Blog Keyword - Midland PaperClips - fine paper, packaging and supply systems distributor

12.07.2011

B-to-b media revenue grew 7.1% in first half of year

Total b-to-b media revenue increased 7.1% to $12.9 billion in the first half of the year compared with the year-earlier period, according to Business Information Network data released by American Business Media. The BIN figures comprise data, digital, print and trade show revenue.

The digital revenue category gained most, growing 23.2% to $3.0 billion in the first half of this year. Data also increased 7.8% to $900 million.

Print and trade show revenue also grew. Print revenue was up 4.9%, climbing to $3.9 billion in the first half, and trade show revenue increased 1.0% to $5.1 billion.

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12.07.2011

EFI Acquires Alphagraph

Electronics For Imaging, Inc., a world leader in customer-focused digital printing innovation, today announced that it has acquired privately-held alphagraph team GmbH ("Alphagraph "). Alphagraph, with headquarters in Essen, Germany, is a provider of MIS/ERP (management information systems and enterprise resource planning) software products for the printing industry, including Prinance, Printy and Primus. While financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, the acquisition is not expected to be material to EFI's 2011 results.

"We are very pleased to have Alphagraph join the EFI family and our expanding portfolio of business automation technologies. We welcome their over 6,000 customer strong install base in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and throughout the rest of the world to our large global client base," said Marc Olin, GM of EFI's Software Applications ("APPS") business unit.

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12.07.2011

Hearst Corporation Completes the Acquisition of the Majority of Hachette China Operations

Hearst Corporation today announced that it has completed the acquisition of the majority of the Hachette China operations. The remaining operations, which include a joint venture with Marie Claire, are expected to conclude in the near future. This will mark the final portion of Hearst’s overall transaction with Lagardère SCA to acquire the company’s nearly 100 titles in 14 countries outside of France, including the U.S.

The acquisition includes most of Hachette’s magazine-related activities in China and oversight of seven titles, including global media superbrand ELLE, as well as Car and Driver, Woman’s Day and Psychologies.

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12.07.2011

Postal Pain Continues With First-Class Mail Changes

Don Landis, vice president of postal affairs for catalog printer Arandell Corp., has seen it all in the mailing industry. That is until the U.S. Postal Service filed (28404 in New Media) for change of standards that will dramatically alter the First-Class Mail process and also close 252 of 487 mail processing facilities in the next two years.

“From someone who has been in the mailing industry for over 40 years, I am sorry to see this,” Landis says. “Yet, the reality is First-Class volume is declining at an alarming rate. The system is designed around First-Class C mail so obviously something has to be done by postal management since Congress seems to be reluctant to act. I am afraid this action will speed up the decline in First-Class volume, which could cause a decline in volume for all classes.”

While Congress sits and debates the potentially devastating postal issues, members are already calling for Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe’s job – a position he’s only for just over a year.

“I find it somewhat amusing when a congressman wants PMG Donahoe fired when it is Congress that will not act,” Landis says. “What do they expect PMG to do? It is time for the American public to decide what kind of postal service they want and are willing to pay for."

The U.S. Postal Service must reduce its operating costs by $20 billion by 2015 in order to return to profitability, said David Williams, vice president of network operations for the USPS. “The proposed changes to service standards will allow for significant consolidation of the postal network in terms of facilities, processing equipment, vehicles and employee workforce and will generate projected net annual savings of approximately $2.1 billion.”

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12.07.2011

Discover U.S. Spending MonitorSM Consumer Confidence Jumps in November

Consumer confidence increased substantially in November as more consumers viewed both the economy and their personal finances as improving, according to the Discover U.S. Spending Monitor. The Monitor, a 4-year-old daily poll tracking economic confidence and spending intentions of nearly 8,200 consumers throughout the month, recorded more than a 7-point rise from the previous month to 86.3 percent.

Nearly 19 percent of consumers felt economic conditions were getting better in November, a rise of more than 4 points from October. Similarly, those who believe economic conditions were getting worse declined by 7 points from October to 55 percent.

While most consumers still view the economy as poor, the percentage of consumers giving the economy poor marks dropped seven points from last month to 61 percent. Only 8 percent of consumers rate the economy as good or excellent.

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12.07.2011

Meredith Announces Microsoft Tag as 2D Barcode Standard for Magazine Portfolio

Meredith Corporation, the leading media and marketing company serving American women, announced plans today to make Microsoft Tag the 2D barcode standard across its portfolio of magazines, which reach nearly 80 million readers every month. The initiative, effective in early 2012, aims to provide readers with an easy to use and quality experience month after month, and increase engagement with value-added content behind the mobile barcodes.

Mobile barcodes, like Microsoft Tag, link physical objects to digital content by scanning a printed code with a mobile device. Meredith has already leveraged Microsoft's Tag technology across their network in publications including Better Homes and Gardens, Family Circle, Ladies' Homes Journal, Traditional Home and Recipe.com to allow readers to watch how-to recipe videos, link to holiday decorations and gift ideas, connect with leading designers and decorators, and create special events and experiences for their families.

"We are excited to launch this initiative to standardize the 2D barcode experience for our readers," said Liz Schimel, EVP/Chief Digital Officer, Meredith. "We chose the Microsoft Tag platform, as it offers the innovation, scale and product features to create a dynamic and consistent experience for our readers across our published content."

"Microsoft Tag technology enables partners to offer rich, interactive mobile experiences and Meredith Corporation is a great example of a partner that has already employed hundreds of creative campaigns to make the most out of Tag," says Aaron Getz, Tag product unit manager at Microsoft Corp. "We're thrilled to extend our relationship with Meredith to drive a consistent 2D barcode experience across all of their publications and bring the magazine pages to life with added value at every turn."

