Waukesha, WI

PITTSBURGH—PIA/GATF will explain how graphic communications companies can take advantage of two of the industry’s hottest trends, lean manufacturing and green printing, when its National Seminar Tour resumes this spring. The one-day Lean and Green seminar, being held at eight locations across the country will help companies trim manufacturing waste and time. It will also focus on sustainable manufacturing practices that can have the dual benefit of meeting customer demands and reducing costs. Ken Rizzo, PIA/GATF’s director of consulting and head of its Center for Lean Practices, and Gary Jones, PIA/GATF’s director of environmental, health, and safety, will co-present the program. The

Prepress and Press Capabilities Are Enhanced THREE RIVERS, MI—DeGraaf’x Inc. has streamlined its workflow with a new five-color Heidelberg Printmaster PM 52 perfector and Prosetter P 52 platesetter, as well as several elements of Heidelberg’s Prinect workflow system, including Signa Station, Printready System and MetaDimension. Marek Dives Into Digital WAUKESHA, WI—Tamara Marek, president, and Fuzzy Marek, CEO, purchased a new Kodak Digimaster EX138 system, a NexPress 2500 press and NexGlosser glossing unit for their printing operation, The Marek Group. The digital technology was installed to help the company handle its expanding Web- to-print business. CALIFORNIA CARLSBAD—L + L Printers installed

WAUKESHA, WI—A merger between A to Z Printing and FJ Marek Enterprises has created The Marek Group. As a result of the deal, The Marek Group will add about 40,000 square feet of manufacturing space to its existing 75,000-square-foot headquarters located here. The transaction brings together two complementary entities. A to Z Printing is a commercial printing specialist that also provides digital imaging services to customers in markets such as insurance, finance, marketing agencies, consumer and business-to-business. FJ Marek Enterprises provides packaging and finishing services for specialty items such as board games, puzzles, boxes and point-of-purchase displays for marketers. According to Fuzzy Marek, CEO of The

PIA/GATF Chooses New Home SAN ANTONIO, TX—After an 18 month review, the boards of directors of the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (GATF) and Printing Industries of America (PIA) have selected Sewickley, PA, (over Waukesha, WI) as the new site for its consolidated headquarters. While GATF/PIA will maintain a small office in Washington, DC, for public policy purposes, the majority of PIA operations will move to the current headquarters of GATF, located just outside of Pittsburgh.The timing for the move is the fall of 2004. Mail-Well Creates New Group ENGLEWOOD, CO—Mail-Well has formed its new 360° Enterprise Solutions Group for the direct marketing industry. The 360° Enterprise Solutions