual Report

Magazines & Catalogues Gold: Hemlock Printers, Inventory Magazine, Issue #04 Silver: Hemlock Printers, Finchley Paper Arts Passport Bronze: Rhino Print Solutions, Montecristo Magazine, Autumn 2011 Bronze: St. Joseph Print, Sharp, The Book for Men

Books Gold: C.J. Graphics, Edward Burtynsky, Pentimento Gold: Flash Reproductions, 0 to 100 Faces Silver: Specialties Graphic Finishers, Alberta College of Art & Design Bronze: Pazazz Printing, Samfet Corporate Showcase Book Bronze: Hemlock Printers, Blood, Sweat & 10 Years

Display Graphics Gold: Promoflex International, Budweiser Pennants Silver: Promoflex International, Campbell’s Food Roll Banner

Gold: Goldrich Printpak, Euoko Cosmetic Box Silver: Netpak, Snow Box Bronze: Goldrich Printpak, Dunlea Farms Tidy Feeder

Labels Gold: The Lowe-Martin Group, Year of the Rabbit, Souvenir Sheet Silver: Pazazz Printing, Base Can Promotion Bronze: Pazazz Printing, Beaupre Labels

Finishing Gold: Anstey Book Binding, Edward Burtynsky Pentimento Silver: Specialties Graphic Finishers, The Secret to Making a Difference Bronze: Anstey Book Binding, Colourful Conventions

Environmental Printing Categories Most Environmentally Progressive Printing Project Gold: MET Fine Printers, TED Conference Guide Silver: MET Fine Printers, Connected World Magazine Bronze: C.J. Graphics, Toronto Tree Portraits 2012 Calendar Bronze: MET Fine Printers, Montecristo Magazine Summer 2011

Most Environmentally Progressive Packaging Project Gold: Farnell Packaging, Gorton’s Fish Portions Silver: C.J. Graphics, Ikea 2010 Sustainability Carton

Most Environmentally Progressive Printing Technology Gold: Cascades Fine Papers, Breakey Fibres Deinking Silver: Webcom, BookFWD Bronze: Sun Chemical, GFI MX12 Ink Dispenser Bronze: manroland, Cold Foil Indexing with InlineFoiler Prindor

Most Environmentally Progressive Printing Company, 1 to 249 employees Gold: Hemlock Printers Silver: Webcom Bronze: Promoflex International

Most Environmentally Progressive Printing Company, 250+ employees Gold: The Lowe-Martin Group Silver: Symcor ISS Bronze: St. Joseph Communications

Best of Show Award The Lowe-Martin Group, Year of the Rabbit Souvenir Sheet

DECEMBER 2011 • PRINTACTION • 21

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INDUSTRY ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

COMMUNITY LEADER OF THE YEAR AWARD

JOHN A. YOUNG LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

PRINTING LEADER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Jay Mandarino Founder & President, C.J. Graphics, Printers & Lithographers

Earle O’Born Founder, Chairman & CEO, The Printing House Ltd.

Tony Gagliano Executive Chairman & CEO, St. Joseph Communications

BEST OF SHOW The Lowe-Martin Group, Ottawa – Year of the Rabbit, Souvenir Sheet The 550,000-run job of the Year of the Rabbit Souvenir Sheet, designed by HM&E Design, was produced on a 40-inch, 10-colour Heidelberg CD102 – using Sun Chemical SunLit Diamond inks and 80-pound Tullis Russel stamp stock. Based on Creo Trendsetter im-

22 • PRINTACTION • DECEMBER 2011

aging and Fujifilm’s LH-PJ thermal plate, the process colours of the job were applied at 10-micron screens, while the PMS colours were set at 25-micron screens. After printing, the project was perforated on a Wista die-cutter

and die-cut to size, before being sent to Gravure Choquet in Saint-Léonard for gold-foil printing and multi-layer embossing. The sheets were then shrinkwrapped into packages of 50 with backer board, top and bottom. As part of the Lunar New Year Series,

the Rabbit Souvenir sheets were produced along with panes of 25 stamps. Colour management was critical on this project, according to LoweMartin, which made trend pulls every 500 sheets for checking against the client’s sign-off sheet. During the press make-ready, colours were set up in sequence adding one colour at a time to ensure accurate registration. The production team left two units open on the press between the yellow and varnish – to allow for drying time before adding varnish. This process, along with 10- and 20-micron screening, created more vibrant colours. (See Lowe-Martin’s write-up on page 30 for more information about its other CPA wins.)