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12.07.2011

Presstek Announces Sale of Two Additional 75DI Digital Offset Presses in North America

Presstek, Inc., a leading supplier of digital offset printing solutions to the printing and communications industries, today announced the sale of two 75DI digital offset presses in North America. The first, a five-color 75DI with coater, was sold to a Midwest commercial print operation. The second, a four-color 75DI, was sold to a West coast based communications company. Presstek has sold seven 75DI presses since the product was commercialized this year, five of which are in North America.

"It is very exciting to see the momentum around our 75DI program continue to grow," said Jeff Jacobson, Presstek's Chairman, President & CEO. "We have been thrilled with the market reaction to this dynamic and versatile press. When printers see the press in action they recognize immediately the productivity and profitability that it can bring to their businesses. The return on investment statistics are truly remarkable." Jacobson adds, "The real key for one of these customers was the fact we were able to run 11 jobs of 1,000 sheets each in just over 3 hours. The speed and quality of the 75DI truly amazes our customers. We are equally pleased with the positive reaction we are receiving from our potential packaging customers, as this will be a fairly new market segment for Presstek."

The Presstek 75DI is a highly automated 29" digital offset press that is available in 4- to 10-color configurations. It has a full range of productivity enhancing options, including an inline aqueous coater. The 75DI features support for 300 lpi and FM screening, 6-minute job-to-job turnover (including on-press plate imaging), and a small environmental footprint. The press prints up to 16,000 six-up sheets or 96,000 letter-sized pages per hour.

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12.06.2011

Allen Press Offers BrightCopy, A Digital Publication Platform

Allen Press, Inc., publisher and printing services provider, has introduced BrightCopy?, a digital publication platform that allows publishers to leverage traditional print media for optimized reading online.

BrightCopy provides an outlet for publishers who need an online solution that preserves the look and feel of their print publication, supports robust advertising opportunities, and offers a media-rich experience for readers. Built on an HTML5 mobile optimized platform, BrightCopy extends the accessibility of content from printed page, to desktop computer, to mobile device, ensuring that readers can access content whenever and wherever.

BrightCopy is a full-featured digital publication platform that meets the needs of users and publishers alike. User tools such as linking, searching, zooming, and social sharing functionality are standard features. Publishers enjoy robust reporting capabilities, advertising and sponsorship opportunities designed to capitalize on advertising profitability, and sophisticated access control and digital rights management (DRM ) options.

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12.06.2011

Oil Snaps Two-Day Gain as S&P Threatens Europe Debt Downgrades

Oil dropped from the highest in almost three weeks in New York as investors speculated that fuel demand will falter amid signs Europe is struggling to tame its sovereign debt crisis.

West Texas Intermediate futures slid as much as 0.6 percent, snapping two days of gains, after Standard & Poor’s said it may strip Germany and France of AAA credit ratings as it put 15 euro nations on review for downgrades. U.S. gasoline and distillate stockpiles rose last week while crude supplies shrank, according to a Bloomberg News survey. London-traded Brent oil may average from $90 to $100 a barrel next year, BP Plc’s chief executive officer said today.

“The market is anticipating the implications to global growth from Europe,” said Michael McCarthy, a chief market strategist at CMC Markets Asia Pacific Pty. in Sydney, who forecasts WTI’s discount to Brent will shrink to parity in the absence of “supply-rattling,” events.

Crude for January delivery fell as much as 61 cents to $100.38 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It was at $100.66 at 3:40 p.m. Singapore time. Yesterday, the contract gained 3 cents to $100.99, the highest settlement since Nov. 16. Futures are up 10 percent this year after rising 15 percent in 2010.

Brent oil for January settlement on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange dropped 40 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $109.41 a barrel. The European benchmark contract was at an $8.77 premium to New York-traded West Texas grade, compared with $8.82 yesterday and a record $27.88 on Oct. 14. Brent last closed at a discount to WTI in August 2010.

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12.06.2011

Canfor Announces Permanent Closure of Rustad and Tackama Operations

After a lengthy indefinite shut that followed the collapse of the United States residential housing market in 2008, Canfor Corporation has decided to close its historic Rustad Sawmill in Prince George, British Columbia and Tackama Mill in Fort Nelson, British Columbia.

Canfor has determined that the capital investment needed to bring the Rustad facility up to globally competitive operating standards is prohibitive. The company has instead focused a $300 million, 3-year capital investment plan on other facilities where smaller amounts of capital spending can realize significant improvements in cost performance and capacity.

Canfor acquired the Rustad Sawmill in 1999, and operated the facility for 10 years until slowing US lumber demand forced operations to cease in 2009. To that point, the mill had been in continuous operation for 62 years. The Tackama operation in Fort Nelson was part of Canfor’s 2004 acquisition of Slocan Forest Products, and at the time was BC’s largest plywood facility.

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12.06.2011

ZenithOptimedia, GroupM soften global ad spend predictions

Media services companies ZenithOptimedia and WPP's GroupM have softened their independent global ad spending predictions for 2012 in forecasts released Dec. 5.

GroupM expects a 6.4% increase in global ad spending in 2012, which is less than the 6.8% prediction the company had reported in July. ZenithOptimedia is more conservative in its estimates and predicts that global advertisers will increase spending 4.7% to $486 billion in 2012, which is down from its October forecast when the company predicted 5.3% growth for 2012.

Jonathan Barnard, head of forecasting at ZenithOptimedia, said the predictions were downgraded because of weak economic activity in Western Europe. “Since October we've seen the euro zone market failure, which has darkened our prediction a lot in Western Europe and the euro zone,” he said. “But I was surprised that globally, the prediction is quite positive.”

While ZenithOptimedia has predicted a slower global ad spend than it had anticipated two months ago, it is still expected to grow 3.5% from 2011. “There is rapid growth in developing markets and advertisers cut back heavily in 2009, so there is no need for large cost cutting again,” he said.

