Second quarter net sales were $848 million, down $58 million, or 6.4%, from the second quarter of 2016. After adjusting for the December 2, 2016 acquisition of Continuum and the March 1, 2017 acquisition of Hudson Yards, changes in foreign exchange rates, and pass-through paper sales, organic net sales decreased 6.8% from the second quarter of 2016. The decrease in organic net sales was due to lower volume and price declines in both the Print and Office Products segments.

Net sales in the second quarter of 2017 were $355.0 million compared to $410.1 million in the same period last year, a decline of 13.4%. The Company generated net sales of $736.9 million for the six months ended July 1, 2017, compared to $850.6 million for the same period last year, a decline of 13.4%. The sales decline was primarily driven by: (i) lower sales in the envelope segment, primarily due to lower demand in office product and wholesale envelope product lines primarily due to marketplace trends and lower direct mail demand primarily from our financial institution customers; (ii) lower sales volumes in the commercial print group and the publisher services group, primarily driven by lower customer demand and continued pricing pressures; and (iii) lower sales in the label segment, primarily due to the decision to exit our coating operation which was completed in the second quarter of 2016, and lower sales driven by product mix changes.

Net earnings improved during the second quarter of 2017 to $7 million, a $15 million increase, versus an $8 million net loss in 2016, despite a 6.7% decrease in net sales to $963 million. Organic sales decreased 4.8% due to ongoing industry volume and pricing pressures after excluding pass-through paper sales (-1.7% impact) and foreign exchange (-0.2% impact). The organic sales decrease is consistent with the Company’s previous guidance. Diluted earnings per share improved to $0.13 compared to a $0.16 loss in 2016 primarily due to lower depreciation and amortization, and cost reductions and productivity improvement activities. Second quarter 2017 Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA decreased $1 million to $97 million compared to $98 million in 2016; however, Adjusted EBITDA margin improved to 10.0% from 9.5% in 2016. Non-GAAP Adjusted Diluted Earnings per Share improved by $0.21 during the second quarter 2017 to $0.24. The improvement in Adjusted EBITDA margin and Adjusted Diluted Earnings per Share was primarily due to cost reductions and productivity improvement activities. Click Read More below for additional details.

Net sales in the quarter were $1.65 billion, up $13.4 million or 0.8% from the second quarter of 2016. On an organic basis, consolidated net sales declined 0.8% driven by volume growth in the International and Strategic Services segments and favorable changes in fuel surcharges which were more than offset by lower postage pass through sales in the Strategic Services segment, net volume declines in the Variable Print segment and modest price erosion across all segments. Gross profit in the second quarter of 2017 was $303.1 million or 18.4% of net sales versus $316.4 million or 19.4% of net sales in the prior year quarter. The decline was primarily due to unfavorable mix in several businesses, modest price pressure in all segments and unfavorable changes in foreign exchange rates. Click Read More below for additional details.

LSC Communications announced that it has acquired Fairrington Transportation, an industry leading full-service mailing and logistics provider. Fairrington’s capabilities include a complete range of logistics services from freight management to postal optimization solutions. Founder and CEO of Fairrington, Victor Warren said, “Fairrington has been providing delivery solutions that meet our clients’ needs for 36 years. We are excited that joining forces with LSC will give us the scale necessary to expand our service offerings.” Thomas J. Quinlan III, Chairman and CEO of LSC, further commented, “Fairrington’s experienced leadership, combined with the fact that publications such as magazines and catalogs are at the core of many of our clients’ businesses make this acquisition a natural fit for LSC. Our strategic focus is to continue to expand LSC’s logistics service offering in ways that add value to our clients’ traditional print supply chains, and beyond.”

Cenveo, Inc. announced that it is transferring its stock exchange listing to the Nasdaq Global Market from The New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE"), effective August 7, 2017 after market close. Cenveo shares will begin trading as a Nasdaq-listed security on August 8, 2017, and will continue to trade under the symbol CVO. Robert G. Burton, Sr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer stated: "We are pleased to partner with Nasdaq as the new home for our stock listing. We believe Nasdaq's reputation as the leading exchange for companies launching technology solutions is consistent with Cenveo's leadership in developing product offerings such as Kadena 2.0, a cloud-based platform focused on the performance of print and mail communications, fulfillment and supply chain management for mid to large sized enterprises. Nasdaq's increased share of our stock's trading volume also makes them an ideal trading platform for our company. Additionally, the move will provide Cenveo access to a broad portfolio of tools and services to reach our investors in a cost effective manner all of which will contribute to our profitability improvement plan we announced earlier this year. We thank the NYSE for all their support during the past several years."

