Fujifilm records 10.9% revenue fall but pushes R&D

Fujifilm has recorded at 10.9% drop in revenue to 1.9tr Yen (£15bn) across its divisions, including its Xerox joint venture, as the impact of the strong yen and the economic downturn took its toll on the company.

The group recorded a 9.7% fall in revenue in its Information Solutions division, which includes its inkjet products, and a 5.3% fall in revenue in its Xerox joint venture Document Solutions unit.

According to a statement released by the company, graphic arts business sales declined due to drops in the number of newspaper pages and the volumes of "other published materials".

However, the plate and inkjet specialist said that it is now targeting growth in the wide-format inkjet market, through its Acuity products.

In addition, its production service business, contained within the Document Solutions division and led by the DocuColor joint venture with Xerox, posted an increase in domestic sales.

Fujifilm Graphic Systems UK director Keith Dalton said that it was going to be a tough year for the UK market but said the company was holding its own.

"We have made market share gains," he said. "In addition our plate business is holding up and we are experiencing a softer landing that other suppliers that are volume dependent."

Dalton said that it was encouraging that Fujifilm was increasing its investment in research and development, which was up 7.5% year-on-year.

"We will be well-positioned when the economy starts to turn up again," he said.
source: printweek

ITI staff keep jobs after Boden's Hawkesbury business steps in

Former employees at Information Technology Incentives (ITI) are to be offered their jobs back after the business was bought out of administration by Cromwell Press saviour John Boden.

ITI, which owned digital printer Cpod and Chivers Period - a manufacturer of traditionally bound books - went into administration on 21 January, with 30 employees being made redundant .

Administrator SFP sold the assets of the company yesterday to new company Hawkesbury, which boasts Boden as a director.

Boden told PrintWeek: "I have bought the assets of ITI from the administrator in its entirety and I am now offering to reemploy the staff that were made redundant. The employees at Chivers have a really special skill set, they are completely unique and there are not many of those people left."

He also said that Baldwin, which bought the assets of Cromwell Press from administration earlier week, would change its name to Cromwell Press Group.

The intention now is for the Cpod business, along with a B3 press that was owned by ITI, to come under the Cromwell Press Group banner.

Meanwhile Chivers Period will continue to operate as an individual business under Hawkesbury. It is not clear yet if Hawkesbury change its name.

Emap Inform's £5m print work goes to Headley Brothers and William Gibbons

Emap Inform has awarded its £5m print work to Headley Brothers and William Gibbons.

The tender, which began in July last year, resulted in William Gibbons joining Headley Brothers on Emap Informs' roster of main suppliers, which has been rationalised from four down to two.

Former primary print suppliers Polestar, Southernprint and Wyndeham all lost out following the roster shake-up, which will come into effect from the beginning of the financial year, in April.

New supplier William Gibbons has gained 10 titles and Headley Brothers four more. Polestar Colchester, Wyndeham and Southernprint have lost all the titles they previously printed – numbering four, five, and one respectively. However, Polestar Wheaton retains its six contracts.

The £5m tender, which was the first since Emap’s £1bn acquisition by Guardian Media Group and Apax, covered all of the publisher’s magazines and peripheral print products.

Emap print buyer Richard Hunt said: "It was a challenging tender considering the current climate and cost was a key factor in the decision alongside flexibility, quality and service."

Sun Chemical hikes ink prices by up to a fifth

Sun Chemical is raising its publication market prices by between 10 and 20% to reflect global rises in raw material, energy and transportation costs.

The increases will be implemented from 1 August and will not to affect any of the company's other sectors. The price increases will hit the ink manufacturer's customers in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Customers have been assured that the company is working with suppliers to keep costs to a minimum, but no price decreases are planned in the short term.

David Meldram, president of Sun Chemical Europe, said: "The considerable increases in the price of oil and natural gas, combined with governmental policies in China and shortages in certain raw materials, have had a dramatic impact on our costs.