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12.06.2011

DMA Urges USPS to Withdraw Request for Exigent Postal Increase

Today, the Direct Marketing Association; the Association for Postal Commerce; Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers; and MPA-The Association of Magazine Media, asked the Postmaster General to withdraw the Postal Service (USPS) request for a $2.3 billion exigent (above inflation) postage increase. This increase would be over and above the announced inflation-capped postage increases scheduled for January 22, 2012.

Although USPS has told its customers that it will not raise postage above inflation, it continues to pursue an above inflation postage increase before the Postal Regulatory Commission. This action requires mailers to plan for an exigent postage increase which lowers the amount of mail they will send. At a time when mail volume is falling precipitously and USPS cannot shed excess capacity quickly enough, USPS should send no signal through its actions to customers to mail less. USPS should withdraw the exigent case, thereby showing mailers, through its actions, that it does not want postage increases higher than inflation.

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12.06.2011

60 Percent of B-to-B Marketers Plan Increased Spend on Content Marketing in 2012

Content marketing, which is viewed as one of the hottest trends in publishing in 2011, is poised to continue its market dominance in the upcoming year. “B2B Content Marketing: 2012 Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends”, a recent survey conducted by the Content Marketing Institute, reports 60 percent of surveyed business-to-business marketing personnel plan to increase content market spending in 2012.

On average, the surveyed marketing personnel allocate 26 percent of their total budget to content marketing initiatives.

Joe Pulizzi, founder of the Constitute Marketing Institute, told FOLIO: earlier this year, "If you look at branded and custom content, it's all the same. We decided to go with ‘content marketing' because brands didn't get 'custom publishing'--they automatically thought book publishing or print. The idea is that marketers need to be publishers today. When you talk to a brand now, they get it right away."

According to CMI’s findings (the survey was conducted in August 2011 with 1,092 marketers by CMI and MarketingProfs), b-to-b marketers use an average of 8 content marketing tactics to achieve their goals. Article posting ranks the highest with 79 percent usage; social media is used by 74 percent of survey respondents.

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12.06.2011

Fortress Paper Commences Dissolving Pulp Production and Provides Corporate Update

Fortress Paper Ltd. announced today that it has commenced dissolving pulp production at its Fortress Specialty Cellulose Mill in Thurso, Quebec. The centerpiece of the project, a new state of the art pre-hydrolized kraft cooking plant, came on line successfully on Sunday. The commencement of dissolving pulp production signifies the successful completion of the conversion of the Fortress Specialty Cellulose Mill into a dissolving pulp operation.

Chad Wasilenkoff, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Fortress Paper, commented: “This is a momentous day in the history of Fortress Paper and a culmination of our work at the Fortress Specialty Cellulose Mill since acquiring the mill in April 2010. We are very proud to join the limited group of dissolving pulp producers in the world and look forward to completing our first shipments. We would like to thank all those involved in helping bring this project on line.”

The Dresden Mill continues to lead the non-woven wallpaper base market globally. The order book remains strong and its recent upgrades to improve speed and capacity have been successfully implemented.

The Landqart Mill has continued to experience challenges throughout the fourth quarter as a result of a strong Swiss franc, high raw material costs, and less than optimal production efficiency on its paper machines. The company expects that these issues will continue to materially impact results of operations in the fourth quarter.

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12.06.2011

HP Acquires Hiflex, a Web-to-print and Management Information Systems Software Company

HP today announced it has acquired Hiflex Software GmbH, a privately held global software solutions provider specializing in web-to-print and management information systems solutions for printing services. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 1991, Hiflex is headquartered in Aachen, Germany. Following the acquisition, Hiflex will continue to evolve its offerings and service its current customers.

“HP wants to break the traditional barriers of how and where business customers print, making it easy for them to produce custom or personalized materials anywhere, anytime,” said Vyomesh Joshi, executive vice president, Imaging and Printing Group, HP. “Hiflex’s technology provides a powerful platform to deliver on this goal as part of our overall cloud printing strategy.”

Technologies from Hiflex will enable continued innovation across HP’s imaging and printing offerings and will extend the company’s portfolio of cloud-based technologies and solutions. HP also remains committed to supporting a broad range of partner solutions, giving customers maximum choice and flexibility.

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12.06.2011

IWCO DIRECT Announces Purchase of DGI Services Assets

IWCO Direct, a leading national provider of direct marketing solutions, announced it has purchased a portion of the assets of DGI Services, LLC. DGI Services is a fully integrated direct marketing services provider headquartered in Swedesboro, N.J. with an additional location in Cerritos, Calif. IWCO Direct will transition the acquired assets to its existing locations in California, Minnesota and Pennsylvania. The acquisition will advance IWCO Direct’s strategic capital investment plan and allow the company to offer its customers the broadest range of direct marketing services. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“This transaction presented a unique opportunity for IWCO Direct to serve the immediate needs of DGI’s customer base while enhancing value to our current customers and DGI’s customers through additional equipment options,” commented Jim Andersen, IWCO Direct chief executive officer.

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12.06.2011

Monadnock - The Un-Plastic

In the past, when brand owners and retailers needed durable substrates, they often turned to plastics for longevity, durability and water resistance.

While plastics certainly meet these criteria, many marketers have a growing concern about their use, in terms of sustainability and environmental impact, as well as their burden on the waste stream.

Monadnock Paper Mills worked with leading brand owners to develop a line of durable papers that is an alternative to plastics. Unlike plastics, these papers are designed to provide maximum performance while minimizing environmental impacts. Unlike the plastics they are designed to replace, all of these new papers are:

Made with Renewable Resources; FSC® Certified (C018866); Manufactured Carbon Neutral (VERs); Manufactured with 100% Renewable Electricity (RECs).

