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05.31.2012
Nordstrom, Inc. and GQ announced a multimedia strategy designed to integrate GQ editorial into the Nordstrom online shopping experience. Nordstrom will host an online store and will feature "GQ Selects," a selection of men's products handpicked from the pages of the magazine by the editors of GQ. Beginning with the July issue, the items will be designated in-book, compiled on GQ.com, and available for purchase on NordstromMen.com.
"Our customers look to us for style advice," said David Witman, Nordstrom general merchandise manager, menswear. "Who better to partner with than GQ—the authoritative style experts? As we work to serve men better through our offering and experience, we hope our customers as well as GQ readers will respond well to the multiplatform components of the partnership—in the magazine, online, in Nordstrom stores, and on social channels."
"We are thrilled to be collaborating with Nordstrom on the successful editorial franchise 'GQ Selects,' which allows our readers to literally shop from the pages of GQ," said Chris Mitchell, GQ vice president and publisher. "Aligning with such a retail powerhouse takes the program to the next level."
The collaboration is multifaceted, including social components and in-store special events for fall 2012. The arrangement will continue for six months, beginning with the July issue of GQ.
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05.31.2012
AptarGroup, Inc. today announced it has signed an agreement to acquire the Stelmi Group, a maker of elastomer primary packaging components for injectable drug delivery. This strategic acquisition expands AptarGroup’s portfolio of solutions that it provides to the pharmaceutical industry.
Under the terms of the agreement, AptarGroup will acquire Stelmi for an enterprise value of approximately €165 million (approximately $207 million). The purchase will be financed with available cash. The transaction, which is subject to certain regulatory approvals, is expected to close in the third quarter of this year. Established in 1964, Stelmi operates two manufacturing plants located in the Normandy region of France near Aptar’s existing pharma facilities and also has an R&D center located near Paris. Stelmi had revenues of approximately €83 million (approximately $104 million) in 2011 and has achieved EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) margins that were in the range of 21-25% over the past 3 years.
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05.31.2012
Ahlstrom, a global high performance materials company, plans to close its plant in Barcelona, Spain. The plant, which manufactures products for advanced and transportation filtration businesses, has suffered from continued weakening demand in Southern Europe. The company estimates that about 30 employees will be affected starting from the second half of 2012.
The Barcelona plant, part of the Filtration business area, is one of the Ahlstrom's smallest production units. The plant has a saturator and a converter unit for materials used in transportation and advanced filtration applications. In the future, customers will be served from Ahlstrom's other plants.
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05.31.2012
Control of portions of the Sartell Verso paper mill were handed back to the company Wednesday after fire officials deemed them safe.
The paper production area is again under Verso’s control after an explosion and fire broke out in the warehouse Monday, badly damaging the building, killing one worker and injuring four.
Fire officials have said the paper production area received only minor damage. Verso will now be able to repair and ready the plant for operations to resume, according to a statement issued by the city of Sartell.
According to Sartell Fire Chief Ken Heim, the fire that has burned since before noon on Monday was 99 percent contained Wednesday evening. Firefighters believe a limited number of hot spots still burn in a section of the warehouse where the roof is lying on top of paper rolls. Firefighters have labeled that area the red zone.
On Wednesday, about 20 percent of the paper rolls were removed from the warehouse and taken away in semis to help provide access to the red zone.
The building contains up to 4,000 paper rolls, each ranging from 1 to 4 tons. Similar products sell in the range of $1,000 per ton, according to PPI Pulp & Paper Week.
A contractor has created a plan for penetrating the red zone so firefighters can extinguish smoldering rolls and roof flashing, according to the city’s statement. Smoldering rolls will be dipped in a water pit.
Heim said fire response should be done by this afternoon. Crews can then begin demolition and reconstruction.
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05.30.2012
The rising cost of raw materials, primarily cellulose pulp and energy, has forced inflation across the Finnish company’s label and processing business area.
The label and processing brand is the only line affected as products are based entirely on cellulose fibres, meaning prices across the line are more sensitive to cost increases of the component.
Ahlstrom said the increase will vary depending on specific products, markets and invoicing currencies and will be discussed with customers individually.
The line covers applications for abrasive, flexible packaging furniture laminates, graphic, poster, release liner, wet-glue and pressure sensitive adhesive labels.
The speciality papers, including the brands Acti-V, Chantaffiche, Gervalux, Kaefoflex, Metalkote, Velin and Silca, are manufactured in Brazil, France, Germany and Italy and serve customers in 28 countries across six continents.
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05.30.2012
Yesterday was a very sad day in the long history of our paper mill in Sartell, Minnesota, and for the people and families of Verso Paper Corp.
At approximately 11:30 a.m. on Monday, there was an explosion and fire at the mill.
We are very saddened to report that a Verso employee was fatally injured in this tragic incident. Verso officials have been in constant contact with the employee’s family and will continue to offer aid and assistance as appropriate. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family during this very difficult time. We understand that five other employees received minor injuries, although none of the injuries appears to be serious or life-threatening.
In terms of property damage, the finished paper warehouse at the Sartell mill was significantly damaged by the explosion and fire. We have not yet been able to determine whether there was any damage to paper machine no. 3. We are assessing all of our product orders that were slated to be produced at the mill or that were in inventory in the warehouse. We will work with you to minimize disruption as we work through the incident.
As more information is learned, we will keep you informed.
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05.30.2012
Source Interlink Media, LLC (SIM) announced today that the newest version of the Motor Trend Google TV App is now available in the Google TV app store. With a new, diverse lineup of eight shows, this app is designed to appeal to a broad spectrum of auto enthusiasts. The Motor Trend Google TV App now features an enhanced user interface and a vast EXTRAs section highlighting the best clips from the Motor Trend video archives. In addition to the updated content, viewers will also now be able to experience their favorite automotive show in sharper, more dramatic high definition (“HD”).
