BY MARK SMITH Technology Editor It's only fitting that LIFE magazine should be a barometer for the vitality of the publication market. This de facto "canary in the coal mine" for the magazine publishing market recently had its third incarnation. What's significant about this latest go is that the magazine is now being distributed as a weekly newspaper insert, thereby avoiding subscription and mailing cost issues. Top 10 Publication Printers CompanySegmentSales(millions)TotalSales(millions) 1*RR DonnelleyChicago$1,887$8,204 2Quebecor WorldMontreal$1,664$6,400 3Quad/GraphicsSussex, WI$740$2,000 4Brown PrintingWaseca, MN$320$400 5Cadmus CommunicationsRichmond, VA$302$445 6Banta Corp.Menasha, WI$184$1,418 6Perry Judd'sWaterloo, WI$184$297 8Publishers Printing/ Publishers Press,Shepherdsville, KY$160$160 9Vertis Inc.Baltimore$158$1,585 10The Sheridan GroupHunt Valley, MD$149$213 Sales figures are
Shepherdsville
By Erik Cagle Does everyone have a price in the business world? Apparently not. Case in point: Nicholas "Nick" Simon, president of Publishers Press and a 2003 Printing Impressions/RIT Printing Industry Hall of Fame inductee. Simon, 45, tells the story of the acquisition that was not in the cards. In the early portion of the 1990s, a major, billion-dollar national player in the commercial printing industry made overtures about acquiring Publishers Press, based in the Louisville, KY, suburb of Shepherdsville. Simon, another Publishers Press executive and a representative for the suitor met for lunch to discuss the proposal. When Simon excused himself from the table, the
Editor's note: Company rankings for the current and previous years are based on figures reported in 2000. Therefore, companies that revised their 1999 revenues may have changed their '99 ranking as compared with the ranking that appeared in last year's Printing Impressions 500. Similarly, the percentage change in sales is calculated on the most recent information provided.2000 Ranking:Previous Year's Ranking:Company: Total Sales (millions):Previous Year's (millions):Change (%):Principal Officer:Employees:Primary Specialties:Web Offset Units:Sheetfed Offset Units:Other:Ownership:Plants:5142Publishers Printing/Publishers Press, Shepherdsville, KY$160.40$166.30-4Nicholas X. Simon1,750PUB 100%100100Private 2 2000 Ranking:Previous Year's Ranking:Company:Total Sales (millions):Previous Year's (millions):Change (%):Principal Officer:Employees:Primary Specialties:Web Offset Units:Sheetfed Offset Units:Other:Ownership:Plants:5252Phoenix Color Corp., Hagerstown, MD$160.00E$141.00+13Louis LaSorsa900BKS 100%61520Private 4 2000 Ranking:Previous Year's
BY HOWARD FENTON Anyone familiar with Publishers Press will not be surprised that it was the first company to express interest in, pursue and pioneer entrance into the GATF/Apple ColorSync Registry. The registry outlines tolerances for acceptable quality control specifications for the implementation of color management technology, as specified by the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (GATF). Publishers Press is a family owned company originally created in 1866, now operating under the fifth generation of the Simon family. Printing giant Frank E. Simon ran the company from 1946 to 1990 and is responsible for redirecting the company to its niche of short-run publications. At