"The printing industry is experiencing a challenging business environment in Europe, but these price increases are essential to enable us to continue to provide proactive support and advice to our customers, and to maintain our reputation for quality, service and innovation."
Source: printweek

Superior buys UK's first Avalon N8-50

Wiltshire-based Superior Creative Services has become the first UK printer to invest in the Avalon N8-50 - part of Agfa's latest series of platesetters.

The spend, which includes developer-free Amigo plates and Agfa's Apogee Suite of workflow and production software, is part of a bid to secure the ISO14001 environmental standard this year.

The platesetter replaces a previous Esko machine and will image plates for the Melksham company's 10-colour Komori LS40 perfector and a B2 Heidelberg CD74.

Ian O'Connor, managing director of Superior Creative Services, said: "We are going for the ISO environmental accreditation and the developer-free Amigo plate is a major step towards achieving this."

The company, which already has FSC and PEFC accreditation, is aiming to seal the green standard by the end of the year.

Production director Stewart Powell said productivity was another key reason behind the investment.

"Having a strong visible image before going on the press was important, while the quality of the plate means we run up quickly and have a superbly stable platform to ensure the highest quality of our print."

Superior Creative Services, which employs 110 staff, will take delivery of the machine later this month.
Source: printweek

Océ investment allows Liverpool Council to tender print services

Liverpool City Council is making "considerable savings" having brought its entire transactional and year-end billing operations in-house with an investment in an Océ VarioPrint 6250.

The VarioPrint 6250 is currently operating from the council's print unit, the Resolution Centre, and has already printed and fulfilled 220,000 council tax bills and 180,000 other documents for the 2007/08 year-end.

In addition to this, the council has been able to offer its printing services out to other UK local authorities, as well as customers in the private sector, producing forms, letters and bills.

Tony McNulty, document production manager of the Resolution Centre at Liverpool City Council, said in the first quarter of 2008 alone, the council had printed approximately 5m documents.

He added: "For the first time, we are now printing all the council's daily transactional and year-end billing in house, enveloping it and making considerable savings on print and post."

The Océ VarioPrint 6250 is running alongside two mono systems – an Océ VarioPrint 2090 and an Océ VarioPrint 3090 – as well as two Océ CPS900 Platinum colour machines.

The range of the kit means the centre can produce up to 96m documents per year, allowing the council to carry out a range of print for outside companies.

"We have won some new business as a result of the new Océ system, a lot of which has come externally from the private sector.

The new machine has given the centre a "considerable" amount of extra capacity for outside work.

"Within that new business, 90% of that is variable data printing such as forms, letters and bills," McNulty said.

Source: printweek

Océ to cut 600 jobs as profits plummet by 68%

Dutch printer manufacturer Océ is to slash 600 jobs after seeing second-quarter profits tumble by a massive 68%.

The company will also go on a 50m euro (£40m) cost-cutting spree in an effort to get itself back on track.

However, Bron Curley, managing director of Océ UK, said the British arm of the business was not expected to be affected by the job cuts.

Océ profits have fallen to just 5.5m euro (£4.4m), down from 18.3m euro (£14.5m) a year ago.

The company lays the blame for most of the problems at the door of the US economic slowdown, but also believes the grim economic conditions are now starting to show their effects in the UK and Europe.

"Like other parts of Océ's business across Europe, UK customers in certain sectors of the economy are currently going through a challenging time and we are not immune from the effects this could have our business," Curley said.

Despite this, he remained optimistic about the rest of the year and said he expects the UK side of the business to hit its targets for 2008.

The latest round of cuts comes on the back of an 80m euro (£63m) belt tightening exercise the company started in April, which is expected to lead to the loss of 350 jobs. The company says it has already trimmed 20m euro (£16m) off this figure in the first half of 2008 and cut 280 of the 350 jobs.

Shares in the company were down by nearly a fifth in the morning following the announcement.
Source: printweek

Rivals spurn chance to buy Capital

Administrator Begbies Traynor faces an uphill battle to sell failed large-format printer Capital as a going concern after rival companies distanced themselves from a possible purchase.

However, several of the firms have said they may be interested in purchasing kit.

Begbies will now have the arduous task of picking over the pieces of a company that has been shrouded in mystery for several months.