Designed as a replacement for HDPE, styrene and PLA, Envi Durable Tag is made from renewable wood fiber and is ideal for high-moisture applications (such as horticulture tags and wraps), as well as exterior point-of-purchase (POP) signage where quality printing and water resistance are required. The stock is ideal for die cuts, embosses and foil stamps, all while resisting fading and curling, and it prints using standard offset inks.

Monadnock DuraprintTM turned-edge stocks are engineered to replace plastic laminates in projects where durability, detailed printing and repetitive folding are required — making them perfect for slipcases, media box sets and two-sided posters.

Made from wood fiber, Envi Card Stock is an environmentally preferable replacement for the heavy plastics typically used in retailer gift and loyalty cards and hotel keys. Durable and recyclable, Envi Card Stock prints crisply using standard offset printing techniques. These papers emboss and foil stamp beautifully, and are available in 14 pt. and 28 pt. calipers.

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12.06.2011

Postal Service Progresses With Operational Efficiencies

The U.S. Postal Service today announced it will move forward with its proposal to change service standards. This action is being taken in response to on-going financial challenges caused by the dramatic and continual decline in First-Class Mail volume and the resulting revenue loss.

“The U.S. Postal Service must reduce its operating costs by $20 billion by 2015 in order to return to profitability,” said David Williams, vice president, Network Operations. “The proposed changes to service standards will allow for significant consolidation of the postal network in terms of facilities, processing equipment, vehicles and employee workforce and will generate projected net annual savings of approximately $2.1 billion.” This is part of the overall savings expected from the network optimization initiative, which is projected to save up to $3 billion by 2015.

The size of the existing Postal Service network is dictated by the current overnight transit time in existing service standards. The Postal Service is proposing, through the rulemaking process, to move First-Class Mail to a 2?3 day standard for contiguous U.S. destinations; however, there would be an opportunity for mailers who properly prepare and enter mail at the destinating processing facility prior to the day's critical entry time to have their mail delivered the following delivery day.

On Sep. 15, the Postal Service announced it would begin studying 252 out of 487 mail processing facilities for possible closure. At that time, the Postal Service also announced it would be considering changes to service standards in an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published in the Federal Register. The Advance Notice filing was a formal effort to gather input from the public early in the process to ensure their views can be factored into the service change proposal.

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12.06.2011

Walgreens November Sales Increase 4.2 Percent

Walgreens had November sales of $6.09 billion, an increase of 4.2 percent from $5.84 billion for the same month in fiscal 2011.

Total front-end sales increased 4.0 percent in November, while comparable store front-end sales increased 2.7 percent. Customer traffic in comparable stores decreased 0.3 percentage point and basket size increased 3.0 percent.

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12.02.2011

Bemis Company Acquires Shield Pack

Bemis Company, Inc. today announced that it has acquired the common stock of Shield Pack, LLC of West Monroe, Louisiana, a manufacturer of high barrier liners for bulk container packaging with annual net sales of approximately $25 million. Details of the transaction were not disclosed. This transaction does not impact Bemis’ earnings per share guidance for 2011.

“This acquisition expands our reach into new market applications for bulk liquids and other products that require barrier packaging,” said Henry Theisen, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bemis Company, Inc. “Shield Pack’s expertise in moisture and oxygen barrier technology complements our existing technological capabilities and our focus on high barrier packaging solutions.”

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12.02.2011

Crude Oil Futures Rise Amid Middle East Tension, Head for Weekly Gain

Oil rose, heading for its first weekly gain in three, as investors bet U.S. employers quickened the pace of hiring last month and concern deepened that tension between Iran and the west will disrupt Middle East exports.

Futures gained as much as 0.9 percent and are up 4.3 percent this week. European governments tightened sanctions on Iran, the second-biggest oil producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, in a clampdown over the Persian Gulf nation’s nuclear program. Bank of America Corp. cut its 2012 Brent forecast.

“The oil market is strongly supported by the geopolitical risks over Iran, and a physical market that’s already very tight,” said James Zhang, a strategist at Standard Bank Plc in London, who forecasts prices will remain at current levels for the rest of the year. “Oil will be range-bound without a crisis in Iran or blow-up in the euro zone.”

Crude for January delivery climbed as much as 89 cents to $101.09 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange and was $100.94 at 11:25 a.m. London time.

Brent oil for January settlement was at $109.62 a barrel, up 63 cents, on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. The contract slid $1.53, or 1.4 percent, to $108.99 yesterday.

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12.02.2011

Boise Inc. Completes Hexacomb Acquisition

Boise Inc. today announced that it had completed the acquisition of the Hexacomb protective packaging business of Pregis Corporation. Hexacomb is a leader in kraft-paper-based honeycomb protective packaging and operates twelve manufacturing facilities across six countries.

"We are pleased to complete this acquisition and welcome Hexacomb employees to Boise,” said Alexander Toeldte, president and chief executive officer of Boise Inc. “Hexacomb expands our position in the protective packaging market, provides a platform for further growth, steps up our vertical integration within our containerboard business, and delivers synergies with limited execution risk.”

In 2010, Hexacomb had revenues of $102 million and converted approximately 60,000 tons of containerboard. The $125 million transaction was financed through cash on hand.

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12.02.2011

The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. Announces November Sales

The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. today announced comparable store sales for the four weeks ended November 26, 2011 decreased 4.9%. Total sales decreased 4.9% to $303.6 million for the four weeks compared with $319.1 million for the prior year period.

Year-to-date comparable store sales through November 26, 2011 decreased 3.3%. Year-to-date total sales through November 26, 2011 decreased 3.7% to $2,205.1 million compared with $2,289.6 million for the prior year period.

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12.02.2011

Study: Fifty percent of consumers prefer direct mail to email

Fifty percent of U.S. consumers prefer direct mail to email, according to a study released by marketing services firm Epsilon on Dec. 1. The study also found that one-quarter of all U.S. consumers said they found direct mail to be “more trustworthy” than email.

