Target Report Analysis: M&A Transactions, Restructurings and Commentary

Kappa Media Group, the publishing arm of centa-millionaire Nicholas Karabot's Pennsylvania-based business empire, has doubled down on its investments in the printing industry with the acquisition of Vanguard Printing in Ithaca, N.Y. Vanguard is a web and sheetfed offset printing company with a focus on printing specialty magazines, as well as catalogs and books. The acquisition adds significant printing capacity to Karabots’ portfolio which includes Kappa Graphics.

There were several smaller deals announced in the commercial printing segment, as waning demand for generalized printing services continues to drive consolidation. Of special note, however, privately-held Taylor Corp. announced the acquisition of Staples Print Solutions. With its origins and roots deep in the printing industry, privately-held Taylor has revenues in excess of $2 billion and was the winner in the bidding last year for the assets of bankrupt Standard Register.