The Motor Trend app makes it seamless to watch and move between eight separate shows, each with its own distinct personality. Ignition features drives and tests of the newest and hottest cars. Epic Drives takes viewers along on expansive journeys to stunning locales across the globe. Wide Open Throttle shares the latest news from around the auto industry, and Head 2 Head pits rival cars against one another to determine which is truly best.
But it’s not just about new cars on the Motor Trend channel. On Hot Rod Unlimited, the editors of Hot Rod, Car Craft and others wrench on, race, and cruise in the biggest and baddest American muscle cars. Roadkill features the wacky automotive misadventures of Hot Rod’s David Freiburger and Mike Finnegan, and on The Downshift, viewers can find everything from a trip to the Bonneville Salt Flats to a look at the lowrider culture.
The Motor Trend app also has programming for the motorcycle enthusiast. The show On Two Wheels features editors of Motorcyclist and Dirt Rider as they gun the throttle on the tarmac and in the dirt, showcasing the best bikes the world has to offer.
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05.30.2012
The print industry is fighting back - not only against tough trading conditions but against the misconceptions that surround its environmental credentials.
Industry pressure group Two Sides was set up in 2008 with a view to challenging some of the rhetoric used by companies wanting to encourage customers to switch to online billing and statements.
"All our surveys show that the public believe that in some way print media is responsible for damaging the rainforests and this is far from the truth," says director Martyn Eustace."Of the pulp we use to make paper, 80 per cent comes from within Europe and the forests there are 30 per cent bigger today than they were in 1950. They also think that print media is wasteful because of terms like 'junk mail' - but the recycling rates for Europe are about 69 per cent and in the UK it's 79 per cent. It's one of the best performing sectors."
Increasingly eco-aware print companies are playing a role in helping customers improve their sustainability around printing, suggests Marcus Timson, director of the Ecoprint show. They do this by advising them on grades of paper, print methods and at every stage of the print process. "The reality is that print's old image isn't true today," Timson says. "The advantage with digital, for example, is that you print what you need, when you need it, and you don't have to do half of the processes you used to have to do with analogue."
The packaging industry comes in for even more grief. Despite its economic importance (it boasts annual sales of £10bn and employs 85,000 people), it is an easy target for politicians and the green lobby. When many of us think about packaging we think of branded plastic bags at supermarkets or over-packaged items full of plastic and cardboard, designed and printed to grab our attention. However, the packaging industry has also been responsible for many innovations: plastic bottles and tubes; child resistant items; pharmaceutical packaging; oven-proof and microwaveable packaging; chilled and frozen food packaging. Furthermore, less than 20 per cent of household waste is packaging and less than 5 per cent of packaging ends up as landfill.
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05.30.2012
The Verso Paper Corp. operation in Sartell may have been brought to its knees with Monday’s explosion and fire, but there was a growing sentiment Tuesday that it isn’t down for the count.
The mill, which has been producing paper for 105 years, was indefinitely idled by Monday’s events that resulted in the death of 50-year-old employee Jon M. Maus of Albany and injuries to several others. But even as hot spots continued to pop up Tuesday, it was apparent the vast majority of the damage was contained to part of the paper warehouse.
Robert Mundy, a senior vice president and chief financial officer for Memphis-based Verso, said he was aware of preliminary reports that the paper-making capacity of the plant’s No. 3 coated paper machine was intact. His company has been unable to verify that, because the building was still considered unsafe, but it sounded encouraging.
“This has been a blow to the operation and it certainly could have been a lot worse,” said Mundy, who has worked for Verso in his current capacity since 2006 and previously was with International Paper — former owner of the Sartell mill. “There is a lot of paper and things stored in there, but we’re fortunate in the way mills are constructed that there was a significant firewall between the machine and the warehouse.”
Mundy said Verso representatives won’t be able to assess the damage until given the all-clear that the building is safe from Sartell Fire Chief Ken Heim, and that could be a couple of days.
“If it’s limited to the warehouse, we should be able to bring back operations in a reasonable amount of time,” Mundy said. “We want to be respectful of the families of the employee who lost his life and those of the others who were injured. We know the mill is extremely important to Sartell and the surrounding area.”
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05.30.2012
Cascades Inc., a leader in the recovery and the manufacturing of green packaging and tissue paper products, announces that further to a vote by a significant majority of employees in favour of its final offer, it will not proceed with the closure of its containerboard mill located in Trenton, Ontario, as planned and announced last April.
"We are satisfied to be able to finally reach an agreement with the union and the employees in Trenton. By keeping the mill open, we are saving 130 jobs in this community and avoiding significant financial losses for the local forest industry. The challenges faced by this mill are by no means over. However, reaching this agreement with our employees is a vital pre-condition, and we can now concentrate on identifying an action plan for achieving long-term viability." said Marc-André Dépin, President and Chief Executive Officer at Norampac.
The Norampac-Trenton facility produces corrugating medium and has an annual production capacity of 150,000 metric tons.
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05.30.2012
Consumer confidence in May rose to the highest level since October 2007, according to the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan final index of consumer sentiment. The index rose increased to 79.3 from 76.4 the prior month.
Industry analysts said a decline in gas prices and an improving housing market is helping offset slower job growth and volatile stock prices.
Estimates for the confidence measure ranged from 76 to 79, according to a Bloomberg survey of 60 economists.
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05.30.2012
In a collaboration that will play out in person and in print, New York and Dwell partner to bring design to a greater audience. The partnership aims to expand both Dwell’s and New York’s footprints in the New York City design scene, as well as to aid the American Institute of Architects [AIA] in reaching the consumer market.
