Business Management - HR

LOVELAND, OH—Jeff Higgins, a 40-year veteran paper distribution sales and marketing manager and the current director of xpedx Marketing Services and Information, announced he will retire from xpedx on Nov. 30.

TETERBORO, NJ—August 27, 2007—Superior Printing Ink, Co., Inc., the largest supplier of commercial sheetfed inks in North America, is pleased to announce it has hired two key employees to serve in its sales and technical areas. The company has appointed Daniel C. Maffeo as Vice President, Sales. Maffeo’s responsibilities include managing Superior’s national field sales organization and manufacturer representatives. He works closely with Superior’s regional, district, and branch operations managers. His responsibilities also include overseeing marketing and communications for the company. He reports to James La Rocca, Senior Vice President, Sales & Operations. Maffeo joins Superior after a 20-year career with Fuji Photo Film, where he

LUXEMBOURG—August 7, 2007—Flint Group, the world’s largest privately-owned supplier to the printing, converting, and colourant industries, has announced that Charles Knott will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer effective from 1 September 2007. He will succeed Dave Frescoln, who will become Deputy Chairman of the company’s Boards. Knott has had a successful career leading and developing global speciality chemical companies within Unilever plc and ICI plc. Key positions that he has held include President and Chief Operating Officer of National Starch & Chemical, based in North America, and Executive Vice President Asia-Pacific, based for six years in Singapore where he developed business in all

MARIETTA, GA—06/14/07—Rima System is pleased to announce the addition of Mark Legac to the North American team as Vice President of Sales & Marketing. Mark brings a number of years of postpress equipment experience to the Rima System Atlanta office, and will be responsible for coordinating the continued growth of this expanding market. “I am very excited to begin this new opportunity with Rima System at this period in their growth and market expansion”, Legac said. “I have been particularly impressed with the company’s latest automation technology offerings, and I look forward to working with the whole Rima System team as we continue

Several friends were talking recently about the effect executive-level turnover has on morale at the shop-floor level. One industry veteran summed up his feelings: "The Barbarians are really at the gates now!" "Heck, they're not at the gates," replied another. "They've been here, they've gone and they're coming back for dessert!" The comment was met with very strained laughter. As I read through recent copies of Printing Impressions' Top Management News, I became unsettled. Amid the upbeat declarations of new contracts and plant expansions, there seem to be more reports of turmoil in the boardrooms and executive suites of many mid- and giant-size printers. We're