Under a new multi-year, multi-million-dollar contract with National Geographic Partners, Quad/Graphics, Inc. will manage comprehensive production services, including paper procurement and management, prepress and printing management. The agreement also expands and extends the print volume Quad/Graphics supplies under contract for the publisher and its titles National Geographic, National Geographic Traveler, National Geographic History, National Geographic Kids, National Geographic Little Kids, National Geographic Adventures and National Geographic Expeditions. The newly extended and expanded contract fortifies Quad/Graphics’ long-standing relationship with National Geographic Partners, which also includes books, and demonstrates the iconic brand’s confidence in Quad/Graphics as a strategic business partner. Click Read More below for additional details.

The Dayton city commission on Wednesday approved a $1 million development agreement with Taylor Communications — formerly Standard Register Co. — to help fund the renovation of the underutilized downtown building at 111 W. First St., the company’s new home come October. As part of the previously discussed deal, Taylor Communications will move roughly 400 to 500 of its local 700 workers to the 111 building, where they will occupy eight floors. The remaining employees will stay on at Taylor’s current location at 600 Albany St. in Dayton’s west side. According to Dayton Business Journal, the $1 million agreement includes $500,000 from the Montgomery County Economic Development/Government Equity program. Another $500,000 will come from the city of Dayton, and Taylor Communications will spend at least $2.4 million on facility improvements, equipment and other items. Click Read More below for more of the story.

Second Quarter 2017 Highlights • Revenue increased 7.7% year-over-year, driven by Small Business Services which grew 5.1% and includes the results of several small tuck-in acquisitions and from growth in Financial Services of 18.9% driven by the results of FMCG Direct and Data Support Systems, which were acquired in the fourth quarter of 2016 and RDM Corporation, which was acquired in April 2017. • Revenue from marketing solutions and other services increased 26.3% year-over-year and grew to 38.2% of total revenue in the quarter. • Gross margin was 63.1% of revenue, compared to 64.5% in the second quarter of 2016. The impact of acquisitions, increased delivery and material costs this year, and a favorable adjustment from an environmental reserve in 2016, were only partially offset by previous price increases and continued improvements in manufacturing productivity. Click Read More below for additional details.

Flint Group's security stand brought together, for the first time, the diverse portfolio of security products that exist in the company, to showcase their strong positions in currency, plates and digital printing. As the leading supplier of photopolymer printing plates, Flint Group Flexographic Products provides plates for direct and indirect letterpress printing, stencil plates, intaglio master plates and plates for coating applications. Billions of banknotes and tax stamps are printed using Flint Group nyloprint® plates, with a resolution of 10,000 dpi for highest precision of micro text and guilloche patterns. As a leading supplier of digital printing presses, Xeikon, Flint Group’s digital solution division have supplied the machinery and digital workflow for the first fully digitally printed tax stamp. The design is fully in line with the resolution (1200 dpi) of the digital press. Xeikon’s digital printing solutions offer specific security features such as variable numbers and images, microtext, guilloches and barcodes, hidden images, digital intaglio, track & trace and the Xeikon clear toners containing taggants and UV fluorescence. Click Read More below for more of the story.

Walker Printing LLC of Red Bluff, Calif., recently upgraded its prepress department to improve their ecological impact with a new Suprasetter A75 Gen III CtP and Saphira ND 100 plates from Heidelberg. In an effort to make Walker Printing greener, the company switched from an older, less efficient CtP device. Using the lowest heat output and energy usage in its class, the Suprasetter A75 makes a huge impact on Walker’s energy output. Additionally, the Suprasetter A75 only requires the pressroom to be below 86° F, so it does not need extra cooling to run. Click Read More below for additional details.