“At Dwell, we’ve been wanting to tap into a much bigger imprint in the world of New York design, and much of the design community is spending time in New York in October,” says Dwell Media president Michela O’Connor Abrams. “We are creating an event with home tours [five in Manhattan, five in Brooklyn], talks and continuing education in certain show rooms.”
New York Media publisher Larry Burstein echoes Dwell’s desire for a broader audience while discussing his publication’s motives in this partnership. “We’ve been looking for ways to grow our presence in this important vertical in the New York market when Dwell came along and said they were interested in building their presence here as well. Dwell has experience with home tours and other live events across the country.”
New York’s Wendy Goodman (who is at the helm of the recently launched one-off New York Design Hunting) will work with Dwell editor-in-chief Amanda Dameron on the still-untitled print magazine. Distribution totals around 150,000, with New York area subscribers receiving the special issue polybagged with Dwell’s October issue and New York’s September 24 edition.
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05.30.2012
Google released May 29 a report, “Display Business Trends: Publisher Edition,” in an effort to put a quantitative background on certain beliefs currently held within the display advertising industry, said Jonathan Bellack, Google's product management director for publisher ad platforms.
Bellack analogized use of the report to the way farmers use weather and seasonal data to harvest more precisely. “There have been many articles in the display space about the death of the banner ad,” Bellack said. “This [report] puts the metrics behind it.”
The report's findings included the revelation that traditional 468x60 banner ads have fallen out of favor, representing 3% of ad impressions. By contrast, three larger ads—the medium rectangle (300x250), leaderboard (728x90) and skyscraper (160x600)—constitute 80% of impressions.
“If marketers can hit the medium rectangle, leaderboard and skyscraper ads with creative, that's an opportunity to reach the 80% of the impressions we mention in the report,” Bellack said. “It comes down to the opportunity of having richer and more engaging ads…The trend towards larger sizes is delivering more value for advertisers and increasing value over allocating the same number of pixels to smaller ad formats.”
The report also quantified the growth in mobile ad display, noting that mobile ad impressions on Ad Exchange and AdSense increased 250% over Q3 and Q4 in 2011. In particular the 300x50 ad size grew 186% in 2011 and was the 21st most popular ad size.
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05.30.2012
Oil fell for a second day, heading for the biggest monthly drop in more than three years, before a report that may show stockpiles climbed to the highest level since 1990 in the U.S., the world’s biggest crude user.
Futures slid as much as 1 percent. U.S. inventories rose 800,000 barrels to 383.3 million last week, according to the median estimate of eight analysts in a Bloomberg News survey before the Energy Department report tomorrow. Prices dropped yesterday after Spain’s credit rating was cut and BNP Paribas SA reduced its 2012 forecast for West Texas Intermediate oil.
“Demand out of the U.S. and the euro zone has been very soft,” David Lennox, an analyst at Fat Prophets in Sydney, said in a telephone interview. “For the foreseeable future, barring any supply-side shocks, oil will stay around $90 a barrel. If there’s going to be any movement, it’s not likely to be up.”
Crude for July delivery decreased as much as 91 cents to $89.85 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange and was at $89.98 at 5:17 p.m. Sydney time. The contract yesterday slid 10 cents to $90.76, the lowest close since May 24.
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05.30.2012
Though custom media companies still rely heavily on revenue from print, most are providing mobile, social and video content, according to a survey conducted by the Custom Content Council.
The survey found that 65% of respondents derived more than 50% of their revenue from print. At the same time, the survey indicated that 88% were creating mobile content for clients, with 37% indicating a “significant” immersion in mobile and 41% saying they were using mobile but “needed to do more.”
Additionally, 91% said they were creating video for clients and 91% also were creating social media content for clients.
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05.30.2012
JoS. A. Bank Clothiers, Inc. announces that total sales for the first quarter of fiscal year 2012 increased 4.2% to $201.4 million from $193.3 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2011. Comparable store sales and Direct Marketing sales each declined 1.0% in the first quarter of 2012. Net income for the first quarter of fiscal year 2012 declined to $14.8 million as compared with net income of $17.8 million for the first quarter of fiscal year 2011. Earnings per share for the first quarter of fiscal year 2012 declined to $0.53 per share as compared with earnings per share of $0.64 for the first quarter of fiscal year 2011. The first quarter of fiscal year 2012 ended April 28, 2012; the first quarter of fiscal year 2011 ended April 30, 2011.
"Net income in the first quarter of fiscal year 2012 was 7.4% of sales as compared with 9.2% of sales in the first quarter of fiscal year 2011. Sales started more slowly than we had planned for the first eight weeks of the quarter. After making marketing changes beginning in week nine, sales improved substantially," stated R. Neal Black, President and CEO of JoS. A. Bank Clothiers, Inc. "So far the second quarter has started out much better than the first quarter. For May, both our comparable store sales and Direct Marketing sales are up compared to the same period last year, continuing the positive trend established in the last five weeks of the first quarter. However, Father's Day, the most important selling period of the quarter, is still ahead of us," continued Mr. Black.
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05.30.2012
The June/July issue marks the official launch of HGTV Magazine, a new home lifestyle publication from Hearst Magazines and HGTV. Following two successful test issues in October 2011 and January 2012, the June/July issue hits newsstands nationwide today with a cover price of $3.99. The issue will also be available for download on Zinio, B&N Nook, Kindle and Apple Newsstand this week.
The launch issue focuses on quick, colorful makeovers for maximum impact around the home and features familiar HGTV network stars such as Sabrina Soto, Emily Henderson and Chip Wade. Plus, editors demonstrate how to salvage unique yard-sale finds, paint like a pro, create a stylish outdoor room on a budget and more. Readers also get a sneak peek at the contestants from season seven of HGTV Design Star, premiering tonight at 9 pm EST on HGTV.