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USED EQUIPMENT

COMMUNITY LEADER OF THE YEAR AWARD Jay Mandarino Founder & President, C.J. Graphics, Printers & Lithographers Leading by his mantra “Lend a hand, by raising yours,” Jay Mandarino founded two successful non-profit companies, including JBM Event Auction Services and C. J. Skateboard Park & School. Over the past 23 years, JBM Event Auction, with Mandarino serving as an auctioneer, has helped more than 500 registered charities raise over $25 million. He performs nearly 70 auctions per year. On most Saturdays, Mandarino dons kneepads and helmet, working with kids at the C.J. Skateboard Park. This non-profit, which is the world’s fourth largest indoor skateboard park, has welcomed more than 9,000 people through it doors. Most of the people who come to the skate park are kids of all ages, including at risk youth and special needs children with autism, Asperger’s, Down’s syndrome or other challenges. Using his own long-running passion for skateboarding, Mandarino helps the children build self confidence and esteem that spills over into other parts of their lives.

JOHN A. YOUNG LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Earle O’Born Founder, Chairman and CEO, The Printing House Ltd. The John A. Young Lifetime Achievement Award, named after the late founder of Youngblood Publishing and PrintAction magazine, is to be awarded annually to an individual who has made significant and pioneering contributions to the printing industry over their career. The career of Earle O’Born, his vision and 50-year entrepreneurial build of The Printing House Ltd., stands out among his peers. O’Born founded TPH in 1961 as one of the first instant-printing companies in North America. Over the past five decades, his business vision, understanding of technology and strategy, has resulted in what is today’s largest privately owned network of printing operations across Canada. From a single 1961 location, TPH now operates 70 print shops across Canada. On par with O’Born’s indomitable entrepreneurial drive, is his incredible philanthropic spirit. The TPH Charitable Office was formed in 1983 by Earle and his wife, Janice, to “help others, help themselves.” Through the continuing efforts of four full-time staff members, the TPH Charitable Office has raised millions of dollars for various charities across Canada. Their primary focus is to help women and children, particularly in the areas of health and education. In 2005, and again in 2006, TPH received the CIBC Spirit of Leadership Community Award. O’Born has also received numerous awards for his entrepreneurial achievements, including in 2004, and again in 2007, as a provincial finalist in Canada’s Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. He was recognized by Ernst & Young as a 2008 Entrepreneur of the Year for Ontario in the Business-to-Business category.

PRINTING LEADER OF THE YEAR AWARD Tony Gagliano Executive Chairman & CEO, St. Joseph Communications Most people in printing are familiar with the inspiring story of Gaetano Gagliano, who immigrated to Canada in the early 1950s. He worked two jobs, making $2 a day with a printing company and laying track for CP Rail, before launching St. Joseph Printing in 1956 with a single letterpress in the basement of the family home in which he would eventually raise 10 children, including St. Joseph’s current CEO, Tony Gagliano. Tony Gagliano joined St. Joseph in 1979 as its 11th employee. Eight years later he was named General Manager of what had become one of Canada’s largest private printing companies and was soon named President of the family business. He became CEO in 1995 and now, with the additional title of Executive Chairman, leads one of Canada’s largest media and communications companies. As he built St. Joseph, Gagliano also prioritized his passion for educational, social and environmental initiatives. In addition to founding the St. Joseph Family of Companies Foundation to support various charities, he continues as an honourary board member of Scouts Canada, as well as a board member of St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto Community Foundation, Canadian Club, Ryerson Foundation Board, and Board Member and Vice President of the Art Gallery of Ontario. In 2007, after four years of planning with fellow Co-founder David Pecaut, Gagliano launched Toronto’s 10-day Luminato Arts Festival. He also spearheaded Galleria Italia, part of a multi-million-dollar transformation at the Art Gallery of Ontario, gathering support from 23 Italian-Canadian families. Amid his city building and vision for the business future of communications, Gagliano also kept printing as a core of St. Joseph’s future, which is now manifested in the company’s 450,000-square-foot Toronto Print Campus. DECEMBER 2011 • PRINTACTION • 23

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TRADE PRINTING

AMBROSI PRINTERS Regina Handset Printing – Silver: Handset Self Promotion Craftsman Phil Ambrosi produced his 1,000-piece, self-promotion project on a 10 x 15-inch Heidelberg press. The challenging piece illustrates handset type, produced with a custom engraved mat, on both sides of an 11 x 17-inch translucent sheet. The project is set in alphabetical order based on the name of type style.