David Hudson and Mark Fry of Begbies Traynor were appointed administrators at east London-based Capital last Thursday afternoon (26 June), shortly after staff had been told to leave the site at around 3pm.

Hudson said: “Capital’s employees had left the company prior to our arrival. Since then, we have secured the site and commenced our investigations into the company’s affairs, including the appointment of independent valuers, with a view to assessing assets and liabilities.

“We have re-employed a small number of employees to undertake a limited amount of work in progress in order to enhance realisa­tions. We would invite all parties interested in purchasing the business or its assets to contact us as soon as possible.”

The large-format firms most likely to buy Capital, including St Ives, Augustus Martin, Creo Retail Marketing and Bezier, have told Print­Week they are not interested.

The London Development Agency (LDA), which financially assisted Capital’s move out of the designated 2012 Olympic stadium site in Stratford last summer to new premises at Beckton waterfront, has said it is investigating what has occurred.

Although the LDA told PrintWeek it had completed payments to Capital, it added: “We are keeping track of the companies that we relocated and we have a team looking into how much involvement we can offer in terms of the administration.”

Staff have also been left in limbo because they did not receive wages for their final month of work, understood to be due on 27 June.

Staff, who have aired their anger on printweek.com’s online forums, were reported to have taken company equipment, including computers and in one case a widescreen television, when they left the site last Thursday.

The events follow a number of changes at the company. Its registered office was changed on 29 February from the factory’s Beckton address to an address in Holland Park, west London, then to an address in Mayfair on 20 March. Both addresses are understood to be managed mailboxes.

Entrepreneur Myles Bunyard also appeared on company records briefly as a director in February.

Phones at Beckton are not being answered and managing director David Gill declined to comment on the situation.
Source: printweek

Job fears as Nampak considers closure of Somerset site

Nampak is considering closing its Crewkerne factory in Somerset and reorganising administrative roles at its Gillingham site in Kent, putting up to 125 jobs at risk.

The packaging manufacturer has begun a 90-day consultation process with affected employees, although a final decision on the proposed closure has yet to be made.

Nampak said the restructuring was part of an investment programme that it hoped would enable it to maintain a competitive edge and become the lowest-cost packaging producer in the UK.

In a statement, the company said the potential closure would not result in a reduction of capacity, but a more "efficient and streamlined operation with lower costs".

It said: "Nampak Cartons has completed a review of its UK operations with a specific focus on increasing efficiencies and technological improvements."

Nampak hopes, by focusing on the most modern factories that offer the most efficient production facilities, it will stay ahead of the changes within the industry.
Source: printweek

Polywrap ban proposed in strict direct mail standards plan

Mailing houses could be forced to scrap the use of polywrap in favour of paper that is up to 75% recycled under a newly proposed UK standard for direct mail that is being endorsed by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA).

The PAS 2020 standard has been proposed by the British Standards Institute (BSi), but has been developed in conjunction with a panel of direct mail experts, including industry practitioners, representatives of national and local government and consumer groups.

A draft copy, which PrintWeek has obtained, is currently with the panel. Respondents have until 25 July to give their thoughts on the proposed standards.

According to the DMA's director of media channel development, Robert Keitch, the organisation hopes to have the standard in place by September.

The standard will have three levels, with companies having to adhere to stricter rulings in order to meet each level.

Some of the criteria included are the eradication of bindings, laminations, non-biodegradable plastic wrapping, polystyrene envelope windows and staples; a minimum of 75% recycled fibre; 75% of inks used to be vegetable oil-based and contain no mineral oil; and 75% of all finishes to be water-based.

Although direct mail companies may be concerned about meeting such hard-hitting targets, at the moment there are no plans to make the standard mandatory.

However, Keitch believes there will be still be a high take-up when the standard is brought in.

He said: "The smart organisations will understand that the environment is an investment in a strategic capability. It is not a cost, it is a competitive advantage.

"Clients will be asking what do I have to do to be more environmentally focused, and the answer is to follow this standard – it is a clear-cut strategic way forward with no ambiguity.