“We’re thrilled to be moving forward after readers responded so well to our first two test issues,” says Sara Peterson, HGTV Magazine’s editor in chief. “HGTV Magazine is all about creating a happy home. We give readers lots of insider tips from HGTV hosts and focus on fun, fast makeovers that make a big difference all around your home."
Under the leadership of HGTV Magazine Publisher/Chief Revenue Officer Dan Fuchs, the magazine is attracting advertisers across numerous categories, including home decorating, building supplies, retail, food, financial services, automotive and beauty for the June/July debut and the rest of the year. The rate base for the issue is 450,000, one of the largest consumer magazine launches in the past decade.
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05.29.2012
The Talbots, Inc. today announced that the exclusivity agreement with Sycamore Partners, which was executed on May 5, 2012 and twice extended through May 24, 2012, has expired. The Company has worked exclusively in good faith with Sycamore Partners to execute a transaction. Sycamore Partners informed the Company that it is not prepared to execute a transaction at this time. The Company remains open to pursuing a transaction with Sycamore Partners at $3.05 per share pursuant to an acceptable merger agreement providing for an appropriate level of closing certainty and supported by firm debt and equity financing commitments. The Company is no longer subject to exclusivity and therefore will actively explore other strategic alternatives and in the meantime will continue to be focused on executing its business plan and creating value for its shareholders. In a separate press release, the Company today announced its first quarter results which reflected improved operating income and positive earnings.
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05.29.2012
The Talbots, Inc. today reported results for the quarter ended April 28, 2012, with an increase in both operating income and adjusted operating income compared to the prior year period. The Company also commented on key initiatives and actions.
First quarter income from continuing operations was $1.2 million, or $0.02 per share, compared to last year's income from continuing operations of $0.9 million, or $0.01 per share.
Adjusted first quarter income from continuing operations was $6.0 million, or $0.09 per share, excluding special items of $4.8 million, or $0.07 per share, compared to last year's adjusted income from continuing operations of $5.3 million, or $0.08 per share.
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05.29.2012
Pearson, the world’s leading learning company, is today announcing the acquisition of GlobalEnglish from its current ownership group for $90 million in cash.
Founded in 1997 in California, GlobalEnglish is a leading provider of cloud-based, on-demand Business English learning, assessment and performance support software. It serves more than 450 corporate customers, including 20 per cent of the Forbes Global 2000 companies, including General Electric, HSBC, Tata Consultancy Services and Unilever. Its product suite is uniquely suited to serve the needs of global professionals with a comprehensive offering - formal Business English learning coursework, informal and social learning capabilities, performance support tools, an enterprise collaboration platform, a mobile app, assessments and a premium one-on-one coaching service. GlobalEnglish’s Business English content is also entirely focused on the application of Business English to real life business situations such as composing emails and participating in conference calls, and its efficacy is highly rated by global companies and their employees. Approximately 75 per cent of GlobalEnglish’s more than 200,000 active subscribers are in fast growing economies in Latin America and Asia.
The transaction is subject to approval by GlobalEnglish’s shareholders.
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05.29.2012
UPM and Karl Unternehmensgruppe, Innernzell, Germany have reached an agreement on the sale of the Papierfabrik Albbruck GmbH. The closing of the deal is planned to be effective by the beginning of August 2012. The contract parties have agreed not to disclose the value of the transaction.
UPM closed the unprofitable Albbruck paper mill in Baden-Württemberg, Germany in January 2012 and permanently ceased graphic paper production at the site. Since then UPM has actively participated in round table discussions about the possible future use of the mill premises.
“The aim of the forum was to find development ideas and business opportunities for the site. This is now possible by selling the mill to the Karl Unternehmensgruppe“, explains Hartmut Wurster, Executive Vice President, UPM. “We are glad to have found a solid partner in Karl Unternehmensgruppe, which already has experience in the field of re-allocation of industrial companies. This provides new opportunities to the economy of the whole region,” says Wurster.
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05.29.2012
Thanks to a new generation of software and computing tools, in the future, book marketing will be determined by data rather than by intuition.
If you're a publishing executive and you haven't been reading about Big Data, then you soon will be. Big Data is just what it sounds like—data collections of such enormous size they are awkward, expensive, and impossible to process with conventional computing. Big Data also refers to the ability to use distributed computing—parsing out these huge data sets and processing them simultaneously on multiple computers—plus new software tools and deep analysis to create new kinds of predictive business models that will drive the decisionmaking in the future.
But Big Data is also a broad and informal term used to refer to the vast amounts of raw data generated by global online networks and an ever-increasing variety of data-capturing digital technologies. "All the stuff we do online" is how Jake Freivald, v-p, corporate marketing at Information Builders, characterized it. His company, a business intelligence and data analysis firm very much involved in Big Data, spoke on the topic at BISG's recent Making Information Pay conference.
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05.29.2012
The National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL) has announced that Pittsburgh-based TCP Printing (dab Typecraft) and MarketPlace Direct (MPD), based in McKees Rocks, PA, have merged operations. James Kaufman, MPD owner, will join Typecraft and assume responsibility for all accounting operations.
Serving as MPD’s strategic mergers and acquisitions advisor, NAPL introduced the parties, advised on the transaction price and structure, and prepared the letter of intent. Senior Vice President John Hyde, head of NAPL’s Mergers and Acquisitions Advisory Team, stated, “Greg Bozzi, Typecraft’s owner, has demonstrated a vision for consolidation in the industry, and Jim Kaufman’s financial management background will be a wonderful complement as the team embarks on a growth-by-acquisition strategy.”
Typecraft is part of a family of companies specializing in web and commercial sheetfed printing. MPD is known for direct marketing services that include printing, mailing and fulfillment. This acquisition follows a plan of expansion employed by Bozzi in numerous similar transactions over the past 25 years.
