Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Maine Offers Tax Credits to Great Northern

The Finance Authority of Maine last week approved roughly $16 million in tax credits for two groups making investments related to Great Northern Paper Co.'s mill in East Millinocket.
FAME claims in a media release the two decisions are "expected to help create and retain 448 Maine jobs" combined, although a breakdown of how many new jobs would be created vs. existing jobs retained was not available Friday.

NS Parties Want Bowater Mersey Environmental Assessment

Provincial opposition parties want a thorough environmental assessment of the former Bowater Mersey Paper Co. Ltd. paper mill site performed in the new year.
The assessment would include soil and groundwater testing for toxic chemicals.
"Until the environmental liability costs are known, the total price the NDP paid for Bowater remains unknown," Progressive Conservative Leader Jaimie Baillie said Saturday as he issued a call for the testing.

China 2012 Coated Imports Down 10.1%

Based on information by China Paper Association, Production of premium coated paper saw fast growth in recent two years in China. Premium coated paper took the largest proportion in total paper export. According to statistics, Jan-Sept, 2012, China imported 215,800 mts of premium coated paper, dipping 10.14% year on year.

AF&PA Supports USDA Proposal

AF&PA today commended the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for issuing the proposed Paper and Paper-Based Packaging Promotion, Research and Information Order... --> "We need to present consumers with the facts of the renewable and recyclable nature of our products to allow them to make informed decisions, and today's actions by USDA take us one step closer," said AF&PA Board Chairman Alexander Toeldte, president and CEO of Boise, Inc. "Our industry has come together in support understand the benefits and sustainability of paper products they depend on in their daily lives."

Domtar's Converting Plant Part of Evolving Business

Domtar forms converting plant in South Carolina part of strategy to adjust to lower demand, new markets for pulp, paper [From the web]: Appropriately, Domtar's Rock Hill converting center in the Tech Park off Dave Lyle Boulevard is hidden by trees. Historically, trees are what Domtar is all about.
At one time, the Rock Hill operation was one of seven Domtar-owned plants making forms for businesses such banks, insurance companies and credit card companies. A plant staple was the pin-wheel form used in large dot-matrix printers. The pin-wheel forms still come off the line, but in less quantity.
Now, because of the push to go paperless, the Rock Hill plant is one of three Domtar converting centers. It ships forms mostly to businesses east of the Mississippi River, but some forms make the cross-country trip.

Read more here: http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/12/29/4511230/domtars-touts-york-county-paper.html#storylink=cpy

Hearst's Carey on '12 &'13 + 800M Digital Subscribers

In his annual company-wide start of the year email, Hearst Magazines president David Carey applauded the publisher’s success during 2012 while dropping a few hints about what’s to come in 2013.
While 2012 may have been all about digital expansion, print is far from dead, to hear Carey's plans for 2013. The coming year will see more brand extensions, following the launches of Cosmopolitan for Latinas and Delish, and the relaunched Elle Accessories. (All three will also increase their frequencies in 2013.) Internationally, 12 more magazines are set to debut this year. And Carey said that with continuing interest from outside media companies looking to partner with Hearst, the company might test another new magazine before the year's end. 
 Hearst Digital Subscriptions Now Generating Profits: Hearst added 800,000 paid monthly subscribers at end of 2012, 80 percent new to file.
Hearst Magazines now has the highest number of paid monthly digital subscriptions across tablet devices in the industry—at nearly 800,000. The subscriptions are generating profits and 80 percent of the subscribers are new to the file.

Bobit Media Acquires Auto Dealer Monthly

Bobit Business Mediahas acquired the print and digital properties of Auto Dealer Monthly, the company announced.
Included in the sale were print magazine Auto Dealer Monthly, three websites including AutoDealerMonthly.com and two weekly e-newsletters.

Pearson Invests $89.5 Million in NOOK

Pearson, the world's leading learning company, is today announcing a strategic investment in NOOK Media, LLC, a new company consisting of Barnes & Noble's digital businesses including its NOOK e-reader and tablets, the NOOK digital bookstore and its 674 college bookstores across America.

For Traditional Media, Digital Elusive Promise

For over a decade, traditional media companies have pointed to digital media as a promising source of revenue growth -- but as 2012 draws to an end, it’s clear that this promise is still more theoretical than real, while ad dollars continue to migrate away from traditional channels. This is particularly true for broadcast radio groups and newspaper publishers, whose 2012 results have (so far) offered little in the way of digital cheer.