Classic Graphics, an Imagine! company, is pleased to announce plans to expand press, finishing, and fulfillment capabilities at their Charlotte, North Carolina facility. The expansion will include press and finishing equipment additions, enhanced design services, and increased fulfillment capacity, offering a complete in-market solution, production, and distribution footprint for the Southeast region. A new seven-color, 64" KBA Rapida 164 hybrid printing press has been acquired for Classic's pressroom. This large-format lithographic press will support a growing UV business with increased production speeds, fast makereadies, and precise in-line quality control. The facility expansion includes a full range of large-format finishing and kitting capabilities and triples the size of Classic's current fulfillment center, increasing secure storage options and boosting digital Print-on-Demand capabilities. Click Read More below for additional details.

After three years of hard fought legislative sessions, the Great Lakes Graphics Association is pleased to announce that the Illinois Graphic Arts sales tax exemption has finally been restored. Because of GLGA’s efforts in Springfield, the Graphic Arts sales tax exemption became part of the Illinois Manufacturing Machinery and Equipment exemption. The amendment was part of the Illinois state budget bill, which was approved on July 6, 2017, by a state Senate vote overriding a veto by the Illinois governor. The law now establishes a permanent sales tax exemption for graphic arts and printing equipment, which at a minimum is equal to $6,254 for every $100,000 spent on covered equipment. Graphic arts equipment is defined in Illinois as “graphic arts machinery and equipment, including repair and replacement parts, … and includes chemicals acting as catalysts [that] effect a direct and immediate change upon a graphic arts product.” The exemption was effective July 1, 2017. Click Read More below for more of the story.

LSC Communications, Inc. (NYSE: LKSD), a leader in print and digital media solutions, announced today an equity investment and the signing of a definitive reseller agreement with Authors, Inc., an Austin, Texas based developer of machine learning and artificial intelligence applications for the Publishing Industry. With the goal of helping to increase publisher revenues, LSC will harness Authors, Inc. technology to offer new services for publishers, including intelligent editorial analysis, automated keyword enhancement and actionable insights. Machine learning and AI help make titles discoverable by recommending keywords, re-calibrating metadata dynamically based on quarterly performance, and assessing content to help predict the next bestseller. “In our continued journey to invest in new technologies, we are thrilled to be making an investment in Authors, Inc.” said Thomas J. Quinlan III, Chairman and CEO of LSC. “Machine learning and AI are positively impacting many industries and we are excited about the new products and solutions we are bringing to publishers.” Click Read More below for additional detail.

Heidelberg USA announced that Quad/Graphics, a global marketing services provider, has recently invested in four new Heidelberg Speedmaster presses to support its commercial, packaging and in-store platforms. The investment reflects Quad/Graphics’ long-standing commitment to using leading-edge technology to help brand owners market their products, services and content more efficiently and effectively through print in combination with other media channels.

While visiting EastPack, Frank is unsurprisingly drawn to a booth called "The Museum of Interesting Things" and talks to Denny Daniel who shows him some of the cool things in their collection.

In a year of bold moves for DOME, this is the next great addition! DOME is welcoming two HP Indigo 12000 presses. The 29″ HP Indigo 12000 digital press produces the widest commercial application range with superior print quality, high productivity, and wide versatility. The HP Indigo 12000 is capable of 3,450 4/0 20”x29” sheets per hour of 50# text up to 18 pt.

Overcome with an increasing influx of work, Matrix Imaging Solutions was in search of a solution that could help them handle the mounting demands of customers all while keeping costs down. The print provider turned to inkjet for the technology and to Xerox for the right inkjet solution. After a thorough search, Matrix added a Xerox Brenva HD Production Inkjet Press to their production family.

In this article, Sean Smyth – Print Consultant with Smithers Pira examines the results of a new report that looks at the growth of Digital Print for Packaging to 2022. This report breaks down the projected growth by packaging application, and shows some surprising results.

In a blockbuster deal announced today within the publication and commercial printing sectors, Chicago-based LSC Communications has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Creel Printing, a privately-owned offset and digital printing company headquartered in Las Vegas. Creel’s capabilities include full-color heatset and coldset web and sheetfed offset printing, regionally distributed variable digital production, wide-format printing and integrated digital solutions.