Of the 2,226 U.S. consumers surveyed for the third Consumer Channel Preference Study, 60% said they enjoy checking their physical mailboxes, highlighting what the study refers to as an “emotional connection” to postal mail.

Over-reliance on email messaging may actually hurt marketers, according to the study, which found the perception that reading email is faster than reading postal mail declined among U.S. email account holders from 47% in 2010 to 45% this year.

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12.02.2011

Regional Mag Publisher Looks to Resuscitate Local Newspaper Business with Weekly Offering

Dan Shannon, publisher of North Carolina city titles Chapel Hill and Durham Magazines, has spotted a hole in the current news publishing model.

“We have mere shadows of what newspapers used to be. We can bring Chapel Hill a lively, local newspaper,” says Shannon. “A weekly that includes things not easily accessible on the internet––like middle school and high school sports, births, deaths, marriages, divorces, land transfers, arrests, acquittals, bankruptcies and new business startups.”

Enter Chapel Hill Magazine’s The Weekly, a high-frequency print publication intended to fill the gap Shannon believes is left by newspapers currently serving the community (which include McClatchy’s local subsidiary the News & Observer). Set to debut in February 2012, a six-month beta period will ensue. During this time, The Weekly will be delivered without charge to 2,000 randomly chosen households. An additional 5,000 copies will be distributed for newsstand sale.

The Weekly will follow the business model of its parent publication. Twelve thousand affluent Chapel Hill households receive Chapel Hill Magazine for free, and it’s sold on newsstands for $5.00 an issue. The publication has an average 85 percent sell-through rate, which equates to about 1,000 copies.

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12.02.2011

USPS promises to fix “unacceptable” flats processing delays

US Postal Service executives resolved to fix problems in their periodicals processing yesterday, as mailers pressed their concerns about significant delays.

On-time performance levels for one-to-two day periodicals delivery have slumped to as low as 44% this year as USPS expanded its use of automated flats sequencing systems (FSS) as a way of improving efficiency in processing flats immediately prior to delivery.

FSS machines automatically sequence newspapers and magazines into delivery order for houses along a mail carrier’s route, meaning the mail carrier does not have to sequence the items manually.

Over the past year the Postal Service has accelerated its plans to expand its FSS fleet from 10 machines in five sites to 100 machines in 42 sites, as an extra effort to cut costs from the network. But, after the roll-out was completed this summer, the new machines have been plagued with problems that has seen significant periods of down-time.

Largely because of the FSS issues, the number of delays to Standard Mail flats has increased 16% this year, while delays to Standard Mail overall fell 20%.

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12.02.2011

Huhtamaki Continues Foodservice Expansion with Acquisition of Ample Industries

Huhtamaki, a global leader in foodservice and paperboard packaging, today announced it has acquired the business and assets of Ample Industries, Inc., a privately held manufacturer of folding paperboard cartons for the foodservice industry.

Ample Industries, Inc. employs approximately 230 people in its Franklin, OH plant and adds to Huhtamaki North America a new product technology, a talented workforce and additional manufacturing presence in the Midwest.

"Ample Industries' nested trays, fry cartons and clamshells further expand Huhtamaki's product portfolio of tableware, cups, containers, carriers, and serviceware," says Clay Dunn, president, Huhtamaki North America.

"We're excited to join Huhtamaki," says Bob Fairchild, president of Ample Industries, Inc. "Our state-of-the-art N-line machinery and high quality foodservice cartons now have the backing of a global company with a broad product range, strong management and financial stability. Today is a good day for our customers and employees."

Huhtamaki also announced today plans to expand capacity in the paper drink cup and pressed paperboard plate businesses for foodservice and retail customers in North America.

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12.02.2011

Sun Chemical’s Rycoline Division to Increase Prices on Blanket Product Lines

Due to continued increases in the costs of key raw materials such as textiles and rubber compounds, Sun Chemical’s Rycoline Group will raise prices in North America by 5 percent on most blanket lines, effective January 1, 2012.

The blanket product lines affected by the price increase include: SunBeam, SunBeam N, SunBeam 116, SunBeam 122, SunDot, SunSpot, SunDual and SunLazer.

“We’ve seen especially high demand in cotton in 2011 because of the year’s poor harvest,” said Dennis Sweet, Vice President, Rycoline. “As a result, there has been a tremendous increase in the cost of cotton, and we don’t foresee any of these costs to go down in the near future. We will continue to work on controlling our own costs closely with our supply chain partners, to improve our internal operations, and to develop new value-oriented products and services that can help customers improve their productivity and grow their business.”

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12.02.2011

Royal Adhesives & Sealants Acquires Craig Adhesives & Coatings from Vertis Communications

Royal Adhesives & Sealants (Royal), a portfolio company of Arsenal Capital Partners (Arsenal), and Vertis Communications (Vertis) today announced that Royal will acquire substantially all of the assets of Vertis’ indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, Webcraft Chemicals, which operates under the name Craig Adhesives & Coatings (Craig).

Based in Newark, New Jersey, Craig is a premier supplier of ultraviolet light cured and water based adhesives and coatings to the printing and graphic arts markets. The acquisition builds on Royal’s strong platform of leading adhesives, sealants and coatings and allows clients of both companies to benefit from an expanded range of customized and proprietary solutions. For Vertis, the sale provides additional opportunities to pay down debt and invest in the cross-media solutions that will drive its continued growth.

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12.02.2011

Ahlstrom concludes profit improvement program

Ahlstrom Corporation, a global high-performance materials company, concludes its profit improvement program with measures affecting a total of 57 people in different locations.

Ahlstrom has decided to reduce 35 employees at its Jacarei plant in Brazil, part of the Label and Processing business area, due to the weakened market conditions in coated papers in South America. In addition, streamlining measures at other plants affect a total of 22 people.

