NEW YORK—With a sharp year-over-year decline in revenue and profit due to difficult capital markets, Bowne & Co. announced it will reduce its workforce by 10 percent to provide cost savings of $21-$23 million. The cuts bring Bowne's total to 1,000 lost jobs in 2008, representing 24 percent of its workforce. Dave Shea, chairman and CEO, said the company will save $70 million annually as a result of the cutbacks.
Bowne's 2008 third quarter revenue was $164 million, down $17.7 million from the same period the previous year. Gross profit fell to $42.1 million for the third quarter, down from $63.1 million in Q3 2007.
WASHINGTON, DC—With mail volumes continuing to dwindle and added costs mandated by the Postal Act of 2006, the U.S. Postal Service finished its 2008 fiscal year with a net loss of $2.8 billion. The loss came despite cost-cutting measures in excess of $2 billion, including 50 million fewer work hours. However, mail volume plummeted by 9.5 billion pieces to 202.7 billion, a decline of 4.5 percent compared to 2007. The USPS also cited the national economy and the use of electronic mail as reasons for the decline.
MONTREAL—Transcontinental Inc. has implemented a new operating structure to support its growth strategy by creating the Marketing Communications Sector. The company's growth strategy is to accelerate the development of new services focused on one-to-one advertising and new communications platforms, while continuing to strengthen and extend its publishing and printing assets through its Media and Printing Sectors.
Brian Reid has been named president, Transcontinental Printing Sector. Reid has been with Transcontinental since 1992. Also, Hans Nielsen has been appointed president of Transcontinental Direct U.S.A. Nielsen was senior vice president for the Commercial Products Group for Quebec and the Atlantic provinces. He replaces Rob Young, who has headed Transcontinental's U.S. direct mail operations since 2005. Guy Manuel, president of the former Marketing Products and Services Sector, will leave the company at the end of 2008.
WINDSOR LOCKS, CT—A printing plant here received a scare when an envelope containing white powder was found inside another envelope, prompting the facility to be shut down temporarily. According to WFSB-TV, emergency service officials were dispatched to the Knights of Columbus printing plant, where they donned protective gear and removed the substance for testing. Results of the testing won't be available for several days, the station reported.
FRANKLIN, VA—International Paper will permanently shut down its No. 3 uncoated freesheet paper machine here on Nov. 23 due to a decline in demand. The move will reduce IP's annual paper production capacity by 150,000 tons and cost 50 workers their jobs. Additionally, 60,000 tons of lack-of-order downtime will be taken out of the company's U.S. uncoated freesheet mills during the fourth quarter.
ROCHESTER, NY—Document Security Systems is purchasing the assets of DPI, a digital and offset printer based here that filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. The deal is pending court approval. DPI registered sales of about $7.6 million in 2007. Publicly held Document Security Systems is an anti-counterfeiting technology company that produces, among other things, birth certificates, drivers licenses and passports for international clients.
At last month’s GRAPH EXPO 2008, I did a “2008 Print Buying Trends” presentation at Heidelberg’s Print Media Academy. One of the many topics I covered was sustainability and how the best print suppliers are not only going green, but are actively promoting their efforts to their customers and prospects. After speaking with attendees and other print reps on the show floor, I was surprised to learn that many solution providers are doing the right things, but they aren’t marketing their programs and progress. How are print buyers going to know that you are eco-friendly if you don’t tell them?
Case in point: Last week, I talked with a print buyer from a large publishing company in Baltimore, MD. Her company, which purchases tens of millions of dollars in direct mail and books, is starting to incorporate sustainability into their print purchases. Currently only one of their long-time printers has green credentials. This printer has been eco-friendly for years. But what’s interesting is that the print buyer just learned of their green efforts recently — and almost by accident. It took her coming to the Print Oasis Print Buyer’s conference to learn that her printer was FSC certified and was offering other sustainability solutions. Think of the business this printer might be missing — all due to the fact that they aren’t effectively marketing their services.
This is a lesson for all of us. Just because a client doesn’t ask specific questions, it doesn’t mean they aren’t considering the issues. Buyers may assume your company isn’t eco-friendly because they haven’t heard you talk about it. And even if you have reported your progress, it can’t just be a one-shot deal. Buyers only remember the message when it pertains to them. We are at a tipping point where organizations are now open to sustainability practices. Your marketing message has to be on-going, so that your company and its solutions stay top of mind.
Post a Comment below to share how you get the word out about being green.