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05.29.2012
Wilen , a leading end-to-end provider of comprehensive marketing services, announced the launch of its new iPad publishing capabilities. The company, which has a 40-year history in the publishing arena, will leverage its experience with one-to-one (print and digital) marketing and mobile technology know-how to deliver robust mobile applications with personalized, interactive content.
According to Darrin Wilen, president, “It was a natural extension for us to advance from our four decades of publishing experience and interactive, multimedia capabilities to become more actively involved in the exploding Apple space. Now, we are offering our clients full concept-to-completion capabilities in iPad publishing applications.”
Wilen noted that its mobile publishing capabilities also extend to the Android platform.
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05.29.2012
Apart from digital magazines that reside on the Amazon Kindle Fire and Nook Color/Tablet customized versions of Android, few paid periodicals have made a strong presence on the Google-led platform. Some brands like The Economist are visible here, and others have free smartphone iterations of their brands. But the dearth of viable Android tablets in the market leaves a very small target for developers of digital editions looking to delvier immersive experiences. Android is hoping to change some developer reticence over Android by adding at last in-app subscription mechanisms to its existing app billing system. Now users can not only buy extra goods and one-off items in an Android App, but they can deploy subscriptions with auto-renewals.
According to a post last week at the Android Developers’ Blog the In-App Billing system introduced last year for in-app purchasing can now handle more involved subscription models. “Developers can use in-app billing to sell monthly or annual subscriptions from inside of their apps,” writes Dirk Dougherty. All subs are auto-renewing. Developers set a price and billing interval. Consumers receive emails when their sub has been auto-renewed and they can manage and cancel orders from within their My Apps section of the Google Play store. The subscriptions model can be used in the traditional way to sell recurring access to an app or they can be used to access bundles of features across apps. For instance, the game make Glu is using a subscription method to give players virtual currency that can be applied to multiple titles in their mobile games catalog.
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05.29.2012
A rather eclectic group of advertising gainers sport min’s top 5 monthly mags in our June collection. Taking the top spot is enthusiast title Guns & Ammo with 47.84 more ad pages in June 2012 compared with 2011. There are two women’s fashion magazines in Allure (40.04 more pages) and Elle (21.51), technology's IEEE Spectrum (30.09), and the African-American standard-bearer Ebony (19.58).
Our lower- than-par monthly report of 154 titles for first half is not a surprising one. The year has been like that. June demonstrated -6.45% and the overall differential for year-to-date 2012-versus-2011 was -6.10%. As you can see from the timeline below, the second quarter was -6.13% in 2012. At the same time last year, the second-quarter differential was +1.69% and in 2010 it was +4.67%. Sad but true.
Only 48 of the monthlies were up in June and 45 were up year-to-date.
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05.29.2012
HP today announced that its performance at drupa 2012 surpassed results from any other graphic arts tradeshow in its history, further validating HP’s success in leading the analog-to-digital transformation.
Demand for HP’s new digital printing solutions significantly exceeded the company’s goals for all regions and product lines. Results included:
Orders from more than 200 customers across 55 countries; Thousands of qualified sales leads; Record levels of booth attendees, with more presentations and live demonstrations than at any previous show.
Customer demand was especially strong for HP’s new digital printing solutions, including the HP Indigo 7600 Digital Press, the HP T410 Color Inkjet Web Press, the HP Scitex FB7600 Industrial Press and the HP Print Module Solutions. PSPs also showed strong interest in HP’s next-generation HP Indigo solutions—including the B2-format HP Indigo 10000 Digital Press—in advance of its early 2013 release date.
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05.29.2012
For its June issue, Bonnier’s Popular Science wanted to move past print constraints in its annual Invention Awards feature. Instead of integrating the more standard QR code to bring interactive content to its audience, PopSci tapped Aurasma “reality technology.”
“The difference between Aurasma’s technology and a QR code is that the QR code is used to activate a piece of Web content or a special offer; it typically drives you to a destination of some sort. In this case, Aurasma is combining the image with animation, so you have the sensation of picture coming to life in front of you,” says PopSci’s editor-in-chief Jake Ward.
Aurasma’s overlay (which is added over static images during the production process) leads users directly into video, etc. The magazine created an app called “PopSci Interactive” to house Aurasma’s technology through a provided STK; the app is available for both iOS and Android operating systems. Once a user accesses the additional content, they are able to double-tap the video and move the device away from the content’s print origin.
The Interactive app allows for screen shots of extra content for easy sharing through social media. Aurasma sends these engagement metrics, along with app download results and how many utilized the “Aura” technology, to PopSci each week.
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05.29.2012
MACtac ® Printing Products secured Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Recognition for Flint Group inks when used with its durable film product line, including 3.4-mil white vinyl, 2.6-mil white polypropylene, 2.0-mil white and clear polyester and 2.0-mil bright silver polyester labels.
When using UL Recognized MACtac ® products, converters now have pre-approval for Flexo inks. Pre-approval means no new testing is required, only a paper transfer which can be submitted through an internet portal, via email or phone. Upfront UL Recognition reduces converters’ cost and time spent qualifying substrates with UL and allows our customers to enter new markets faster.
UL’s label adoption process ensures fast market access by demonstrating that recognized labels have been evaluated to meet UL safety requirements. UL’s Marking and Labelling Systems Program covers labels that display safety and warning information on UL certified components and products.
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05.29.2012
Total European shipments of Graphic Papers were down 4.8% vs. April 2011 and are down 4.0% year-to-date.
Total European shipment of Newsprint were down 3.9% vs. April 2011 and are down 4.4% year-to-date.
Total European shipments of SC-Magazine grades were down 7.5% vs. April 2011 and are down 1.5% year-to-date.
Total European shipments of Coated Mechanical Reels were down 8.3% vs. April 2011 and are down 4.5% year-to-date.
Total European shipments of Uncoated Mechanical (Improved and Others) were down 6.4% vs. April 2011 and are down 5.6% year-to-date.