"The point of the standard is that we can provide the whole industry with a tool that is able to improve their environmental performance. This is about members and individuals demonstrating to policy makers that they can seize the challenge and live up to it before the policy makers decide they have to do that for themselves."

Keitch added that the BSi was "arguably the world's best standard setting body", which was the reason the DMA had worked with them in this instance.
Source: printweek

HP consolidates Imaging and Printing group to cut costs

HP has announced it is to reorganise its Imaging and Printing group by consolidating the division from five groups down to three, in a bid to enable revenue growth and reduce costs within the company.

Vyomesh Joshi, executive vice president of HP's Imaging and Printing group, revealed news of the significant shake-up to employees on Wednesday, however he stayed quiet on the issue of potential job cuts.

However, the company confirmed to PrintWeek there would be a "rebalancing of staff" with people being employed into other areas "as much as possible".

The move will see HP consolidating the group into three areas, Graphics Solutions, Inkjet and Web Solutions and Laserjet and Enterprise Solutions.

Graphics Solutions, will deliver HP's portfolio of products and services for printers, the company said.

Inkjet and Web Solutions will focus on consumers and small businesses. Laserjet and Enterprise Solutions will aid HP's Enterprise customers in optimising their printing and imaging infrastructure and improving workflow.

Through reducing the number of its Global Business Units from five to three, HP says it has created units dedicated to providing print technology determined by each customer segment.

The move also represents a consolidation of consumer services and hardware into one group, with HP's enterprise services and hardware sectioned off into another.

The reorganisation plans are described as being part of HP's Print 2.0 strategy – a pitch to enhance and expand its business to offer a broader range of printing activities, such as large-scale billboard printing and graphic arts to label production.
Source: printweek

Print finisher Fastnet sold in management buyout

Fastnet, a Mitcham-based print finisher, has been sold to a team of long-serving employees in a management buyout.

The MBO team is being headed up by Richard Ashcroft who has been running production of the company for the past 13 years.

The £2m turnover company, which employs 34 staff, specialises in the finishing of wiro and plastic spiral bound books, calendars, and diaries.

In February this year, Fastnet installed a calendar binding line, increasing output by 18%.

David Martin, who formed the company, will remain during a short transitional period, before moving on to pursue other interests, including some work for Dash Products – the UK's only manufacturer of plastic spiral for the bookbinding industry.

Martin said: "The new team will need some time to settle down and decide how best to make joint decisions, regarding direction and investment. As they have all been with the company since the start, I know the company is in good hands.

"For myself, after 33 years in the printing business, I am now looking for a quieter life away from the red tape that consumes much of everyday life in business these days."
Source: printweek

St Ives reports sales growth despite declining US demand

St Ives has announced continued growth despite a significant drop in volumes in its US division.

The US suffered a 20% drop in sales this year, largely down to the consolidation of Florida plants at the end of the last financial year.

However, between August and May, total sales grew by 4.6% on the previous year, with Service Graphics, which it acquired in November 2006, posting a growth rate of 9%.

The statement said: "Overall market conditions have been more challenging than we had expected when we issued our half-yearly statement, but we continue to seek ways of reducing cost and increasing revenues to mitigate the effect."

Since 1 February 2008, demand for books has remained steady, according to the company, which warned that, although new contracts for magazine printing were being won, pagination was unpredictable.

Sales in the company's multimedia and music division were down but Brian Edwards, chief executive of the company, would not be drawn on plans for a disposal of this business, saying a sale of its Dutch music division remained "under review".

He added that the company had no plans to move into colour book printing at its Clays site, despite the demise of Butler and Tanner.

"With mono work, there is a time sensitivity which means that it has to be produced locally," he said. "With colour work there does not tend to be so many repeat runs meaning that it can be printed at a lower cost elsewhere."

The transition of work under the Royal Mail contract (announced in October 2007) will be completed by the beginning of July 2008.
Source: printweek

Green plan fails to save struggling Polar Print Group

B1 environmental printer Polar Print Group has gone into administration with 45 redundancies being made.

Administrators at KPMG were called into the business on Wednesday evening.

A statement from Richard Philpott, joint administrator from KPMG said the business "has been experiencing trading difficulties for some time, in the main caused by increasing competition within the printing sector as well as rising business overhead costs."