Over 120 attendees from all over the world came to the Security Day hosted by Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) for the first time in Wiesloch in mid-July. Using identification document printing (ID printing) and meaningful examples from the plastic card industry, the company showed that it has been the reliable partner for these applications for many years.

The pharmaceutical and healthcare market is increasingly moving towards specialized medicinal products. As a result, the packaging runs for these specially developed medicines are becoming ever shorter, along with the delivery times. August Faller GmbH & Co. KG, Waldkirch, Germany, has decided to counter this trend by placing an advance order for the Primefire 106 digital printing system from Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) in order to obtain one of the first machines worldwide in 2018.

PRINT 17, the largest gathering of the printing, publishing, in-plant, graphic communications and mailing/fulfillment communities in the Americas, is back in Chicago with new opportunities to grow the industry. PRINT is owned and produced by NPES - The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies and takes place September 10-14, 2017. PRINT 17 will feature new, innovative education session formats this year that foster knowledge exchanges and allow attendees to design their own “Learning Experience.” More than 50 education sessions will shed light on topics ranging from design/creative process, packaging, marketing, growth strategies and emerging technologies. These education programs analyze new methods to increase ROI through education seminars and hands-on labs, pre-show OUTLOOK 17 conference, panel discussions, “Distinguished Leader” speakers, and The Learning Experience Theater presentations on the show floor. Click Read More below for additional detail.

High quality, fast speeds, small footprint and crisp color are critical production press components to direct marketing and business print provider Compu-mail. When they wanted to replace aging technology to drive new business efficiencies and expand their direct mail production capabilities, they turned to inkjet technology and purchased two Xerox Rialto 900 Inkjet Presses. “Our Rialto 900 presses allow us to produce full color variable printing at a great quality level and price – ultimately helping our shop be more efficient and drive down costs,” said Michael Vitch, President and CEO, Compu-mail. “These presses also help us further advance to the forefront of variable print technology.” Headquartered in Grand Island, N.Y., Compu-mail brings direct marketing campaigns to life through comprehensive print, mail and web-based pieces. Click Read More below for additional detail.

The Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul have long held a rich tradition of being the home to many well-known names in the printing industry. But among the leading printers in this crowded market space, one has decided to set seismic goals amid the competitive field in an effort to reap benefits for both its prized customers and its own 200 employee internal team. Bolger Vision Beyond Print, a commercial printer and customized technology solutions company led by CEO dik Bolger, has long needed a sister press to accompany its KBA Rapida 105 10-color long perfector press to provide its sales force with additional capacity for its growing sales volume. Later this summer, the pressroom will be accommodating that need with the installation of a new KBA Rapida 105 six-color press with UV and full automation. “The new KBA Rapida 105 six-color press will become our key workhorse,” says Bolger. “Our clients love our existing KBA 10-color perfector but we’re selling out of hours on the press. Not only will the new press give us extra capacity but it will also help us expand our luxury and education markets, as well as custom packaging. Now that we’re moving into our busy season in late summer, we’re depending on the new Rapida 105 six-color with all of its automation to cut our makeready times in half and double our run speed, which will have a multi-million dollar impact to our top line sales.” Click Read More below for additional detail.

Lux Global Label Company, one of the world's most respected printing packaging companies, today announced a series of leadership additions including naming Todd Kennedy as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors. The company also announced that two labeling and printing industry veterans, Robert (Bob) Coleman and John Wurzburger, have been named to the company's Board of Directors. Lux Global Label is the newly formed holding company that purchased certain assets from National Label, a 103-year-old global leader in the labeling industry. The establishment of Lux Global Label was announced by Resilience Capital Partners, a leading private equity firm, on April 28, 2017. Click Read More below for additional detail.

The C.J. Group of Companies is proud to announce the addition of Clixx, one of the top mailing facilities in Canada, to its roster of 30 companies. “This acquisition is a great fit for our ever-expanding group of companies,” says Jay Mandarino, president and CEO of the C.J. Group of Companies (CJG). “There is a lot of synergy between our two organizations. Quality and workmanship with exceptional service are paramount at both CJG and Clixx.” The acquisition adds a host of quality equipment and services to the group’s existing resources, increasing C.J.’s production capabilities and boosting its overall versatility. Clixx offers a full line of direct mail services such as digital variable data printing and binding, in-house data and postal technology, pick and pack, kitting and fulfillment, inserting, tipping, and many other customized services. “With direct mail increasing each year this will be a great addition and was the last missing link to having all solutions under one roof to better serve our clients,” notes Mandarino. Click Read More below for additional detail.