Total European shipments of Coated Woodfree were down 2.4% vs. April 2011 and are down 4.1% year-to-date.
Total European shipments of Uncoated Woodfree were down 2.6% vs. April 2011 and are down 3.5% year-to-date.
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05.29.2012
Oil rose to a four-day high in New York as speculation that economic growth will boost fuel demand in the U.S. and China, the world’s biggest crude consumers, countered concern that Europe’s debt crisis will worsen.
Futures advanced as much as 1.2 percent from the close on May 25. U.S. consumer confidence probably gained in May and job growth may have picked up, according to surveys by Bloomberg News before reports this week. China’s cabinet agreed to revive incentives for consumers to trade in their used cars to help increase demand in the world’s biggest vehicle market, a government official said. The U.S. Memorial Day holiday yesterday marked the start of the nation’s peak driving period.
“The U.S. situation is hopeful, with demand numbers improving lately as we kick off the summer driving season,” said Andrey Kryuchenkov, an analyst at VTB Capital in London, who predicts oil will trade from $84 and $96 a barrel next month. “But at the same time inventories are high, so we’d really need refinery runs to hold up early summer to work through the excess crude.”
Crude for July delivery climbed as much as $1.13 to $91.99 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the highest since May 22, and was at $91.25 at 11:53 a.m. London time.
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05.29.2012
Digital and direct marketing performance grew modestly during the first quarter, with improvements in revenue and campaign profitability, according to a report from the Direct Marketing Association.
According to DMA's “Quarterly Business Review,” 77.9% of respondents reported that their budgets remained unchanged or grew compared to the last quarter of 2011, with the strongest growth coming in social, mobile and email. Also, 80.7% reported unchanged or increasing revenue.
While only 37.0% said profitability increased in the first quarter, 45.4% said profitability will increase in the second quarter.
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05.25.2012
City officials confirmed early Thursday afternoon that printing company RR Donnelley will close its Prindle Lane plant. The shutdown will affect 145 workers.
Mayor Mark Boughton said the city received a notice from the company that it would shut down its printing plant and lay off its workers starting in July.
The news comes on the heels of RR Donnelley's announcement Tuesday that it is buying Edgar Online for $38.6 million, according to The Associated Press.
Both Boughton and Bruce Tuomala, the city's economic development director, said the news is not a surprise given the nature of the printing industry and the migration to the Internet and other technologies.
"They have shut down several plants across the country leading up to this," Boughton said. "Obviously we are not pleased about the closure, but hopefully, we can help these employees transition to other jobs."
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05.25.2012
Asia Pulp & Paper Group (APP) has announced its new High Conservation Value Forest policies to evolve APP’s business, including the immediate suspension of natural forest clearance on its own pulpwood plantations in Indonesia. WWF have responded immediately by issuing a press release which states that this new initiative by APP represents very little gains for natural forest and tiger protection in Sumatra, and represents another example of the company’s greenwashing.
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05.25.2012
The European Commission has today, 25 May 2012, approved DS Smith’s acquisition of SCA's packaging operations, excluding the two kraftliner mills in Sweden. The purchase price amounts to EUR 1.7bn on a debt free basis. The operations have approximately 12,000 employees.
Jan Johansson, President and CEO of SCA, comments: "The most important condition for finalizing the deal has now been fulfilled. Today's decision by the EU will enable SCA to continue to strengthen and consolidate its positions in the hygiene and forest products areas."
The Commission has conditioned the decision to DS Smith making some divestments after the acquisition. SCA's packaging operations will be transferred to DS Smith's ownership in connection with the closing of the deal which is expected to take place according to schedule.
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05.25.2012
In September of 2011, The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office awarded the company two patents: US 8,020,765 Method of Printing, Distributing and Placing Price Information and US 8,011,126 Price and Information Tag Construction.
"I think this validates our market leadership position for solving the very tough demands of in-store retail shelf tag production. We are helping leading retailers to lower their in-store labor costs while at the same time enabling them to create more effective shelf-edge marketing programs," says Chris E. Nunez, Director of Digital Printing for Grandville Printing Company.
Grandville Printing has three HP Indigo 7500's, three HP 5500's, two Xeikon 5000's, a robust finishing and packaging line, large poster and strip production equipment and employs over seventy-five who are dedicated to centralized shelf tag production. It also has fifteen digital print partners across the country to provide just-in time delivery to stores.
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05.25.2012
M, the upscale men's fashion magazine published by Fairchild Publications from 1983-1992, is returning. The new version from Fairchild Fashion Media (FFM) will debut in September as a quarterly with a starting circulation of 75,000. The median household income is a hefty $200,000-plus.
In charge is FFM editorial director (since July 2010) Peter Kaplan, who told the New York Post (May 23) that the revival "will be for guys in their 30s and 40s who are Web-savvy but want to hold onto to print." Kaplan wrote for the original M (full name was M: The Civilized Man), which at the end was edited by the late Clay Felker. (There will be more on M's history in the May 28 min.)
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05.25.2012
Given its dismal first quarter performance, Best Buy Co.’s interim CEO Mike Mikan isn’t mincing words about the company’s future.
Mikan told Wall Street analysts this week that Best Buy is no longer as relevant to customers with its current business model, and will continue to emphasize e-commerce and smaller stores to reshape its future. “The annual rate of growth of e-commerce transactions is far outstripping traditional retail sales,” Mikan told analysts on the company’s first quarter earnings call. “Consumers have needs and preferences that are new and changing rapidly. Today, they need virtual products and services as much, if not more, than they need hardware. And businesses are under pressure to respond to those changes; to connect with consumers, whether they are online or in the store; and to meet these new needs and preferences.”
