Proforma Partners with Global Source Link
Cleveland-based Proforma announced that it has entered into an agreement with Fort Scott, Kansas-based, Global Source Link (GSL). This transaction will result in more than 100 GSL sales professionals becoming individual members of the Proforma Network.
GSL distributors specialized in printing, promotional products and office supplies. The new affiliation will give the GSL distributors enhanced marketing programs and sales tools; improved buying clout with industry suppliers; and expanded product offerings including eCommerce and multimedia. In addition, they will have access to Proforma’s world class back office support services including billings, accounts payables and receivables, credit, collections, enhanced cash flow services, free credit insurance and ProVision, Proforma’s state-of-the-art computer operating systems.
“We are excited to have the Global Source Link professionals join our team,” said Greg Muzzillo, founder of Proforma. “This is a key step in Proforma’s goal of becoming the preeminent brand in the industry through increased awareness and support across a wide demographic.”
By utilizing Proforma’s expertise in promotional products, business documents, eCommerce and multimedia, annual sales are expected to be in excess of $30 million.
“Proforma is the ideal fit for Global Source Link. This partnership will help each one of the GSL sales professionals increase sales by providing them with additional tools and resources,” said Michael Del Chiaro, president of GSL. “We are confident that this will be a win-win situation for Proforma and GSL.”
With more than 730 independent offices throughout North America, Proforma is consistently ranked among the top three distributors in the industry. In 2009, Proforma added 150 new owners to the system including four multi-million dollar distributors, more than 20 million dollar distributors and 33 members with more than a half million dollars in sales.
For more information, visit www.proforma.com.
Social Print Experiment Adopts Dynagram’s inpO2 Imposition
Dynagram, a leader in innovative imposition technologies, announced that the Social Print Experiment in San Diego has adopted Dynagram’s inpO2 for Adobe Acrobat as its imposition software. The Social Print Experiment was an idea developed as a way to chronicle the first year of a startup digital printing company using tools widely available today.
To meet their need for productivity and simplicity, the Social Print Experiment has implemented inpO2 with the Automation Module. With this module, they will automate all of their common imposition layouts producing a “drag and drop” imposition workflow that will link with their web-to-print system to provide an “order-to-print” solution.
"The success of the Social Print Experiment depends in part on how well we optimize our workflow and minimize our production footprint” said Andrew Simmons, vice president at the Social Print Experiment. “inpO2 is one of the tools that will help us achieve that goal by minimizing our prepress labor”.
“The Social Print Experiment is a very interesting project and we’re excited to be part of it,” said Michael Reiher, director of sales and marketing at Dynagram. “Automation is so important for today’s modern printer to meet the demands of shorter runs and keep them cost effective. inpO2 Automation is a perfect compliment to their digital production needs”.
inpO2 is a modular imposition solution integrated with Adobe Acrobat 8.0/9.0 for the MacOS and Windows platforms. inpO2 Basic with the Automation Module provides “drag and drop” production for all common offset and digital printing impositions.
Special features include:
• Unlimited workflows.
• Dynamic layout sizing based on the source document.
• Special and custom layouts for step & repeat work.
• Automatic work and turn generation for bound work.
inpO2 is available directly from Dynagram or from any authorized distributor/reseller worldwide.
For more information on price, e-mail Dynagram sales at sales@dynagram.com.
Asia Pulp & Paper Disappointed in Preliminary Findings of Subsidy Cases
The U.S. Department of Commerce released the preliminary results in its countervailing duty (CVD) investigation of coated paper from China and Indonesia. Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), a major exporter of coated paper from China and Indonesia, expressed disappointment with the initial findings. The coated paper under investigation is typically used for printing multicolored graphics for catalogues, books, magazines, labels and wraps, greeting cards and other items requiring high-quality print graphics. APP remains confident that when Commerce has fully considered all of the facts, the preliminary margins will be reduced or eliminated.
“This is a disappointing preliminary decision,” said Terry Hunley, acting president, APP Americas, “but it is a long process and the Commerce Department is still gathering and analyzing all the facts. At the end of the day, we expect a significant improvement in these preliminary subsidy findings, and confirmation again that the U.S. industry has not been injured and is therefore not entitled to any special protection.”
This is the second time in as many years that Commerce has conducted an investigation of exports of coated paper produced by APP. It is rare for such cases to be revisited so quickly. The prior investigation was terminated by the U.S. government because APP's imports of coated paper did not harm the U.S. industry. APP expects a similar result in this case.
“This investigation has even less basis than the last one since the U.S. industry is making more money and has benefited from enormous government subsidies in the form of environmental tax credits, ironically for burning 'black liquor,' a byproduct of the pulp wood making process, to fuel its manufacturing plants. It is hypocritical for U.S. paper makers to accuse us of receiving subsidies when the domestic companies racked up nearly $9 billion in tax credits last year.”