The measures announced today are the final steps in the profit improvement program, announced on October 18, 2011. Under the program, the company announced profit improvement measures impacting a total of 362 employees in various plants worldwide. The program is expected to improve annual operating profit by approximately EUR 15 million starting from the year 2012. The overall impact of the non-recurring items of the program is cash neutral.

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12.02.2011

Kohl's Corporation Reports November Comparable Store Sales

Kohl's Corporation reported today that for the four-week month ended November 26, 2011 total sales decreased 4.5 percent and comparable store sales decreased 6.2 percent from the four-week month ended November 27, 2010. Year to date, total sales increased 2.4 percent and comparable store sales increased 0.6 percent.

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12.02.2011

J. C. Penney Company, Inc. Reports November Sales Results

J. C. Penney Company, Inc. reported today that its comparable store sales for the four-week period ended Nov. 26, 2011, decreased 2.0 percent. This compares to a 9.2 percent increase in the same period last year. Total Company sales in November decreased 5.9 percent.

For the month, women's and men's apparel and accessories were the top performing merchandise divisions. Sales throughout November were ahead of the prior year heading into the holiday weekend. However, the Company noted that its decision to respect Thanksgiving Day for families and open at 4:00 a.m. on Friday, as it had in prior years, adversely impacted Black Friday sales. Sales remained soft in-store throughout the holiday weekend.

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12.02.2011

Nordstrom Reports November Sales

Nordstrom, Inc. today reported a 5.6 percent increase in same-store sales for the four-week period ended November 26, 2011 compared with the four-week period ended November 27, 2010. Preliminary total retail sales of $910 million for November 2011 increased 11.6 percent compared with total retail sales of $815 million for the same period in fiscal 2010.

Year-to-date same-store sales increased 7.1 percent compared with the same period in fiscal 2010. Preliminary year-to-date total retail sales of $8.24 billion increased 12.7 percent compared with total retail sales of $7.31 billion for the same period in fiscal 2010.

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12.02.2011

Charming Shoppes Reports Third Quarter 2011 Results

Charming Shoppes, Inc., a leading apparel retailer specializing in women's plus-size apparel, today reported sales and operating results for the three and nine month periods ended October 29, 2011. Additionally, the Company announced that it is undertaking a comprehensive strategic review of its operations to determine how best to enhance shareholder value. The Company also announced that it has decided to divest its Fashion Bug business and accelerate the growth of its Lane Bryant flagship brand.

For the third quarter ended October 29, 2011, the Company reported net sales of $429.7 million, compared to $463.6 million for the prior year period. Comparable store sales for the third quarter decreased 4% compared to the prior year period and included a flat comparable store sales result for Lane Bryant. Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter increased 100% to $8.0 million or 1.9% of sales. This compares to Adjusted EBITDA of $4.0 million or 0.9% of sales in the prior year period, reflecting an improvement of $4.0 million. On a GAAP basis, the Company reported a net loss of $(13.0) million, or $(0.11) per diluted share for the third quarter, compared to a net loss of $(18.8) million or $(0.16) per diluted share for the third quarter of the prior year. On a non-GAAP basis, excluding restructuring and other charges, net loss per diluted share was $(0.08) for the third quarter, compared to a net loss per diluted share of $(0.13) in the third quarter of the prior year.

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12.02.2011

Macy's, Inc. Same-Store Sales Up 4.8% in November

Macy's, Inc. today reported total sales of $2.465 billion for the four weeks ended Nov. 26, 2011, an increase of 5.3 percent compared with total sales of $2.341 billion in the four weeks ended Nov. 27, 2010. On a same-store basis, Macy's, Inc. sales were up 4.8 percent in November.

For the year to date, Macy's, Inc. sales totaled $20.146 billion, up 5.6 percent from total sales of $19.075 billion in the first 43 weeks of 2010. On a same-store basis, Macy's, Inc.'s year-to-date sales were up 5.2 percent.

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12.02.2011

Target Reports November Sales Results

Target Corporation today reported that its net retail sales for the four weeks ended November 26, 2011 were $6,191 million, an increase of 3.0 percent from $6,012 million for the four weeks ended November 27, 2010. On this same basis, November comparable-store sales increased 1.8 percent.

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12.02.2011

Barnes & Noble Reports Fiscal 2012 Second Quarter Financial Results

Barnes & Noble, Inc. today reported sales and earnings for its second quarter ended October 29, 2011.

Total sales decreased 0.6% as compared to the prior year, from $1.90 billion to $1.89 billion. Barnes & Noble store sales decreased 1% from $931 million to $918 million, with comparable sales decreasing 0.6%. Physical book sales declined, offset by increases in NOOK products and were positively affected by the liquidation of the remaining Borders stores. Comparable store sales improved each month throughout the quarter.

Barnes & Noble College sales declined 4% from $797 million to $768 million, due to a shift from selling new and used textbooks to lower priced, higher margin textbook rentals. Comparable store sales increased 0.4%. College comparable store sales reflect the retail selling price of a new or used textbook when rented, rather than solely the rental fee received and amortized over the rental period.

BN.com sales increased 17% over the prior year, from $177 million to $206 million. Comparable sales increased 38%, on top of a 59% increase a year ago. This increase was driven by continued growth of digital content sales and purchases of award winning NOOK(TM) devices. BN.com comparable sales reflect the actual selling price for eBooks sold under the agency model rather than solely the commission received.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) grew 21% over the prior year, from $46 million to $56 million.

Retail EBITDA grew from $1.3 million to $21.0 million, benefiting from higher product margins this year. In addition, the prior year included $10 million of litigation and proxy contest costs. College EBITDA declined slightly from $95.3 million to $93.9 million. BN.com EBITDA losses increased from $50.2 million to $58.9 million, driven by planned product markdowns on the recently announced NOOK price adjustments, as well as higher advertising production costs.