In the past Best Buy could count on its network of big-box stores and experienced salespeople to drive growth. But now the retailer is in a turnaround mode, Mikan said. “Best Buy provided a unique customer experience that gave us a clear edge over competitors, but not anymore,” Mikan told analysts. “Today's marketplace is different. From my perspective, it is a marketplace we weren't prepared for. Best Buy's customer experience is no longer unique as it once was, and it is no longer a distinct competitive advantage.”
Going forward and as a key part of its turnaround strategy, Best Buy will continue to growth its e-commerce base, focus on a smaller-store format such as Best Buy Mobile that sells cell phones and close more big-box stores. “We will right size the company to better meet customers wherever they want, whenever they want, in the neighborhood store or online with a strengthened e-commerce capability that opens markets at home and abroad,” Mikan told analysts. “My goal is to continue to shrink the company's physical footprint and substantially reduce our cost structure. Total square footage will go down as we make decisions about the best use of space and resources.”
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05.25.2012
Future, a leading specialist hybrid media group, today announced a milestone in its digital strategy, generating more than $5 million in gross revenue from over 830,000 copy sales across its brands since Apple’s Newsstand launched in October 2011. The success is a testament to the company’s move from traditional print to digital, as the business restructures around high value audiences and a truly borderless digital marketplace for its market-leading products.
“As part of an aggressive digital strategy, our launch on Apple’s Newsstand exemplifies the success of our transition and underlines the vitality of our brands,” said Rachelle Considine, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Future US. “Our focus on creating a clear, unified global product line and digital platform are already helping us to unlock the potential for our best-in-class specialist content in both domestic and international markets. As tablet penetration continues at a pace, Future has a golden opportunity to deliver its wealth of high value content to audiences beyond the reach of our print products.”
Future’s successful fast-to-market approach demonstrates its ability to quickly address the rapidly evolving media marketplace by developing and delivering relevant digital products. Additionally, Future’s success in the tablet market underlines the global appeal of its content, ranging from technology and cycling to gaming, music, movies, crafts, and digital design.
Brands including Mac|Life, Total Film, Fast Car, T3 and many of Future’s games and music titles have all found large international audiences through their exposure to tablets like Apple’s iPad. Overall, 33% of revenues through the Newsstand have come from the domestic U.S. market, with 25% coming from the U.K. and the other 42% coming from countries as diverse as China, Korea, Germany and France. Additionally, more than 50% of all the revenues are attributable to subscriptions sold.
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05.25.2012
Future plc, the international specialist media group and leading digital publisher, today announces its unaudited interim results for the half-year ended 31 March 2012.
Summary:
Group digital revenues up 37%, with digital advertising now 44% of total advertising
Sales on the iPad pass £3m ($5m) gross since launch of Apple's Newsstand in October 2011
Normalised Group revenues down 4%, Normalised Group EBITDAE up 3%
UK revenues up 1% with digital increases offsetting print decline
US operations remain on track to return to profitability in FY13
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05.25.2012
AAA’s Fuel Gage Report as of 5/25/12
National Unleaded Regular:
Current Average - $3.666/gallon
Month Ago Average - $3.840/gallon
Year Ago Average - $3.814/gallon
Highest Recorded Average - $4.114/gallon on 7/17/08
Diesel:
Current Average - $3.964/gallon
Month Ago Average - $4.108/gallon
Year Ago Average - $4.041/gallon
Highest Recorded Average - $4.845/gallon on 7/17/08
Current Exchange Rates as of 5/24/12
American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.975153 (120 day high - 1.01905 on April 26, 2012; low 0.964227 on December 14, 2011)
American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.157866 (120 day high – 0.159363 on May 2, 2012; low 0.157147 on December 13, 2011)
American Dollar to Euro = 1.2557 (120 day high - 1.3454 on February 28, 2012; low 1.2557 on May 24, 2012)
American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.0125885 (120 day high – 0.0131387 on February 2, 2012; low 0.0119026 on March 21, 2012)
American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.071582 (120 day high – 0.0793808 on March 14, 2012; low 0.0715026 on December 28, 2011)
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05.25.2012
Oil rose for a second day in New York, paring its fourth weekly decline, as support among European Union leaders for joint euro-area bonds fueled speculation that the bloc can resolve its debt crisis.
West Texas Intermediate futures advanced as much as 0.7 percent. Most of the EU leaders at a summit in Brussels this week backed the idea of issuing common euro-area debt, and Italy can help persuade Germany to support Europe’s “common good” as well, Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti said. Iran, OPEC’s second-biggest crude producer, and world powers decided yesterday they will meet again in June after they were unable to negotiate a deal on the nation’s nuclear program.
“We are getting a technical bounce after several oversold sessions, but risk aversion still remains in the driver seat,” said Harry Tchilinguirian, head of commodity-markets strategy at BNP Paribas SA in London. “While forward fundamentals suggest a floor around current levels, the direction for oil prices in the lead-up to the next Greek elections in mid-June remains skewed to the downside.”
Crude for July delivery gained as much as 66 cents to $91.32 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, and was at $91.07 at 11:25 a.m. London time. The contract increased yesterday 0.9 percent to $90.66.
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05.25.2012
The American Forest & Paper Association released its April 2012 U.S. Recovered Fiber Monthly Report today.
According to the report, total U.S. industry consumption of recovered paper in April was 2.48 million tons, 4% lower than March 2012. Year-to-date consumption in 2012 is 3% lower than during the same period last year.
U.S. exports of recovered paper increased 7% in March compared to February, with increases mainly seen in Mixed and Corrugated. Year-to-date exports of recovered paper in 2012 are 3% higher than during the same period in 2011.
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05.25.2012
From condominiums to co-generation, all options are on the table for the former St. Marys Paper site, say the developers who bought the bankrupt mill.
