Wes Lucas

MONTREAL—Despite posting a fourth quarter loss of US$654 million, there is optimism at Quebecor World. The company told a U.S. bankruptcy court judge that it expects to lay out its restructuring plan this month and emerge from creditor protection in early July, the Canadian Press (CP) reported.

BAILOUTS OF financial institutions and pleas for assistance from domestic auto manufacturers have put top executive performance and compensation into the headlines. The excesses that fueled public outrage won’t be found among the earnings of principal officers at the largest publicly held printing companies included in Printing Impressions’ 19th annual executive compensation report.

IF THIS magazine chose to hand out an award for the biggest newsmaker of the year, the 2008 honor would go to Quebecor World (QW), hands down. One might contend that the attention, while merited, is not the type of exposure a company would want: Financing issues, trying to sell an unprofitable venture and muddling through with bankruptcy in two countries. But Quebecor World is a printer for our economic times, the No. 2 in North America at a time when market leaders (Circuit City, AIG, Lehman Bros.) have come crashing down.

Quebecor World, the Montreal-based magazine, book, catalog, direct mail, directory, magazine and retail insert printer. has experienced a roller coaster of fortunes in 2008—bankruptcy, a new leader, new accounts, lost accounts, done deals gone sour, financing misfires and triumphs, shuttered facilities, lost jobs, and now...a new hope.

Quebecor World Endures Loss MONTREAL—Embattled printing giant Quebecor World was socked with a loss of $21.1 million for the second quarter, or 20 cents a share. That is more than three times the $6.5 million (11 cents) net loss from the same period in 2006. Even so, Wes Lucas, Quebecor World president and CEO, reported that the North American operations produced significantly improved earnings, especially in the book and magazine divisions, where the firm’s retooling and restructuring program has been completed. Fire Strikes NJ Newspaper TRENTON, NJ—Contractors dismantling a printing press at The Times of Trenton accidentally ignited a fire, that newspaper reported. There were no injuries

FORT LEE, NJ--June 16, 2004--Sun Chemical Corp., a leading manufacturer of printing inks and pigments, announced it has acquired 100 percent of the shares of Rycoline Inc. The acquisition is a further step in Sun Chemical's strategy to provide "total solutions" for the printing industry, according to Wes Lucas, chairman, president and CEO, Sun Chemical. "The addition of Rycoline's product lines enhances our position as an industry leader, bringing the best technology to our customers around the world," Lucas says. "This acquisition also demonstrates Sun Chemical's strategic direction in creating a printer supply business and commitment to creating value for the customer by