United States of America

Keith S. Walters, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Ennis Inc., a manufacturer of business forms, apparel and other business products, announced that the board of directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of 17-1/2 cents a share on its common stock.

The Obama administration announced the creation of a National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute in Youngstown, Ohio, devoted to promoting 3-D printing technology.

"This institute will help make sure that the manufacturing jobs of tomorrow take root not in places like China or India, but right here in the United States of America," Obama said in a statement. "That's how we'll put more people back to work and build an economy that lasts."

The institute will be financed by $30 million in federal funding, matched by $40 million from a private industry consortium. It is designed to serve Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Today, the United States Senate will vote on whether to start debate on Senate bill 3628, the so-called "Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections Act" (DISCLOSE Act). The Small Business & Entrepreneurship (SBE) Council is opposed to the legislation and sent a letter (full text below) to all U.S. Senators urging a no vote on the bill. A similar bill already passed the U.S. House. The legislation protects the free speech rights of certain organizations while clamping down on others.

Even though more and more people are communicating through electronic media, are electronic devices more environmentally friendly than paper? Don't be too quick to answer because this month's mystery product offers a different perspective to the ongoing debate.

The future of the books and booklets sector is pretty empty. Well, actually, zero would be more accurate.

What goes up, must come down—so the saying goes. This could be used to describe the business climate during 2008 in any number of ways. For the label and packaging market, both the going up and the coming down have had significant negative effects.