In the current case, the preliminary countervailing duty margins applicable to APP product is 12.83 percent on products from China, and 17.48 percent on products from Indonesia. The margin is different from the final results issued in the Commerce Department's prior investigation in 2007, due in part to the addition of newly investigated programs and changes in the Department's methodologies.
APP continues to vigorously contest the case. “The facts are on our side,” Hunley said. “This case is unwarranted and unfairly limiting competition would be un-American. It would hurt printers, publishers and everyone in America who consumes finished coated paper products. We will continue our work to have this case rejected on the merits. This process is like the Super Bowl, you can't predict the final score based on what happens in the first quarter.”
Based on recent requests made by the petitioners, the Department of Commerce's final ruling on CVD is expected to be released in September along with the final ruling on anti-dumping (AD). The last phase of the cases takes place in October or early November, when the U.S. International Trade Commission will determine if the U.S. paper industry has been harmed. Only an affirmative ruling at that time would lead to the imposition of an AD/CVD duty order on the coated paper in question from China and Indonesia.
For more information, visit www.asiapulppaper.com.
GPA Employees Donate to Haiti Relief
To assist in the relief efforts after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, GPA Specialty Substrate Solutions employees generously pulled together to make a $5,000 donation. All employee contributions were matched by GPA as part of the company's ongoing philanthropic focus.
Headquartered in McCook, Ill., GPA selected the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund to handle the distribution of the company's donation. The fund was created by President Obama, enlisting the support of former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to raise funds for immediate, high-impact relief and long-term recovery efforts to help those who are most in need of assistance. One hundred percent of donations received by the fund go directly to relief efforts. To make a donation to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, visit www.clintonbushhaitifund.org.
“I am extremely proud of the fact that, in what are still uneasy times from an economic perspective, the good people of GPA were able to see it in their hearts to make a donation,” said Mike Ratcliff, president of GPA.
For more information, visit www.askgpa.com.
Sun Chemical to Increase Ink Prices in North America
Faced with increases in the costs of raw materials and the impact of recent events in the global supply chain, Parsippany, New Jersey-based Sun Chemical will raise prices in North America by 4 percent for packaging liquid inks with a specific increase of $0.40/lb on bronze metallic inks, 6 percent for energy curable inks, and $0.75/lb for commercial sheetfed blended colors, effective April 1, 2010.
For more than 18 months, raw materials and energy cost volatility have significantly impacted the ink industry. Non-traditional factors recently began impacting the price of major feedstocks and raw materials, including: supply base consolidation and capacity curtailment, significant decline in refinery margins and rationalized operating rates to diminish demand. The combination of these factors has led to elevated fixed costs on raw material goods.
“Due to the consolidation of raw material suppliers, we now have fewer industry supply options to choose from,” said Tony Renzi, vice president, product management liquid inks, North American Inks, Sun Chemical. “Until we see an improvement in demand or a supply correction is made in the raw materials industry, we will continue to face a higher cost in manufacturing inks.
“At Sun Chemical, we 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 that can help customers grow their business, and we will continue to invest in those areas that provide our customers with innovative products and services allowing them to be more competitive and present the best value propositions in the market.”
For more information, visit www.sunchemical.com.
MACtac Starliner Jazz ITC Certified for HP7000 Indigo Press Series
Fine paper merchants and commercial printers now have an additional sheet stock available for use with the latest HP7000 Indigo presses. Headquartered in Stow, Ohio, MACtac Printing Products' Starliner® Jazz™ ITC pressure-sensitive adhesive stock, part of MACtac's new Starliner Digital series, was recently certified by the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) for use on the HP7000 Indigo press series.
Also RIT certified for use on the HP5000 and HP5500 Indigo presses, the Jazz ITC stock is a 3.0-mil matte white synthetic paper that is topcoated for sheet-fed HP Indigo printing. It features MACtac's non-ooze, permanent acrylic adhesive that exhibits high initial tack on most commonly used substrates. The reliability and lay flat characteristics of Starliner pressure-sensitive sheet products make them ideal for applications such as labels, retail signage, exhibit and point-of-purchase displays.
"Just as Starliner set the standard for quality offset pressure-sensitive products for more than 40 years, Starliner Digital is doing the same for digital pressure-sensitive products," said Cathy Kimpton, marketing manager, MACtac Printing Products. "Certification of the Jazz ITC product for the HP7000 presses now gives customers a pressure-sensitive film solution for HP's newest Indigo press."
This synthetic paper offers the flexibility and durability of film, without the higher cost of vinyl sheet products. The lay flat liner has no scores and provides excellent moisture stability, processing performance and tear resistance for kiss cutting.
For more information, visit www.mactac.com/sheetproducts.