Riversedge Developments offered media a tour Wednesday of the 38-acre site, where crews have already begun to disassemble the mill’s paper-making equipment in preparation for the eventual knocking down some of the plant’s more modern structures.
Willem Galle, a managing partner with Riversedge, said he doesn’t yet know what will take the mill’s place, though he offered hints as to what might and might not go up on the site.
Riversedge sees the site, “as an urban destination,” and Galle said he does anticipate interest in potential office space on the site, as well as residential uses, including condominium, apartment, or townhouse developments.
“Between today and actually handing out the keys there’s a lot that needs to be done, a lot that needs to be overcome, and a lot of further discussion is required,” said Galle.
He said he has heard from parties interested in renewable energy, “whether it is co-generation, whether it is the manufacture of certain products that are extracted from wood products.”
When it comes to co-generation, Galle said it is a possibility, though he cautioned that a market for the power such a plant would produce needs to be found outside the Sault, which he believes is already well served for electricity.
St. Marys Paper could never drum up the funds to do it, but it was approved by the province for a 35-megawatt co-generation plant, and the province has opened the door to the plant’s buyer renegotiating a deal to sell the power. However, if you add that 35 megawatts to the 50 megawatts the defunct mill is no longer using to operate, you end up with 85 megawatts more electricity available, which the Sault doesn’t need, said Galle.
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05.25.2012
Tribune Co. is streamlining its corporate structure for the possible sale of publishing and broadcast units after its exit from bankruptcy.
The Chicago-based company recently filed a document with the Delaware court handling the bankruptcy that shows it will collect its units into fewer subsidiaries as part of its reorganization. The company also plans to create a new publishing subsidiary under the parent that will hold all its publishing entities, including eight new limited liability companies for its main English-language papers.
The media company is expected to win court approval of its reorganization plan early next month at a hearing over several days, giving Tribune a chance to exit bankruptcy by the end of the year. Bankers, consultants and industry executives expect the new creditor-owners to be eager to convert assets to cash by separating and selling some, especially given the diverging prospects for broadcast and print.
While Tribune could be streamlining its structure for the sake of simplification and potential tax benefits, it's also a potential set-up for sales, said Dan Wikel, a restructuring consultant and managing director for Chicago-based Huron Consulting Group LLC.
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05.24.2012
The Los Angeles City Council voted 13 to 1 on Wednesday to ban single-use plastic bags, making it the largest city in the United States to approve such a ban.
The law will affect about 7,500 businesses, including supermarket chains, independent grocers and markets, retailers with pharmacies, and convenience stores, according to the City Council. Not included in the ban are restaurants, retailers without food/pharmacy components and produce bags and food packaging.
A vote on the ban was preceded by a rally from supporters of the ban, including former Seinfeld actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Opponents of the ban also voiced their opinions, with several wearing "Don't Kill My Job" T-shirts, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times.
The bag ban was opposed by several Los Angeles-area plastic bag manufacturers, including Command Packaging, based in Vernon, Calif., and by the American Progressive Bag Alliance, which is a unit of the Society of the Plastics Industry Inc. of Washington D.C.
Large stores will have six months and smaller retailers will have a year to phase out plastic bags. Two years from now -- and a year after the plastic bag ban -- those retailers will be required to charge 10 cents for paper bags.
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05.24.2012
AbitibiBowater Inc., doing business as Resolute Forest Products, today clarified that Resolute currently expects that trading in its common stock will commence under the new symbol 'RFP' on the Toronto Stock Exchange on May 28, 2012, and not May 24, 2012 as previously announced. Resolute also reconfirms that trading in its common stock on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol 'RFP' will commence as of the opening of markets on May 24, 2012.
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05.24.2012
AbitibiBowater Inc., doing business as Resolute Forest Products, today held its annual general meeting of stockholders in Charlotte, North Carolina. At the meeting, shareholders approved a resolution to amend the Company's certificate of incorporation to change its legal corporate name to "Resolute Forest Products Inc.", effective May 24, 2012. As part of this change, stockholders also agreed to change the Company's common stock ticker symbol from ABH to RFP on both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), also effective May 24, 2012. Any impact this legal entity name transition may have for Resolute's customers and business partners will be communicated directly to these parties over the coming days.
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05.24.2012
Alliance Creative Group is pleased to announce its results for the three months ended March 31, 2012.
The company’s revenues for the quarter were $2.5 million compared with $1.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2011, an increase of 32 percent.
Gross Profits for the quarter were $763,379 compared with $461,877 for the three months ended March 31, 2011, or an increase of 65 precent.
Net Income for the three months ended March 31, 2012, totaled $296,731 vs. $127,336 for the three months ended March 31, 2011, an increase of 133 precent.
The total assets of the Alliance Creative Group as of March 31, 2012 were $5.1 million. The total equity was $1.7 million.
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05.24.2012
Macy’s, Inc. today announced it will sell an assortment of its highly regarded private brand merchandise directly to consumers in China through a Macy’s section on omei.com, a newly established China-based online retailer of in-season luxury and fashion brands operated by VIPStore Co., Ltd.
In addition, Macy’s, Inc. has made an equity investment of $15 million in VIPStore Co., a Chinese e-commerce firm and parent company of omei.com. Macy’s, Inc. joins other venture capital providers, including Intel Capital, in acquiring a minority stake in the company. In addition to omei.com, VIPStore operates jiapin.com, an established flash sales site.
“Our relationship with VIPStore will allow us to gain additional experience in the fast-growing Chinese market, and to better understand how consumers across China interact with Macy’s and the products we sell,” said Terry J. Lundgren, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Macy’s, Inc. “We know that Macy’s is very well known and regarded in China through international tourism, globally broadcast events such as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and movies such as Miracle on 34th Street. But we still have a great deal to learn about the shopping patterns and merchandise preferences of consumers in China’s very diverse and rapidly emerging consumer marketplace.
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