ANSTEY BOOK BINDING (SPECIALTIES) Toronto Handset Printing – Gold: The Oscar Peterson Folio; Bronze: The Anstey Portfolio; Finishing – Gold: Edward Burtynsky Pentimento; Bronze: Colourful Conventions In addition to being the finishing partner on a number of CPA winning projects, Anstey’s production of the Oscar Peterson Portfolio (33 pieces) required finishing processes like sheeting, foil stamping, letterpress, die-cutting, mounting and hand-gluing. The Smyth sewn Edward Burtynsky Pentimento project (300 pieces) required a challenging slipcase with particularly sturdy corners that snugly fit two books. The Anstey Portfolio, 500 pieces, involved finishing processes like case binding, tipping, die cutting, letterpress, foil stamping and hand assembly. The Colourful Conventions project, 1,000 pieces, involved die cutting, foil stamping, embossing and hand assembly.

C.J. GRAPHICS, PRINTERS & LITHOGRAPHERS Etobicoke Self Promotion – Silver: Lightening our Step; Brochures – Bronze: Ornge brochure; Stationery packages – Gold: Sullivan Owen; Bronze: The White Room; Direct Mail – Silver: MINI Cooper Pamphlet; Business & Annual Reports – Gold: VF Corporation Annual Report; Books – Gold: Edward Burtynsky, Pentimento; Calendars – Gold: Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation; Most Environmentally Progressive Printing Project – Bronze: Toronto Tree Portraits 2012 Calendar; Most Environmentally Progressive Packaging Project – Silver: Ikea 2010 Sustainability Carton In addition to company President Jay Mandarino winning the Community Leader of the Year Award, C.J. Graphics took home a total of 10 printing category awards. The majority of C.J. Graphics’ winning projects were produced on a 6-colour Heidelberg Speedmaster 105 XL press, while the company’s toner-based work is produced on Xerox presses. CASCADES FINE PAPERS St. Jerome Most Environmentally Progressive Printing Technology – Gold: Breakey Fibres Deinking Cascades $3.7 million deinking investment (flotation cell, washers/thickeners, disperser and clarifier) at its Quebec Breakey Fibers mill began in early 2010, with the goal of improving the quality of Cascades’ fine papers made with deinked kraft pulp, which itself is generated through 100 percent recycled fibres. Most of the pulp from Breakey mill is used at Cascades’ Rolland Mill, while Breakey’s waste-paper supply is purposely collected within a 700 km radius of the mill. Cascades states the visible dirt and glue residue within the pulp has decreased by some 50 percent – as whiteness slightly increases. The pulp made with the new investment began to ship in August 2011.

COLOUR INNOVATIONS North York Brochures – Silver: Arcadian Court Booklet; Direct Mail – Bronze: Fairmont Hotels President’s Club; Calendars – Bronze: Canadian Army Calendar 2012 From its 31,000-square-foot plant, Colour Innovations produced all three of its winning pieces on a Heidelberg perfecting press with Fujifilm plates. The 1,050-piece run of the Arcadian Court Booklet used a 200-line screen, while the Fairmont Hotels folder (over 140,000) hit 325-lpi and the 6,000 Canadian Army Calendars were printed at 325-lpi. 24 • PRINTACTION • DECEMBER 2011

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TRADE PRINTING

FARNELL PACKAGING Dartmouth Most Environmentally Progressive Packaging Project – Gold: Gorton’s Fish Portions Farnell produced its 250,000-impression run of the Gorton’s Fish Portions packaging on a W&H Novoflex press, using a 46 ¼-inch sheet size. The 7-colour project – printed on a custom-blended, co-ex polyethylene film (white) – was prepared with Final Print Assurance proofing, EskoArtwork’s Nexus software and DuPont plates to hit a 168-lpi screen. Farnell used Siegwerks Opaltone inks on the project.

FLASH REPRODUCTIONS Etobicoke Business Cards – Gold: Bucket & Whisk; Silver: Scratch Design; Books – Gold: 0 to 100 Faces Flash’s production of the 0 to 100 Book (illustrating human life from age 0 to 100) is highlighted with a unique binding style, referred to as children’s “block book,” which holds images seamlessly across each spread. Flash produced its 1,000-piece run of the Scratch Design Business Cards on a 1-colour, semi-auto AWT screen press at a 150-line screen – using Norcote Yellow, Norcote High Gloss Clear and Norcote Silver Latex. Flash produced its 1,500 run of the Bucket & Whisk Business Cards (two colours) on a 10 x 15-inch Heidelberg Platten Windmill press at a 150-line screen.

