Graphic Arts Magazine February 2018 | Página 11

Print industry news 4over launches Strategic Print Advisory Program Leading trade printer 4over (Glendale, CA) is aiming to help commercial printers gen- erate revenue growth and expand their customer base without overhead costs via their new initiative. By adding new 4over technology, products and services, print- ers will be able to reduce labour and equipment costs. Heading the program as Lead – Strategic Print Relations, is Joe Stramel, an industry veteran with 40-plus years of experi- ence. His team of Print Advisory Reps will provide guidance in managing operational costs while keeping pace with changing technology. The objective is to determine growth strategies for printers which don’t require additional debt. Stramel will work closely with printers to identify new revenue streams with products and services such as EDDM, Printer Bridge (W2P), large format and more. In-depth consultation will also be provided in the buying and selling of equipment, print-to-broker conversions, merger and acquisition solutions, and succession planning. 4over’s Canadian production facility is located in Mississauga, ON. Konica Minolta introduces Transformed MarketPlace for Applications Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. and Europe have unveiled a new version of its MarketPlace for users around the world, offering apps and licenses “that transform the way work gets done.” Formerly known as the bizhub MarketPlace, Transformed MarketPlace for Applications pro- vides “an unprecedented platform for leading-edge applications, customization tools, and centralized device management features.” The MarketPlace’s wide variety of cloud, scan, productivity, information and security apps allow users to easily increase the power of their Konica Minolta multifunction printers. With its web-based design tool, cus- tom-designed MFP User Interfaces (UIs) can be created and tailored to display only those functions most needed. Featured apps can be sorted based on category or filtered based on keywords. Innovative Design & Print enters photo book market with Kodak Nexpress Innovative Design & Print (Millbank, ON) recently installed a Kodak NexPress Digital Production Colour Press. “We were looking for a new digital press with long sheet capabilities and @graphicarts From left, beside the Kodak NexPress, are Ray Gerber (Press Operator), Mike Halliwell (Kodak Sales Representative) and Calvin Frey (Innovative Design & Print President). high-resolution imaging for photo products,” said Calvin Frey, President. Frey added that his company recently partnered with a local retailer to market photo books through the retailer’s online bookstore. “This press is ideal for photo books, cards, calendars and other high-end materials, where a larger sheet size and high image quality is a must. In particular, its CMYK + Light Black capabilities can enhance image quality – especially in smoothing facial tones.” The company specializes in digital and offset, wide format, finishing, creative and web design, hosting and security, signage, vehicle graphics and more. The 120-ppm 5-colour Kodak NexPress can handle over 800 sub- strates and sheets up to 1 m long. Its NexPress HD Dry Inks work with its improved imaging unit and intelligent software to deliver “offset-class” smooth and flat tints, richer deeper blacks and photo-quality images. Cascades makes multi-million-dollar acquisitions Cascades is acquiring four plants in Ontario, purchasing an ownership position in Tencorr Holdings, and increasing its equity in the Greenpac Mill (Niagara Falls, NY). “We’re very pleased to expand our presence in Ontario and increase our stake in Greenpac. These transactions align perfectly with our vision and strat- egy for our containerboard activities,” said Cascades President and CEO Mario Plourde. The four plants special- ize in manufacturing boxes and specialty products and include McLeish Corr-a-Box Packaging & Design (Etobi- coke), Brown Packaging (Burlington), Coyle Corrugated Containers (Scarbor- o u g h) a n d C o y l e P a c k a g i n g Mario Plourde (Peterborough). The transaction will expand Cascades’ presence in Ontario and increase production capacity by 500 million sq ft per year. Cascades also acquired a 33% stake in Tencorr, a company that manufactures sheet stock for box producers, plus an inter- est in Containerboard Partners, one of Greenpac’s shareholders. The cost of the transaction totals $49 million. The container- board packaging plants were acquired for $28 million. GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE | February 2018 | 11