News

Finnish paper company M-real has announced it will make redundancies in the UK after reporting weak profits for 2003.

Agfa and Thieme have linked up to develop a flatbed digital press for screen printing.

Hewlett-Packard has announced two entry-level digital printers and two new Indigo presses, all of which focus on cutting the cost of digital printing.

Wyndeham Heron has won the contract for IPC Southbanks <i>Ideal Home</i> magazine and it will become the single biggest publication to be produced at the Essex web offset plant.

Express Newspapers has triggered the change of control clause at West Ferry Printers, which could give it the right to buy the Telegraph Groups 50% share in the plant.

John Blackburn group sales and marketing director Gurdev Singh is working on a business improvement strategy to drive up sales and margins.

The old print works of WE Baxter could be demolished following its sale late last year, permanently ending 202 years of printing tradition on Lewes high street.

More than 20 packaging jobs have been saved after Belfast-based MSO Cleland bought selected assets of Galloways Packaging out of administrative receivership.

Kodak is to sell its Remote Sensing Systems (RSS) operation to ITT Industries in a 388m ($725m) cash deal, which includes the stock of its subsidiary Research Systems (RS).

Print management company gl2, part of the TripleArc Group, has signed a contract with clothing chain Matalan worth 5m a year.

News International has refused to comment on industry speculation that it may have bought an 85-acre site north of London, which could be used as its future printing plant.

Pindar has pushed up sales and profits in what chairman Andrew Pindar described as a hellishly tough market.

Polestar chief executive Barry Hibbert is to visit the groups Purnell gravure factory in Bristol next week to see how to turn the loss-making plant around.

Service Graphics is to look at potential acquisitions across the UK, with the group aiming to double operating profits to 1.7m for 2004.

The Periodical Publishers Association (PPA) is working to devise a Producer Responsibility strategy for the magazine sector, which could lead to an increase in the rates of recycling.