GOLDRICH PRINTPAK Toronto Packaging Printing – Gold: Euoko Cosmetic Box; Bronze: Dunlea Farms Tidy Feeder From its 67,700-square-foot plant, Goldrich produced both of its winning projects on a KBA Rapida 105 press. The 20,000-piece run of the Dunlea Farms Tidy Feeder project, produced on a 0.020 chipboard substrate, was imaged with 20-mircon dots using Agfa Elite plates. The project is completely biodegradable, as it required direct-contact food-grade LVOC inks, as well as food-grade aqueous coatings, certified non-toxic windowing film, and cold cornstarch edible glues. Goldrich also produced its 100,000-piece run of the Euoko Cosmetic Box at 20-micron resolution.

HEMLOCK PRINTERS Burnaby Stationery packages – Silver: Level Ground Trading; Magazines & Catalogues – Gold: Inventory Magazine, Issue #04; Silver: Finchley Paper Arts Passport; Books – Bronze: Blood, Sweat & 10 Years; Calendars – Bronze: Butchart Gardens 2012; Most Environmentally Progressive Printing Company, 1 to 249 employees – Gold Hemlock continued its dominance of instituting sustainable manufacturing processes with its sixth straight Gold award as Canada’s most environmentally progressive printing company. In addition to its continuing measurement of emission reductions, waste diversion and energy efficiency, Hemlock in the past year instituted its self-branded Zero program (100 percent carbon neutrality) to put its environmental efforts in context for the marketplace. Hemlock’s printing category wins were produced on various Heidelberg sheetfed presses – both straight and perfecting configurations – with Fujifilm PHP plates at 20-micron.

KEMPENFELT GROUP Barrie Brochures – Gold: Hostmann-Steinberg Product Selector Guide; Business Cards – Bronze: Brandora Kempenfelt produced both of its winning projects on a 7-colour, 40-inch Heidelberg press with coater. With a total run of 7,500 pieces in four versions, the Brandora Business Card project, imaged with Taniguchi inks and Agfa Elite plates, featured six different substrate layers glued together. Kempenfelt’s production of the HostmannSteinberg Brochures featured various effects of Hostmann consumables like biorenewable INKREDIBLE process inks, MetalFX inks, SUBSTIFIX fountain solution, PRINTLAC varnishes, and ACRYLAC water-based coatings. 26 • PRINTACTION • DECEMBER 2011

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DIGITAL PRINTING

MANROLAND AG Augsburg Most Environmentally Progressive Printing Technology – Bronze: Cold Foil Indexing with InlineFoiler Prindor manroland introduced the Cold Foil Indexing Function to its InlineFoiler Prindor in 2011 to help printers realize material savings of unused foil with every rotation of the printing cylinders. The function of indexing allows for the stopping of the foil web while the cylinder gaps pass. This equates to an 18.4 percent reduction in foil consumption. In combination with multi-reel capabilities on the InlineFoiler Prindor, which allows users to apply cold foil in specific areas, the reduction of cold foil during the application process can be reduced by more than 60 percent.

MET FINE PRINTERS Vancouver Most Environmentally Progressive Printing Project – Gold: TED Conference Guide; Silver: Connected World Magazine; Bronze: Montecristo Magazine Summer 2011 MET Printers dominated the environmentally progressive printing project category based largely on its internally developed UV process as applied through 9- and 10-unit manroland 700 presses. The MET UV process is supported by the company’s Enviro Image Solutions division, which recycles UV blankets, as well as numerous green manufacturing practices like Climate Smart certification and zero-waste targets. MET produced its 6,100-piece run Connected World project, the 1,350-piece TED Conference Guide, and the 120,000-piece Montecristo Magazine at 10-micron stochastic.

NETPAK Montréal Packaging Printing – Silver: Snow Box Netpak produced the Snow Box package, designed to house an award-winning Quebec apple ice wine, on its newly installed 6-colour KBA Rapida 106 press using Kodak P072 plates, imaged on a Kodak Lotem 800 at 175-lpi. The box had a run of 37,000 copies, printed on 20-point SBS C2C TruWhite board. The entire printing on the box consists of one PMS red colour, but was accompanied by a UV gloss and satin varnish. According to Netpak, the main challenge for the project was ensuring precise registration for each of the five key steps: stamping, litho, embossing and debossing, die cutting and gluing.

PARKER PAD & PRINTING Markham Self Promotion – Bronze: Fantasy of Flight

PARKER PAD & PRINTING LTD.

