Fall 2004                    return to newsletter contents page

FPPA Member News

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CVC Capital Partners Acquires BASF Printing Systems and ANI Printing Inks

Funds managed by CVC Capital Partners (CVC), a leading European private equity firm, today acquired the printing inks and printing plates operations of BASF, which consist mainly of BASF Drucksysteme GmbH and other printing system companies. The sale covers all the BASF printing system facilities and activities, including pigment production at the BASF Colorants & Chemicals Co. Ltd. in Shanghai as well as the production of alkali blue at the BASF Corporation’s plant in Huntington, West Virginia. Both parties to the contract agreed to keep the details of the transaction confidential. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval.

BASF's Huntington manufacturing site, located at 25th Street and 5th Avenue, has been in operation since 1909 and employs approximately 120 people. The site is the world's leading producer of alkali blue pigment used in printing inks for applications such as printer toner and consumer products packaging.

The sale by BASF should enable the printing system business to emerge as a leading international supplier in the industry. The first step towards this goal will be the merger with the Swedish printing inks manufacturer ANI Printing Inks (ANI) under the CVC umbrella. ANI has likewise been acquired by CVC funds with effect from today. Both its product portfolio and its regional coverage are very complementary to BASF’s printing inks operations. The merged business will be headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. The takeover of ANI as well as the subsequent merger of the two corporations are subject to regulatory approval.

BASF has been active in the printing plate business since 1965. In 1970, with the acquisition of K+E, which was headquartered in Stuttgart/Germany, BASF, started its own printing inks business. BASF Printing Systems was founded in 1997. BASF Printing Systems’ operations have always been largely stand-alone within the BASF Group. In the course of recent years, in particular, printing plate technology has increasingly diverged from the chemicals business.

NEWS FROM CREO, INC.

Workflow Solutions

Expansion Plans

Creo Continues Software Leadership with Powerful Prepress Workflow Solutions: New Automation and Integration

Creo Inc. introduced powerful new versions of the printing industry's favorite workflow solutions at Graph Expo 2004. Developments from the Creo workflow labs include major new versions of the Prinergy® and Brisque® prepress workflow systems, and the new Synapse® Director software, which provides Brisque with powerful new automation and management features.

These workflow solutions support Networked Graphic Production(tm), the industry-wide initiative that is focused on using open file standards like JDF to automate the entire print production process - from idea to delivery. These new solutions enable printers to boost revenue, reduce operating costs and streamline their production by integrating their prepress systems with other vendors' management information systems (MIS), production planning tools, press, and finishing tools.

These powerful new workflow solutions were demonstrated by Creo at Graph Expo 2004, North America's largest trade show for the printing and graphic arts industries. Images available for download at www.creo.com/imagebank.

Creo Celebrates First Year in Printing Plate Business with Expansion Plans

Creo Inc. recently announced that it will expand the capacity of its West Virginia printing plate manufacturing facility in order to meet the rapidly increasing demand for Creo plates. Creo plans to construct an additional state-of-the-art lithographic plate production line at the West Virginia facility, more than doubling the plant's capacity. Construction of the new production line is expected to be completed by the end of 2005.

Revenue from Creo consumables (printing plates and proofing materials) totaled $52.5 million in the first three quarters of fiscal 2004. Revenue from consumables is expected to grow by more than 50 percent in 2005. Creo will report on capital expenditures on November 17, 2004 when it announces the fourth-quarter and year-end earnings.

Images available for download at www.creo.com/imagebank

Dynamic Dies Expands Online Store

Expanded Web Store Increases Selection of Materials, Supplies and Exclusive Line of Products. Items increased to over 1,200 Items. New Customer Resource CD Also Added.

Dynamic Dies has expanded its online store dedicated to supplying high quality materials, supplies and more. The number of products available at the site has been increased from 100 to over 1,200 items.

September 2004 also sees the release of the first Customer Resource CD. The 2005 Customer Resource CD offers our 2005 catalog that contains everything from rubber and rule to printing plates and storage solutions. Direct links to the web site, online store, and forms to email or fax your orders is also on the disk. As always the colorful catalog contains some of the hottest products on the market as well as hundreds of old favorites.

Dynamic Dies.com ships merchandise to all 50 U.S. states and around the world. The company offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for all products.

John Hickey Named Director of Sales & Marketing

John Hickey has been named Director of Sales & Marketing for the Matthews Packaging Graphics & Design Division. For the last four years, Mr. Hickey managed sales in Latin America for Creo, CreoScitex and Scitex. Prior to Creo/Scitex, Mr. Hickey held Sales and Marketing positions of increasing responsibility with PCC/Artworks and Mark/Trece.

Hickey brings more than 15 years of sales, marketing

packaging/printing industry experience to Matthews Packaging Graphics & Design. John will provide division leadership to the Matthews regional sales teams and continue to expanding Matthews presence in the following markets; Corrugated Packaging, POP, Primary Packaging and design services for packaging.

Dale Bunnell Wins R. Stanton Avery Lifetime Achievement Award

In the late 1980s Bunnell encouraged Mark Andy's engineering staff to develop an easily accessible inking system that would make press cleanup easier and reduce make-ready time. The technology evolved into Mark Andy's revolutionary "QC" quick change print station, a system that today is considered a standard component on most flexo presses.

An active member of numerous industry associations, including the FTA, TLMI, and FINAT, Bunnell was a co-founder and one-time chairman of the World Label Association, an organization that cooperates with FINAT, TLMI, and the Japanese Federation of Label Printers.

Speaking for Mark Andy, Company President, Paul Brauss stated: "Mark Andy is proud to have had such a forward-thinking and prominent industry figure as a part of its flexo family for over 25 years. He is an industry leader whose dedication has impacted on the success of many suppliers worldwide. We are honored by his selection for this accolade."

OEC Graphics Acquires Image I.T.

Prepress service provider OEC Graphics, Inc. announced that Image I.T. (Appleton, WI), a specialist in high-end data asset management and color separation, will become part of the OEC organization. The new division, named OEC Graphics – I.T., will complement OEC’s extensive line of flexographic and offset products and services with its expertise in data asset management along with flexo and offset separation capability.

Jack Schloesser, President of OEC Graphics, explains the strategy “The combination of Image I.T.’s data asset management expertise and OEC’s broad range of prepress capabilities encourages fantastic cross-product opportunities with almost every customer.” Founder Tom Running, will remain with OEC I.T. as a strategic partner. Although not part of this acquisition, Image Studios photography studio will continue to work closely with OEC Graphics – I.T.

OEC Graphics is a family-operated organization with over 90 years experience in delivering cutting-edge products, services and technology to the printing and packaging industry. OEC’s product line includes the seamless photopolymer technology of SEAMEXâ and SEAMEXBLANKS, CADCOATÔ offset coating plates, FLUTEXÔ corrugated compression plates and OEC-DFMÔ (Digital Facilities Management). OEC has nearly 200 employees and manufacturing locations in Oshkosh and Appleton, Wisconsin, Chicago, Illinois and Greensboro, North Carolina.