Total company net loss was $6.6 million for the quarter, or $0.17 per share, as compared to a net loss of $12.6 million last year, or $0.22 per share. Included in the current quarter is a $0.06 loss per share related to the company's preferred stock dividend, in accordance with ASC 260, Earnings per Share. The dividend is deducted from earnings available to common shareholders in the earnings per share calculation and does not impact the company's results of operations.

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12.01.2011

Coldwater Creek Announces Third Quarter 2011 Results

Coldwater Creek Inc. today reported financial results for the three-month period ended October 29, 2011.

Consolidated net sales were $187.5 million, compared with $232.4 million in the fiscal 2010 third quarter. Net sales from the retail segment, which includes the Company's premium retail stores, outlet stores and day spa locations, were $144.1 million versus $174.3 million in the same period last year, primarily reflecting a decrease in comparable premium retail store sales of 19.8 percent. The decline in comparable premium retail store sales was primarily related to continued weak traffic trends. Third quarter net sales from the direct segment, which includes internet, phone and mail orders, were $43.3 million versus $58.1 million in the same period last year.

Consolidated gross profit was $56.3 million, or 30.0 percent of net sales, compared with $70.9 million, or 30.5 percent of net sales, for the fiscal 2010 third quarter. Gross profit margin was down 50 basis points compared to the prior year period as a result of improvement in merchandise margin of over 200 basis points more than offset by deleveraging of occupancy and buying expense.

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12.01.2011

Limited Brands Reports November 2011 Sales

Limited Brands, Inc. reported a comparable store sales increase of 7 percent for the four weeks ended Nov. 26, 2011, compared to the four weeks ended Nov. 27, 2010. The company reported net sales of $872.6 million for the four weeks ended Nov. 26, 2011, compared to net sales of $893.0 million last year. The decline in sales year over year was driven by the sale of our third party apparel sourcing business in the beginning of November 2011.

The company reported a comparable store sales increase of 10 percent for the 43 weeks ended Nov. 26, 2011, compared to the 43 weeks ended Nov. 27, 2010. The company reported net sales of $7.721 billion for the 43 weeks ended Nov. 26, 2011, compared to sales of $7.050 billion last year.

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12.01.2011

UPM is planning production curtailments and measures to improve efficiency for timber and further processing businesses

UPM Timber and UPM Living business units are to begin co-operation negotiations concerning production curtailments for the first quarter of 2012 and measures to improve production efficiency.

“Business has been negatively affected by a decrease in demand, weak cost competitiveness and the overcapacity of sawn timber and further processed wood products in Europe. The aim of the plan is to improve the long-term cost competitiveness in the business areas of sawn timber and further processed wood products,” states Ilkka Ylipoti, Senior Vice President, UPM Timber.

The negotiations concerning the efficiency improvement of production will begin at Aureskoski and Lappeenranta, in Finland, and at Pestovo, in Russia. If the planned rationalisation measures are carried out, the number of employees will be reduced by, at most, 59 people.

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12.01.2011

UPM Silvesta Oy to begin negotiations to improve efficiency of operations

UPM Silvesta Oy will begin co-operation negotiations to improve the efficiency of operations and the profitability of the company. The negotiations will commence on 7 December, 2011.

If the planned measures will realise according to the plan the number of UPM Silvesta’s employees would decrease by 90 persons. The negotiations will cover the whole personnel.

UPM Silvesta employs for the time being 216 persons; 197 forest workers and 19 clerical employees.

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12.01.2011

J.Crew Group, Inc. Announces Third Quarter Fiscal 2011 Results

J.Crew Group, Inc. today announced financial results for the three months (third quarter) and nine months (first nine months) ended October 29, 2011.

Third Quarter highlights: Revenues increased 12% to $479.6 million, with comparable company sales increasing 5%. Comparable company sales increased 2% in the third quarter last year. Store sales increased 10% to $334.5 million, with comparable store sales increasing 2%. Comparable store sales decreased 1% in the third quarter last year. Direct sales increased 18% to $138.5 million on top of increasing 12% in the third quarter last year. Gross margin decreased to 42.1% from 43.5% in the third quarter last year. The decrease includes the impact of purchase accounting of $6.8 million. Selling, general and administrative expenses increased to $143.9 million from $122.6 million in the third quarter last year. The increase includes transaction-related costs and the impact of purchase accounting of $4.0 million. Operating income was $57.9 million, or 12.1% of revenues, compared to $64.1 million, or 14.9% of revenues, in the third quarter last year.

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12.01.2011

Adobe to Acquire Efficient Frontier, Leading Digital Ad Buying and Optimization Platform

Adobe Systems Incorporated today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire privately held Efficient Frontier, a leader in multi-channel ad buying and optimization. Adobe solutions are central to how digital marketing and advertising is created, managed, executed, measured and optimized. Adobe currently captures approximately five trillion digital transactions per year for more than 5,000 customers, including many of the world’s largest advertisers, publishers and advertising agencies.

The acquisition of Efficient Frontier will add multi-channel ad campaign forecasting, execution and optimization capabilities to Adobe’s existing Digital Marketing Suite. Along with the Suite, Adobe’s digital marketing capabilities include an enterprise-class data management platform, a leading video ad management and monetization platform, and an enterprise content management system. Adobe will continue to build upon the foundation of its independent ad buying and optimization platform for search, social and display, enabling the company to offer a more complete suite of capabilities to digital marketers, advertisers and publishers for reporting and analytics, personalized experiences, multi-channel campaign management and media monetization.

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12.01.2011

American Eagle Outfitters Reports Third Quarter 2011 Results

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. today announced earnings for the third quarter ended October 29, 2011 of $0.27 per diluted share, compared to adjusted income from continuing operations of $0.29 per diluted share last year, which excludes a realized loss from the sale of investment securities of $0.12 per diluted share.