The Leicester-based printer had recently invested £3m in new KBA pressroom technology with a Rapida 105 six-colour sheet-fed press being installed last November and another 10-colour machine due for installation in the second half of 2008.

Polar said at the time it was hoping to capitalise on the growing demand for "green" printing and believed that the new press would add £2m to the company's existing annual sales of £4.5m.

2007 accounts for the company are not available, but in 2006 Polar Print made a £202,000 pre-tax loss compared to a profit of £105,000 in 2005. The company employs 51 staff.

Managing director David Gask could not be reached for comment. Further details are not available at this stage.
Source: printweek

Drupa sales total £360m at halfway point

More than 450m euro (£360m) worth of software, equipment and services were sold during the first half of Drupa, according to newly released figures.

Show organisers Messe Düsseldorf revealed the interim figures last Thursday, covering visitor and exhibitor numbers, as well as half-time sales and national growth trends.

Albrecht Bolza-Schünemann, Drupa president and Koenig & Bauer chief executive, said on Wednesday: "By this evening, 213,000 visitors from 115 countries have passed through the turnstiles – 64% of them international. The trend at the event is extremely positive."

Inkjet presses and digital print engines seemed to be leading the sales charge at the show, with presses flying off the HP and Xerox stands, among others.

Meanwhile, heavy-metal manufacturers Goss, Heidelberg, Koenig & Bauer and manroland all began the show as the they meant to go on, with orders from the very first day.

On the prepress side, Agfa led the charge, announcing two significant five-year plate deals in the first week, as well as selling several units of its new Avalon VLF platesetter.

Of the show's 213,000 first-week visitors, 15.2% were from Asia – representing a rise of 3% on 2004, and 7.4% were from South and Central America, whose attendance was up from 4.7% last Drupa.

The Drupacube and the Drupa Innovation Park, both of which are new features of Drupa 2008, were singled out for praise by the Messe, which is already planning ahead for Drupa 2012.

In an announcement earlier this week, Messe Düsseldorf revealed that the 15th Drupa will take place from 3 to 16 May 2012.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Drupa halftime numbers:
213,000 visitors
1,971 exhibitors
52 nations exhibiting
175,000sqm stand space
104,202sqm from international companies
Source: printweek

Printing.com bucks the trend with sales rise of 15%

Printing.com has defied current economic uncertainty, announcing record sales, profits, earnings per share and dividends.

"We said last year we would focus on expanding our franchise base, and that's what we've done," chief executive Tony Rafferty said.

His company saw 51 new outlets open over the year and the successful launch of Printing.com France. Plans to set up operations in Australia are also still on track, he said.

Printing.com, which has 261 outlets in the UK and Ireland, reported a sales rise of more than 15% to £24.5m in the year ending in April.

Preliminary results revealed an 11% increase in turnover to £13.5m and profit before tax was up nearly 6% to just under £2.5m.

"In this uncertain economic climate, a lot of small printers are putting off big capital investments and buying a slice of our action," he said.

Printers spent an average of £6,000 to £7,000 for a "bolt-on franchise", and Rafferty's company spent £30,000 a month tweaking software to "make life easier" for printers to detail and confirm orders, and to add up payments.

"Who knows if we will see the same size of expansion next year given the economic conditions? But we will seek to push forward and are cautiously optimistic."

Earnings per share rose 2.5% to 3.64p and dividends went up 20% to 3.00p.
Source: printweek

154 jobs lost as Trader Media Group closes Wiltshire site

Trader Media Group (TMG) has closed its Wiltshire print plant, resulting in 154 job losses.

The group announced plans to shut the site, which produces Auto Trader magazine, at the beginning of the year, citing an increased use of its online property, coupled with a slip in circulation.

A 90-day period of consultation was entered into with staff and management, but of the 164 positions at the plant, only 10 staff have opted to relocate to the group's other sites.

The Wiltshire site will now be sold with kit, including manroland and Rockwell Goss presses, either sold off or transferred to the group's Apple Web plant.

Production of Auto Trader magazine will also be relocated to the group's other sites.