Q3 B-to-B Digital Ad Revenue Up 16%

Business-to-business media revenue shows a continued migration to digital advertising, according to ABM’s 2012 third-quarter BIN Report. Compared to the corresponding quarter in 2011, print ad revenue dipped by $121 million, but over the same periods, online ad sales more than made up the loss, rising $161 million. With event revenue basically flat for the quarter, the entire industry seems to be holding steady compared to last year.

USPS Picks UM as Media Agency

A USPS spokeswoman confirmed the UM appointment but declined to provide additional details at this time. Campbell-Ewald and UM didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

USPS Taps Pitney Bowes

USPS Taps Pitney Bowes Automated Services Technology:
Pitney Bowes technology was selected by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to begin providing support and maintenance of its network of postal meters. A 6-year contract valued at up to $32 million for meters and meter supplies will enable the Postal Service to nationally standardize its meter needs using a single leading edge design. The contract also includes the provision of systems and support to meet the U.S.

Tribune Emerges from Bankruptcy

Tribune Company, the big broadcasting and newspaper group, emerged from bankruptcy protection Monday -- and is seemingly ready to be sold off to a number of potential media buyers.
With a new board of directors composed mostly of entertainment-industry veterans, the company has now exited  bankruptcy after four years -- one of the longest in U.S. corporate history.

Hometown News Closes Six Papers

Hometown News closed six newspapers in the Upstate - The Boiling Springs Sentry, The Blacksburg Times, The Middle Tyger Times, The Inman Times, The Whitmire News and The Woodruff News. Employees worked their last day on Wednesday.

Car & Driver Sent to Spin Subscribers

The world may not be ending today, but Spin’s existence as a print magazine is. The Buzzmedia-owned indie music title, which reduced its frequency earlier this year before dropping its November/December issue, announced that it would stop publishing a print edition with the September/October 2012 issue and serve out subscribers' orders with, oddly, Car and Driver.
The substitution of Hearst’s automotive title for an indie music magazine seems like a head scratcher, to say the least.

Deluxe Launches Multimillion-Dollar Ad Campaign

Deluxe Will Rely on Multimillion-Dollar Advertising Campaign:
Deluxe Corp. is so set on revamping its stodgy image as a check maker that it’s launching a major ad blitz to show all small businesses that it is ready to serve them. The goal is to replace Deluxe’s stale image as the purveyor of paper checks with the fresh impression that it’s a solution genie for small businesses needing forms, logo and graphic designs, digital printing, software or Web and marketing services.

New Year Predictions: Print Research International's Charnock

New Year predictions - Print Research International's John Charnock:
What do you think will represent the single biggest opportunity for printers in 2013 and why?
For many printers there are almost too many opportunities. Large format, 3D, digital, multi-channel communication, etc. The secret is choosing which ones to pursue and which ones not to. The consolidation of our industry is well underway and printers need to become entrepreneurial in their outlook and leverage some of those opportunities to their advantage. That does not mean do it all, however; printers must focus on what their customers require and deliver appropriate solutions.
What do you think will represent the single biggest threat for printers in 2013 and why?
Over-leverage, lack of resources and doing many things half-heartedly instead of fewer things really well...

New Year Predictions: HP's Zioni

New Year predictions - HP's Ronen Zioni:
What do you think will represent the single biggest opportunity for printers in 2013 and why?
The opportunity for diversification. Digital printing technologies and economic conditions are fostering a softening of the traditional areas of operation in the graphic arts - but clearly, there are markets where digital print has started to make its presence known like never before, including labels and packaging and newspapers. More and more general commercial printers are expanding - via digital printing technologies - into the consumer photo-specialty market, or into large format printing, and other areas that a general commercial printer would never have approached before...

New Year Predictions: Roland DG's Newman

New Year predictions - Roland DG's Brett Newman:
What trend do you think 2012 will remembered for?
I think it will be the year when digital printing in all its forms truly cames of age. There was no better representation of this than at Drupa 2012. Digital was everywhere - it was where the buzz was and where the innovation was. I think it was a major milestone in the evolution of digital printing, and digital - whether wide format or cut-sheet - really dominated the show. Across the wide format sector, we saw printers really start to embrace the broad range of applications wide format printers can offer. We also witnessed a strong drive from printers towards purchasing a complete solution sourced from a single, trusted provider as printers sought to have the edge in terms of quality, consistency and continuity with their wide format machines...