Printer News

After 20 years at the helm of McCormick Armstrong (McA), one of the nation's largest privately held printers, Chairman and CEO Jake Shaffer has hired John Bobbitt to take over the role as president of the company. Bobbitt will have day-to-day oversight of McA's printing, direct mail, catalog, fulfillment, distribution and other brand management operations.

Courier Corporation, one of America's leading innovators in book manufacturing, publishing and content management, announced today that it has received a non-binding, unsolicited proposal from RR Donnelley & Sons Company to acquire the company for $23.00 per share in cash or RR Donnelley common stock, subject to proration in the event that shareholders elect to receive more than approximately 49 percent cash or more than approximately 51 percent stock.

The U.S. Postal Service has proposed a 3.4 percent average price increase for its competitive shipping products from April 26, 2015. The submission to regulators said prices would increase 8 percent for the bulk ground shipping product Parcel Select, while the service formerly known as Standard Mail commercial parcels, now Parcel Select Lightweight, will see rates increase by 9.8 percent.

But in a bid to take market share from private sector rivals FedEx and UPS, the Postal Service said it would be keeping its domestic Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express shipping rates the same—both for retail and business customers.

Promotional Designs was in charge of printing the NFC Championship T-shirts if the Packers beat the Seahawks.

When the Seahawks took the lead in the closing minutes of the game, then clinched the NFC title in overtime, the mood at Promotional Designs was somber and the workers—and presses—were silent.

GPA, Chicago, recently announced that the company's board of directors has promoted Bob Niesen to the position of chief executive officer effective Jan. 6, 2015.

AMSP/NAPL/NAQP is now 'Epicomm.' The association's new name and logo were revealed yesterday during its Executive Leadership Summit at The Wynn Las Vegas. The association was created on Jan. 1, 2014, through the merger of the Association of Marketing Service Providers, National Association for Printing Leadership, and National Association of Quick Printers and has operated under the name AMSP/NAPL/NAQP since that time.

An 18 percent surge in holiday package delivery boosted U.S. Postal Service revenues, but not enough to cover money owed for retiree health benefits and other government requirements, Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said last week at the National Press Club.

Donahoe said if the Postal Service did not have to pay the congressional mandates it would have reported a $1.4 billion operating profit this year. Instead, it owed $5.7 billion to the retiree benefits fund.

According to survey results released yesterday and conducted by Margie Dana, printing industry expert, and industry consultant and researcher John Zarwan, most print buyers would like more help from the paper industry and desire more information about changes in the industry.

Verso Corporation, a leading North American producer of printing and specialty papers and pulp, has announced the completion of its acquisition of NewPage Holdings Inc. The transaction, valued at approximately $1.4 billion, originally was announced on Jan. 6, 2014.

The Kirksville City Council and Kirksville Regional Economic Development Inc. (K-REDI) announced the renewal of a five-year lease agreement with Cenveo Corporation for use of the city-owned building located at 3010 Industrial Road (commonly known as the Standard Register Building).

The lease payment is $10,000 a month for the term of the lease, a $500 per month increase over the previous lease agreement.