LSC Communications, Inc. announced the release of the company’s IntercepTag solution delivering a platform for verifying textbook authenticity through the scanning of secure unique identifier codes. The platform leverages the scale of LSC's production and distribution facilities and HP’s Link Technology for product authentication, to help protect intellectual property and fight counterfeiting throughout the entire supply chain. "In the book publishing industry, textbook piracy has been a major problem and an increasing concern for publishers,” said David McCree, president of the Book division of LSC. “Our latest investment with HP builds on our strategic investment with Context Labs and strengthens our Supply Chain as a Service (SCaaS) offering. We are committed to help protect our clients’ intellectual property and to support technology innovation within the supply chain." Click Read More below for additional detail.

The downsizing of the newspaper printing and publishing industry continues. Cox Media Group Ohio, based in Dayton, Ohio, announced yesterday plans to close its newspaper printing facility located at 5000 Commerce Center Drive in nearby Franklin, Ohio, resulting in the layoffs of approximately 75 full-time and 60 part-time workers employed there. Located in Warren County along the Great Miami River and named, ironically, after Benjamin Franklin, Franklin, Ohio, has a population of nearly 12,000 residents. The three daily publications currently printed there — The Dayton Daily News, Springfield News-Sun and Journal-News — and some weekly publications will instead be printed at Gannett’s Indianapolis newspaper printing plant, following an outsourcing agreement that has been reached between Cox Media Group and Gannett Publishing Services. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Quantum Group, a trusted expert in commercial and digital printing, direct mail, and fulfillment, continues to expand its print technology leadership through its investment in an HP PageWide Web Press T240 HD. This latest technology offers a digital print engine that delivers unprecedented versatility and color-consistency combined with the agility to deliver personalized communications cost-effectively. With the ability to print 4/4 images at 500 feet per minute the production capabilities of this new printer are vast. “Today’s commercial print providers require a combination of offset-class print quality, productivity, and media versatility, along with the unique capabilities and efficiency of digital printing,” says Avi Basu, Americas director of marketing, HP Graphics Solutions Business. “Quantum’s investment will enable their clients to experience the benefits of digital printing, whether they are printing hundreds or hundreds of thousands, using Quantum’s multiple HP platforms from sheetfed Indigo to HP PageWide Web presses.” Click Read More below for additional detail.

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company announced a new agreement with Vizient™, the nation’s largest member-owned healthcare company. Effective July 2017, the new three-year agreement will enable Vizient member hospitals to take advantage of RRD’s extensive end-to-end communications offerings for forms, commercial and promotional print initiatives. Vizient first engaged with the company in a March 2017 agreement for RRD’s United Ad Label, providing its members with access to more than 4,000 stock designs and endless custom options for labels and wristbands used by healthcare organizations. RRD’s deep expertise in the healthcare industry, combined with its proven ability to create, produce and distribute effective marketing and business communications materials, ultimately led to the additional agreement. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Shutterfly, Inc. announced the appointment of Scott Arnold as president, Shutterfly Enterprise, overseeing the organization's Enterprise division. This new role provides dedicated executive leadership to a key area of strategic focus for Shutterfly. In this role, Scott will be responsible for developing the company's long-term Enterprise strategy to leverage its world-class digital manufacturing platform. This division comprises the industry-leading Shutterfly Business Solutions (SBS), which manages marketing and customer communications programs for some of the world's leading brands, leveraging Shutterfly's unique personalized manufacturing capabilities. Over time, Shutterfly Enterprise expects to continue to expand the SBS business, while building additional businesses that serve a broader set of customers and industries. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Nashua’s namesake company, Nashua Corp., owned by graphics giant Cenveo, will shutter its Merrimack location by April 30 of next year, resulting in 53 layoffs and marking the end of a manufacturing legacy in New Hampshire that goes back more than a century. The company notified the state and the town by letter on Oct. 26 that the Merrimack packing facility at 59A Daniel Webster Highway is ramping down and will be permanently closed by next spring.