UPFRONT

Willett is Out at NewPage

MIAMISBURG, OH—Richard Willett, Jr., president and CEO of NewPage Corp., resigned from the company effective Jan. 18, but will remain as a consultant through March 31. Willett has decided to pursue opportunities in other industries. Mark Suwyn, former CEO and current executive chairman, will serve as CEO of NewPage until a replacement is named.

RRD Nets Contract Extension

CHICAGO—RR Donnelley has been awarded a multiyear agreement to provide printing services for AT&T Advertising Solutions. The agreement is for printing about 450 directory titles serving consumers and businesses in the Southeast region of the country. Terms of the pact were not disclosed. The contract expands a century-long relationship between the companies.

Snag Hits Canon-Océ Pact

TOKYO—A roadblock has come up in Canon Inc.'s $1.1 billion bid for Océ. Shareholders representing 13 percent of the Dutch company said they won't tender their shares, according to Bloomberg.com, while a group representing roughly 200 investors feel the offer is too low. Canon may have to raise its offer or lower the minimum threshold to less than 85 percent of Océ's outstanding shares in order to finish the deal.

Quebecor Innovator Passes

MONTREAL—Philip MacAskill, a former Quebecor printing executive who helped build Worldcolor's gravure and retail printing platform, has passed away in Texas at the age of 76. MacAskill retired from Quebecor in 1998 after 25 years of executive operational management responsibilities, principally in gravure and retail operations. He was one of the architects of a coast-to-coast retail manufacturing and distribution strategy that today is said to comprise one of the market strengths of the Worldcolor organization.

Paper Consolidates Operations

LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles Times announced it is closing its printing operations in Costa Mesa, CA, as part of a cost-cutting move. Operations will be consolidated into one downtown facility here, providing what the company termed "substantial savings." The closure will result in the loss of 80 jobs. The Times is also reducing in width from 48˝ to 44˝, a growing trend for newspapers looking to cut costs PI