"The company is committed to retaining people where possible and will examine relocation options elsewhere within the group," the company said in a statement in January.

It continued: "Trader Media Group regrets any potential job losses, but the re-structure is necessary given the shift in media consumption by motorists and increased competition."

The Wiltshire plant was founded in 1953 and moved to its current location in 1995. Three years later it was bought by Hurst Media, which became TMG in 2000.

TMG also owns the Apple Web, Warrington, and Acorn Web, Normanton, web offset print plants.
Source: printweek

Informa and UBM in talks to create possible £3bn 'supergroup'

Informa and rival United Business Media (UBM) are in talks to merge in a deal that would create a £3bn business publishing "supergroup".

In a statement, Informa confirmed it had "received an approach" about a merger from UBM and said it was considering the proposal.

However it added "there can be no certainty that any transaction will take place," and gave no timeframe on a further announcement.

UBM also confirmed early talks were underway on the "commercial merits of an all-share merger". Merrill Lynch International is acting for the company.

Informa publishes journals and books for academic, scientific and professional groups. It has more than 150 offices in upwards of 40 countries, staffed by 7,500 people.

UBM's 5,000 staff in more than 30 countries focuses on professional and commercial sectors. Last year, it made more than £800m in revenue with an operating profit of £176m.

Joining forces would see the emergence of a supergroup valued at around £3bn, reports have claimed. Informa is worth around £1.6bn and UBM about £1.5bn.

Informa stands for Innovative, Non-bureaucratic, For profit, Open, Rewarding, Market-focused, About quality.
Source: printweek

Wyndeham signs five-year plate deal with Agfa

Wyndeham will begin a massive pre-press overhaul at four of its sites next month, after buying seven Avalon VLF platesetters and signing a five-year plate-supply deal with Agfa.

Paul Utting, chief executive of Wyndeham, visited Drupa on Monday where he signed for the CTP upgrade, which included the platesetters, plates and Agfa's Apogee workflow.

Utting said: "After an extensive review of various options, we are delighted to be continuing our long-standing working relationship with Agfa.

"Overall, the package of Avalon Platesetters, Apogee workflow and continuous technical support won Agfa the business."

Web offset sites Heron and Impact will get two Avalons each, as will sheetfed-site Grange. All three will be running Agfa's new long-run, no-bake Energy Elite plate.

Installation of the new pre-press setup is due to begin in July and is expected to run until the end of the summer.

Agfa UK managing director Laurence Roberts said the new contract had been very competitive but ultimately rewarding.

"This is a significant vote of confidence for Agfa. The contract incorporates a wide range of our pre-press technologies, including new developments on show for the first time here at Drupa," he said.
Source: printweek

Borcombe SP boosts capacity with 12-colour perfector

Borcombe SP, the commercial printer owned by Media Print and Investments (MPI), has completed installation of a new long perfector and made clear its intentions to improve its environmental credentials.

The Romsey-based company has this week completed the installation and commissioning of a new Heidelberg 12 Colour Speedmaster with Cutstar.

A raft of finishing kit, including a Wohlenberg PUR binding line and Sitma mailing line, has also been commissioned.

Simon Hunt, the recently-appointed managing director of the £15m-turnover firm, has overseen the installation and the recruitment of 20 new staff to run the kit.

MPI chief executive Mike Dolan said: "With the demise of Butler and Tanner (B&T), Borcombe now represents around 50% of the overall business. The company has been something of a flagship for us as it was the first company we acquired two years ago."

The company has now introduced a night shift throughout the finishing department to handle the additional workload.

It is also currently testing and developing a new methodology standard to measure green house gas emissions – PAS2050.

The BPIF has been working closely with Borcombe and the BSI2 to develop the methodology, which is expected to be ratified as a standard in June or July.

Dolan added the Friary Press' move from B&T into the Goodman Baylis premises at Worcester was half complete.

"We lost some business because of the situation with Friary Press at Butler and Tanner; we let a few customers down. We are now making a serious effort to win that back… I hope that we succeed in Worcester where we were unable to in Frome."

Source: printweek