Industry News

Three's a Charm for Gill Studios at PPAI Expo
March 1, 2006

Gill Studios, Shawnee Mission, Kan., walked away a winner in three categories during the 2006 Promotional Products Expo held Jan. 9-13 at the Las Vegas Mandalay Bay Convention Center. The company was honored with the Supplier Star Award of Merit, the Supplier Golden Achievement Award for Screen Printing on Other Than Textile category and the Supplier Silver Web Award. For more information, visit www.gill-line.com.

Proforma Hosts 2006 Regional Meetings
March 1, 2006

Proforma chose Cleveland—home of its national headquarters—as the location for its first regional meeting, which occurred Jan. 30-31. Six more regional meetings will be held across the United States and Canada throughout March. “We’ve designed the meetings to educate owners about new growth opportunities and how to maximize their success, as well as network with other owners and our preferred limited partner suppliers,” said Greg Muzzillo, founder and co-CEO. Also, the company is launching ProApparel by Proforma at the meetings. The line of private-label wearables, including dress shirts, casual shirts and outerwear, comes in a wide array of styles, sizes, colors and embroidery options.

0306StateoftheIndustry2006
March 1, 2006

2006, George W. Bush is the nation’s president. The United States is at war in Iraq and the economy struggles to recover from a post Sept. 11 crash. Digital files can be sent across the country in a matter of minutes via the Internet and the Mp3 player is first-rate technology for compiling music collections. Business forms manufacturers are now solutions providers and BFL&S has changed its tag line to read “The Publication for Distributors and Manufacturers of Printed Products.” today, the buzz words are more hip, the equipment mixes more high-tech, the products more diverse and the marketing methods more sophisticated. Sales

Proforma Hosts 2006 Regional Meetings
March 1, 2006

Proforma chose Cleveland—home of its national headquarters—as the location for its first regional meeting, which occurred Jan. 30-31. Six more regional meetings will be held across the United States and Canada throughout March. “We’ve designed the meetings to educate owners about new growth opportunities and how to maximize their success, as well as network with other owners and our preferred limited partner suppliers,” said Greg Muzzillo, founder and co-CEO. Also, the company is launching ProApparel by Proforma at the meetings. The line of private-label wearables, including dress shirts, casual shirts and outerwear, comes in a wide array of styles, sizes, colors and embroidery options.

Workflow Management to Acquire The Relizon Company
September 20, 2005

Greenwich, Connecticut-based Workflow Management, parent company of WorkflowOne, one of North America's largest providers of printing and promotional products, recently annouced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Dayton, Ohio-based The Relizon Company, a North American supplier of business process solutions for document outsourcing, billing and marketing. Upon the completion of the acquisition, WorkflowOne and The Relizon Company will be worth more than $1 billion in the North American document management solution market, with significantly increased client-focused capabilities. In addition, more than 5,000 employees and 25,000 combined clients from both companies will benefit from a broader portfolio of products and services. "The

Corporate Raiders
May 1, 2005

It is an interesting phenomenon in the world of finance that a minority shareholder in a publicly held company can mount enough bluster to engineer a takeover. Then, in the name of shareholder equity, the raider will slash jobs, sell assets and gut pension funds so that the stock price rises. Then, sated with profits from stock options, salary and bonus, the raider melts away with a new pool of capital, ready for the next venture. This is the ultimate in capitalism. An entrepreneur, greedy for the growth, takes a company public. Growth ensues, but bureaucracy piles up until mismanagement sets in. Reorganizations follow as

Vallis Ceasing Operations
April 22, 2005

MLC Holding Corporation, Garland, Texas, which includes Vallis, Metro Label and other printing-related subsidiaries, announced today that it is discontinuing all operations related to the Vallis Company, effective immediately. This decision does not affect the other subsidiaries, including Metro Label, which will continue to provide services to existing and new customers. Operations affected by the Vallis decision include plants in Baltimore, Chicago and Cherryvale, Kansas. MLC Holding Corporation expects to continue its plans to expand into growth markets and focus its economic resources on developing new opportunities within the printing industry.