From its 37,000-square-foot plant, Parker Pad produced the 700-piece Fantasy of Flight project on a 6-colour Heidelberg CD 74 press with coater. The 13-colour project – plus two Rycoline varnishes – features finishing effects like foil stamping, debossing, embossing, die cutting, collating, perforation, punch and wiro bind. The project was imaged at 175-lpi with Heidelberg Saphira Thermal plates and HostmannSteinberg ink.

PAZAZZ PRINTING Montréal Variable Data Printing – Silver: My MNY; Books – Bronze: Samfet Corporate Showcase Book; Labels – Silver: Base Can Promotion; Bronze: Beaupre Labels From its 65,000-square-foot plant, Pazazz produced its 750-piece run of the Samfet Corporate Showcase Book project (180 page + cover hardcover) on a 56-inch, 6-colour KBA Rapida 142 UV press at a 250-lpi screen, using Fuji Brillia plates. The My MNY variable printing project involved a 5,600-piece run using XMPie software and a Xerox iGen4 press. The company’s Pazazz Labels division won two awards, including the 1,000-piece Base Can project (printed at 175-lpi on HP WS4500 and ABG Digicon presses) and the 50,000 printed sets of the Beaupre labels, also produced at 175-lpi but within an 8-colour Aquaflex press. DECEMBER 2011 • PRINTACTION • 27

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LETTERPRESS & FINISHING

PROMOFLEX INTERNATIONAL St. LĂŠonard Display Graphics â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Gold: Budweiser Pennants; Silver: Campbellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Food Roll Banner; Most Environmentally Progressive Printing Company, 1 to 249 employees â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bronze Promoflex enacted numerous environmentally progressive initiatives in 2011, including participation in Quebecâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s EnviroClub program, a CO2 reduction of over 30 tonnes, heat and materials recycling, lighting efficiency, programmable thermostats, and carbon footprint assessment. From its 20,000-square-foot plant, Promoflex produced 4,000 kits (50 feet each) for the 5-colour Budweiser Pennants project on a Carint Gemini press. Promoflex produced the Campbell Food banner project, requiring 12,000 linear feet of print (150-lpi), on a 3.5-mm-thick polyethylene substrate with CAI Thermoplast inks. RHINO PRINT SOLUTIONS Calgary Magazines & Catalogues â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bronze: Montecristo Magazine, Autumn 2011 From its 40,000-square-foot plant, Rhino produced its 30,000-piece run of the 4-colour Montecristo Magazine on a Heidelberg CD 102 and 12-colour perfector. The project â&#x20AC;&#x201C; printed at a 400-line screen using Heidelberg plates and HostmannSteinberg inks â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is also environmentally sound with the use of Rolland Enviro 100 Text 80# and Cover 80# paper. The job was finished with low-curl aqueous coatings and PUR perfect binding. ST. JOSEPH COMMUNICATIONS Concord Brochures â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bronze: 2012 Fiat 500; Direct Mail â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Gold: Fiat 500 Welcome Package; Magazines & Catalogues â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bronze: Sharp, The Book for Men; Most Environmentally Progressive Printing Company, 250+ employees â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bronze St. Joseph continued to advance its environmental agenda over the past year with initiatives like the Partners in Growth program (now responsible for the planting of over 2.5-million trees) and various Environmental Task Force initiatives around renewable energy projects, water conservation, and waste diversion. The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Print division produced both the 5,200-piece run of the Fiat 500 Welcome Direct Mail project and the 45,000-piece 2012 Fiat 500 Brochure with a 40-inch Heidelberg CD press. Both projects were imaged at 175-lpi using Kodak plates and Prinergy software. The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 50,000piece run of the Sharp The Book for Men (Fall/Winter 2011) magazine project was printed with manroland Rotoman S Heatset Webs (150 lpi) and the 40-inch Heidelberg.

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SUN CHEMICAL CANADA Brampton Most Environmentally Progressive Printing Technology â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bronze: GFI MX12 Ink Dispenser In partnership with GFI Innovations, Sun Chemical launched its GFI MX12 dispenser program in Canada in June 2010, with the first commercial install in July 2010. Sun Chemical then had 23 Canadian installs of the dispensing system over 14 months ending September 2011. According to Sun Chemical, ink room spot-colour inventories reduced up to 20 percent, while blended ink consumption can be reduced by 30 percent. The GFI MX12 ink dispensing system carousel has 18 positions for 8-pound GFI Eco-Flow cartridges, allowing users to can make ink spot batches as small as Â˝ lb to an accuracy of 0.001 lb per component.