Total sales for the quarter increased 11% to $832 million, compared to $752 million last year. Third quarter comparable store sales increased 5%, compared to a 1% increase last year. For additional comparable store sales information for the period, see the accompanying table.

Gross profit was $309 million, or 37.1% as a rate to sales, compared to $312 million, or 41.6% as a rate to sales, last year. While merchandise profit dollars increased slightly due to stronger sales, higher cotton costs and markdowns pressured the merchandise margin, which decreased 480 basis points. Buying, occupancy and warehousing costs improved 30 basis points as a rate to sales, primarily due to top line growth driven by a 5% comparable store sales increase.

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12.01.2011

Aeropostale Reports Third Quarter 2011 Results

Aeropostale, Inc., a mall-based specialty retailer of active and casual apparel for young women and men, today reported results for the third quarter ended October 29, 2011.

Diluted net earnings for the third quarter of fiscal 2011 were $0.30 per diluted share. The Company reported net earnings of $0.63 per diluted share in the third quarter last year. The prior year net earnings included a previously disclosed after-tax charge of approximately $3.9 million, or $0.04 per diluted share, resulting from the related third quarter retirement plan payment to its Chairman and former Chief Executive Officer.

For the third quarter of fiscal 2011, total net sales decreased 1% to $596.5 million, from $602.8 million in the year ago period. Same store sales for the third quarter decreased 9%, compared to essentially flat same store sales last year.

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12.01.2011

Kindle Direct Publishing Now Available for the Amazon.es Kindle Store

Amazon.es today announced that authors and publishers are now able to make their books available in the Amazon.es Kindle Store (www.amazon.es/kindle) using Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) (http://kdp.amazon.es). Authors and publishers can utilize the new Spanish-language KDP website to make their books available in Spain and more than 100 countries worldwide, while continuing to own the rights to their books. The popular 70% royalty option, which allows independent authors and publishers worldwide to make more money on books sold to Kindle customers in the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Austria, France and Italy, is now also available for books sold in Spain.

Kindle Direct Publishing is a fast, free and easy way for authors and publishers to make their books available to Kindle customers in Spain and around the world via Kindle and on free Kindle reading apps for iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, PC, Mac and Android-based devices. The new Spanish-language KDP website is also a convenient way for authors and publishers in many Latin American countries to publish their books to Kindle.

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12.01.2011

Kindle Direct Publishing Now Available for the Amazon.it Kindle Store

Amazon.it today announced that authors and publishers worldwide are now able to make their books available in the Amazon.it Kindle Store (www.amazon.it/kindle) using Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) (http://kdp.amazon.it). Authors and publishers can utilize the new Italian-language KDP website to make their books available in Italy and more than 100 countries worldwide, while continuing to own the rights to their books. The popular 70% royalty option, which allows independent authors and publishers to make more money on every book sold to Kindle customers in the US, UK, Germany, Austria, France and Spain, is now also available for books sold in Italy.

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12.01.2011

Crude Futures Trade Near Two-Week High in New York on Iran Supply Risks

Oil traded near its highest in two weeks as the clash between Iran and Western governments heightened speculation that Middle East supplies may be at risk.

Futures were little changed, erasing gains as a strengthening dollar reduced the appeal of commodities priced in the U.S. currency. Prices earlier advanced as much as 0.6 percent after the U.K. closed its embassy in Iran, OPEC’s second-biggest oil producer, following an attack by protesters.

“Any shortfall of Iranian production on the world market would bring a massive deterioration to the world balance,” Eugen Weinberg, head of commodities research at Commerzbank AG in Frankfurt, said in an interview with Maryam Nemazee on Bloomberg Television’s “The Pulse.” Prices could surge to $150 in the event of conflict in the Persian Gulf, he said.

Crude for January delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange was at $100.07 a barrel, down 29 cents, at 11:30 a.m. London time. Brent oil for January settlement fell 1.2 percent to $109.36 a barrel on London’s ICE Futures Europe exchange. The European benchmark contract’s premium to West Texas Intermediate narrowed to $9.29 from $10.16 yesterday.

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12.01.2011

The State of the Digital Edition Industry in 2011

We’re only about a year into the tablet age but more than a decade of using digital editions. Today, with the rise of ever increasingly sophisticated mobile devices and apps, digital editions are poised to leap to the forefront of publishers’ revenue generation plans and serve as their flagship on devices such as the iPad.

But are they able to deliver? Nxtbook Media recently wrapped its 2011 State of the Digital Edition survey, which looked at audience development and revenue growth, as well as where mobile fits in.

The good news? Publishers on both the consumer and b-to-b sides are more satisfied with their digital editions than last year when Nxtbook first conducted the survey. However, there is some growing frustration as publishers continue with how to actually monetize digital editions.

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12.01.2011

A New Brunswick First - Irving Paper Earns National Recognition for Leadership in Energy Efficiency

Irving Paper Limited is one of three New Brunswick companies to win a Canadian Industry Program for Energy Conservation (CIPEC) Award at a ceremony in Toronto last night. Flakeboard and Groupe Savoie were also recognized. It is the first time in the 36-year history of the program that New Brunswick companies have won national honours.

The National Energy Conservation awards are sponsored by Natural Resources Canada’s Office of Energy Efficiency and the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

Energy costs account for up to 30% of Irving Paper’s manufacturing costs – the most significant portion being electricity. The paper mill team is working hard to reduce those energy costs it can control – fossil fuel consumption. Increasing fuel prices and a strong commitment to reduce the mill’s carbon footprint have motivated Irving Paper to reduce its dependency on fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

With the support of Efficiency New Brunswick, the Pulp & Paper Division has reduced its carbon footprint and fossil fuel consumption by 50% over the last five years. These reductions translate to a reduction of 168,000 metric tonnes (MT) of greenhouse gas – the equivalent of taking 32,000 cars off the road.

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