Catching the Falling Knife versus Personal Branding – April 2015 M&A Activity

Commercial Printing

Acquisition activity in the commercial printing segment picked up. As we have predicted in our last two annual projections, wide format printing companies continue to be attractive targets for commercial printing companies which seek to cross-sell the new services into their existing clients. As a bonus, the acquiring company adds new clients for their traditional printing services. NextPage in Kansas City, Missouri acquired Print Big Solutions, stating this exact strategy as their rationale for the deal. DOME Print & Marketing Solutions, a web and sheetfed commercial printer in Sacramento, California, acquired wide format printer Color Solutions. With backing from Ancor Capital Partners, Tennessee-based Identity Group Holdings acquired retail signage supplier Allen Screen Printing in Maine.

Commercial printers consolidated with other commercial printers. MET Fine Printers, located in Vancouver, British Columbia acquired Rhino Print Solutions with facilities in Vancouver and Calgary, Alberta. Neuger Communications Group acquired Engage Print, both located in Northfield, Minnesota. Grafika, a printer in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania, acquired Reading-based Offset Impressions.

PE fund Waveland Investments picked up retail circular printing company Doodad with facilities in Georgia and Pennsylvania.

Marketing Services

Atlanta-based marketing services provider and printing company Phase 3 Marketing & Communications acquired boutique creative studio Brand Fever. The acquiring company offers traditional services including digital and offset printing, graphic design, warehousing and fulfillment, and has also moved upstream into branding, strategic planning and social media.

Packaging

The packaging segment was uncharacteristically quiet in April, however Pratt Industries, which has common ownership ties to papermaking assets in Australia, picked up Robert Mann Packaging for $60 million. The acquired company will use imported lightweight kraft paper from its new owner to produce its corrugated cartons which are used primarily for packaging food and other agricultural products.

Lettershop & Direct Mail