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SYMCOR ISS Mississauga Most Environmentally Progressive Printing Company, 250+ employees – Silver Symcor continued to build on its robust 2009/2010 environmental initiatives by retaining its BOMA BESt certification – recognizing energy and environmental performance – for its 140,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Mississauga, as well as its waste division rate of 96 percent, and its triple paper-scheme certification with FSC, PEFC and SFI. Symcor also initiated or completed a series of environmentally progressive initiatives over the past year, including an 18-month Site Specialization reorganization project and its large-scale Océ JetStream installation. In addition to allowing the use of paper rolls from the mill, Symcor estimates its new Océ production engines enabled the reduction of CO2 emissions by 186 metric tonnes. The company prints about 2-million (8 ½ x 11 inches) impressions per year. THE LOWE-MARTIN GROUP Ottawa Self Promotion – Gold: Zero C Invitation; Variable Data Printing – Gold: The Co-operators RRSP Mailer; Labels – Gold: Year of the Rabbit, Souvenir Sheet; Most Environmentally Progressive Printing Company, 250+ employees – Gold; Best of Show – Year of the Rabbit Souvenir Sheet Lowe-Martin continued to build on its strong environmental position with new initiatives, while also providing detailed environmental measurements in relation to the baseline established back in 2007. For example, since 2007, Lowe-Martin increased the percentage of its power usage from renewable energy sources by 600 percent, increased its FSC-based jobs by 497 percent and FSC fibre tonnage use by 112 percent, while also reducing CO2 emissions by 17.5 percent and carbon footprint by 42.5 percent. Beyond its offset-based Best of Show print award (see opening), Lowe-Martin produced both the 1,000-piece Mission Zero C project and the Cooperators RRSP Mailer on a Kodak NexPress 2500.

THUNDERBIRD PRESS Richmond Calendars – Silver: Wall Calendar Thunderbird produced its 800-piece 6 Month Wall Calendar project in a 4-colour process (with dull varnish and high-gloss aqueous) on a manroland 300 press and Hostmann-Steinberg inks. The glossy and matte effects of the calendar were accomplished using a drip-off varnish. This means the dull varnish was put down in the areas that were to stay matte, before an overall high-gloss aqueous coating was applied – all done in one pass through the press. The project was imaged at 200 lpi using Fujifilm plates and XMF software.

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WEBCOM Scarborough Most Environmentally Progressive Printing Technology – Silver: BookFWD; Most Environmentally Progressive Printing Company, 1 to 249 employees – Silver Webcom built its BookFWD program through 2010 and 2011 with the installation of several pieces of equipment, most notably the Canadian-first purchase of an HP T300 Inkjet Web Press, as well as two new bindery lines anchored by Muller Martini’s Acoro and Bolero technologies. By its very nature, the BookFWD program – with subsets like STEPfwd, STRAIGHTfwd and FASTfwd – presents several significant environmental savings to the company and its green-minded publishing clientele. Webcom points to passing on inventory savings of around 30 percent to clients, as well as a reduction in spoilage of up to 90 percent. The company also continued to build on its history of environmental initiatives, including more recent efforts with the Book Industry Treatise, carbon footprint assessments, as well as collecting and analyzing data from previously instituted green initiatives.

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TAGS & LABELS

Howard Continued from page 12

great deal of breathing room for companies like Goss, KBA and Komori. Unlike much of what has been published to date about manroland’s insolvency, I do not succumb to the reasoning of poor management. All three German press builders have knowledgeable leaders who have been in the industry for a very long time. manroland have two major shareholders with Allianz and MAN; and both have obviously decided not to continue funding huge losses. Beyond the obvious market shrinkage, severe financial restrictions now placed on most printers wanting to buy modern machinery translates into at least a 50 percent reduction of overall new press sales. There has to be change on the press supply side of the equation.

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32 • PRINTACTION • DECEMBER 2011

Some of manroland’s press-making competitors possibly handled the downturn better – or reacted faster – by branching out into other markets like providing consumables or building machines in China to take advantage of its still emerging print market. While all press makers face the same challenges, manroland turned out to be the most fragile largely because of its losses in market share. The company had nowhere to turn. From the German press perspective, Heidelberg and KBA are most certainly invigorated by manroland’s filing and must be hoping that the Roland sheetfed program does not get a second life in China or elsewhere. Printing is still a very viable business but it has most certainly changed drastically in the past couple of years. Large-scale press manufacturers like manroland are geared for what the Germans call “serial production” based on assembly line speed and efficiency. Carton print is still expanding and the world’s use of paper is on the rise continually. However, a great deal of this consumption is now being brought in house, so-to-speak, and turning more toward digital alternatives. Financially, one supposes the banking crisis of 2008 to present will subside. But manroland was struggling even before 2008. Allianz Capital Partners clearly was not able to see a future. MAN had Roland under its watch for years but – being a €15 billion company and invested heavily with growing markets outside of print – wanted divestiture. The printing business was a hindrance or as Wall Street likes to say “non-core” to MAN. If there was a chance 5 ½ years ago (when Allianz purchased a 65 percent stake in manroland, I am certain MAN would have sold the 35 percent stake in manroland that it still controls. The Harris Corporation made a similar exit from print in cutting off and selling its sheetfed business in 1975. Harris took a major hit, while holding onto its web business. It later sold the Web business and exited the market, but Harris emerged a stronger company for the divestiture it made in 1975. MAN will probably lose its interest in a write-down and can withstand the pain easily – For that matter, so can Allianz. In the boardrooms of German competitors, there is a sense of relief but probably no plans for a party just yet. Administrator Werner Schneider is actively arranging the next steps and the ultimate outcome for manroland, whether this means selling the entire group, breaking it into parts – web,

sheetfed, Intellectual Property patents, machining tools – or making all of these pieces available in an auction sell-off. Any of these scenarios are possible, each with its own pros and cons. Meanwhile, Heidelberg, KBA and every other press maker outside of Germany just want manroland to disappear. It is hard to see what either Heidelberg or KBA would gain by taking over any part of it. If manroland were to disappear, Heidelberg would gain substantial market advantages overnight, taking second-place standing in size 7+ XXL machines behind KBA. Schneider’s outcome, however, may also be heavily influenced by the German government and the country’s trade unions, as both have vested financial interests – subsidized hours and governmental relief are part of major corporations in Germany. We saw this governmental influence in mid-2009 when it provided around €850-million in loan guarantees and financing to Heidelberg. In the days to come

Stepping back from all of the market minutia, the basic reason for manroland’s fall is that today’s printing industry truly needs relief from over capacity and it was only a matter of time before this environment caught up with one of its major stakeholders. My company, Howard Graphic Equipment, bought from, sold to and competed against manroland for years. manroland is caught in the perfect storm of a financial and technological crisis. The company’s dramatic fall in sheetfed sales over the past six years left it with few options and now the downward spiral deepens. While I compete against manroland and have natural biases, it is hard to argue against the fact that press sales will be all but wiped out until well after Schneider’s resolution. The company’s new press-demand challenges under an insolvency filing are only exacerbated by its reliance on shareholder and investor reasoning. Consider, for example, manroland’s bankruptcy protection relative to that of American Airlines, which filed for protection a week later. There is a world of difference. American Airlines is widely held as a stock with hundreds if not thousands of shareholders; and its bondholders understand that debt restructuring is possible because they can calculate how many bums are going to fill the planes seats in the future. Competing airlines have filed for protection and came back to life – setting a benchmark of sorts. manroland, however, essentially has two major stock holders, neither of which seem to have faith – or patience – in finding a buyer in today’s printing climate that would allow them to get their money back. manroland stakeholders are dealing with a perception by financial markets that there is no future in print. It is certainly still possible that manroland will get a second life and we should know one way or the other by early spring 2012 – if not earlier, based on Schneider’s January 31 target. Whatever the outcome, if any of the remaining press makers think for a minute how one failing can fix an oversized structure, then we are all in for more bad news. Nick Howard has been involved in the printing industry since 1976. He manages Howard Graphic Equipment Ltd., which has been involved in the supply, sale, rebuilding and appraisal business since 1967. Nick can be reached at: nhoward@bellnet.ca.

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Gaitskell Continued from page 13

2011 Election

Dickson’s 2007 victory was decisive, winning 50 percent of the vote in the new riding away from his nearest contender, Progressive Conservative (PC) Kevin Ashe, with 34 percent. Yet four years later, news coverage of the October 2011 provincial election was singling out Dickson’s riding as a hardfought race of uncertain outcome. Just five months earlier, in Canada’s May national election, the PC Party increased its power from a minority to a majority government, the New Democratic Party ousted the Liberal Party as Official Opposition by winning a record number of seats, and the Liberals won the fewest seats in their history and saw their leader Michael Ignatieff defeated in his own riding. Reflecting this trend, newcomer PC Candidate Chris Alexander unseated three-term Liberal MP Mark Holland in the federal Ajax-Pickering riding. Although ultimately in October Dickson maintained his seat and a similarly large share of the votes to his 2007 victory, he admits the past election was “absolutely the toughest fight I have ever been in.” Other McGuinty Liberals proved less lucky, as their party fell one seat short of a majority government after back-to-back majority victories in the previous two provincial elections. Jobs, education and health-care priorities

Dickson’s plans for the near future include developing a 10-year plan for the Ajax-Pickering hospital and working with local mayors towards a better economy, particularly more jobs. “Part and parcel of jobs and the economy are two other key elements: health care and education. I know the Premier hit the nail on the head with all three priorities. We are the envy of most places in the world for both health care and education at all levels. We’re just inundated at the provincial level with requests for information from other countries on why we do so well.” During their first week back in the legislature since the October vote, the reelected Liberal government recommitted to protecting health care and education and not raising taxes. They also reaffirmed several of their campaign promises that, all in, total at least $1.1 billion in new spending over the next 1.5 years. At the same time, the Liberals have vowed to eliminate Ontario’s financial deficit in six years, by 2017-2018. Yet a recent downgrading of Ontario’s economic forecast diminishes growth to 1.8 percent in 2011 and 2012, meaning revenues will be $1.3 billion lower than estimated in the Liberals’ fall election platform. Finance Minister Dwight Duncan now calculates the province’s deficit at $16 billion – $1 billion more than the Liberals projected on the eve of their election. When, on average, McGuinty’s Liberals have hiked spending seven percent per year since forming the government in 2003, their challenge now will be to continue to provide world-class public services in a time of slow economic growth. Small business working together

As a successful small businessman, Dickson feels he understands that sector of the

economy well: “Business is entirely different than politics,” he explains. “In business you either make it or break it on your own, because nobody is going to give you a paycheque, whereas in politics it’s different. I can see where it’s a problem for those people in politics who have never held a full-time job or had the opportunity to run a business. They start to think like a bureaucrat. But you have to think outside the box. If it’s a good business project, it will grow the business and allow for acquisition of equipment, but in the end what’s important is that it will grow more jobs. The secret in Ontario is to continually have more jobs. “Currently, it’s a terrible marketplace where I’m probably like most small- to mid-sized printers,” he laments. “Even before I was elected provincially, there were many, many months when I couldn’t draw a paycheque. We’ve all gone through that. Although the recession has bottomed out, the economy will still take a good two to three years to come back with much stronger growth.” What is the secret to Dickson’s remarkable political longevity and popularity? “It’s just the way we were raised to help each other,” he says. “As a child you learn very quickly that, for a family to succeed, everybody has to help everyone else. That expanded into helping other people through involvement in the community, and in my case the calling to enter public service.” While he feels several community leaders did not realize or fully appreciate the changing demographics of the rapidly growing municipalities bordering Toronto city limits, Dickson feels he had an distinct advantage because of his upbringing, in which he was taught how everyone is equal. “In my father’s newspaper day, Ajax was a base for 600 temporary homes built for young families after World War II, but because the community has continued to grow, they were never torn down,” he recalls. “Now Ajax is home to immigrants from every nationality and culture. Outside of Toronto, it’s the most diverse area – a worldwide mix made in heaven.” He explains one aspect of his party’s vision for reenergizing the workforce: “Probably not enough people are coming into the workforce from other countries. One of the processes the opposition mistakenly chastised us for was to help three different professional sectors of the economy – accountants, engineers, and architects – all sectors that lack enough professionals to fill vacant jobs – to educate professionals coming from other countries in language and the Canadian way of life to help them integrate better into the workforce. “It’s alarming, what the general public doesn’t understand is that, if we didn’t do as required by the professional organizations, our companies here will have a manpower shortfall or even lose the work to other parts of the world.” Liberal Finance Minister Duncan advises Ontarians will have to wait until the March budget for details on whether this and other recently proposed programs can survive new austerity measures that will enable Ontario to balance its books by 2018. Victoria Gaitskell is keen to exchange ideas with readers at victoria@printaction.com

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SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER Looking for the best, someone who can build strong relationships. Our services include; forms, offset, digital, mailing and web to print. We are a privately owned Alberta company with a strong sales office in Calgary that we are looking to grow. If interested, contact Dan Matthys Email: dan@capitalprintingandforms.com Cell: 780-288-5438 ________________________________________

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