It’s Back to School Time - August 2018 M&A Activity
As the summer wraps up and our younger generation heads back to school, the printing and related industries are getting ready for their own education. Now begins the annual parade of executives,...
View ArticleCimpress: Getting Bigger by Staying Small - September 2018 M&A Activity
Cimpress, the corporate parent of Vistaprint, announced the acquisition of BuildASign, an online printing service that specializes in yard signs, banners, magnetic vehicle signs, and fabric banners....
View ArticleA Reversal of Fortune: Paper Mills Gain Leverage - October 2018 M&A Activity
The past two decades have been a turbulent time for the paper industry in the US and Canada, as producers closed mills in a frantic race to catch up with the downward demand for the printing grades of...
View ArticleThe Waning Fortunes of the Time Inc. Magazines - November 2018 M&A Activity
A Thai businessman owns Fortune Magazine. A dot-com billionaire owns Time Magazine. The widow of Apple’s founder owns The Atlantic Magazine. A retail disruptor (and wealthiest person on earth) owns The...
View ArticleConsolidation in Commercial Printing Rolls On - December 2018 M&A Activity
The roll-up consolidation process is in full swing and gaining momentum in the commercial printing segment. The Mittera Group, based in Iowa and operating plants as far flung as New Jersey, Long...
View ArticleBCC Solidifies Position in Mail Preparation Software – January 2019 M&A Activity
BCC Software has acquired Satori Software, formerly one of the leading developers and providers of mail preparation software. The two former competitors, BCC Software and Satori, have each been through...
View ArticlePlatinum Equity Likes Print – February 2019 M&A Activity
In its latest foray into the print-related industries, Platinum Equity, one of the world’s largest private equity firms, announced the acquisition of Multi-Color Corporation in a take-private...
View ArticleCJK Group Opens Next Chapter with Loan-to-Own Strategy – March 2019 M&A Activity
The news broke on March 25th that boutique book printing and manufacturing company Thomson-Shore had filed that day for protection under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code. It quickly became apparent...
View ArticleThe De-Evolution of Cenveo – April 2019 M&A Activity
Cenveo announced its first M&A transaction since its emergence from bankruptcy in September 2018, with the sale of its long-run label and paper receipt businesses to Iconex, a portfolio company...
View ArticleSports Illustrated Print Edition Heads to Hospice – May 2019 M&A Activity
Meredith, the publishing company that is slowly dismantling the portfolio of iconic Time-Life magazine titles that it acquired in 2018, has sold Sports Illustrated to Authentic Brands Group (“ABG”)....
View ArticlePrint Publishing in Turmoil – June 2019 M&A Activity
The shakeout in the world of publishing continues unabated as titles in print face continued downward pressure in circulation, declining advertising revenues and inability to support the cost of...
View ArticleWhat’s in a Letter? – July 2019 M&A Activity
After rolling up the business of selling fonts, Monotype Imaging has announced that it is exiting the public market, accepting an offer from private equity firm HGGC. This highly profitable business...
View ArticleThe Target Report Annual Recap – August 2019 M&A Activity
As readers of The Target Report know, we view the industry from the perspective of transactional activity. Over the past eight years, we have chronicled, logged, and commented on the robust merger and...
View ArticleBehind the Scenes in Photobooks – September 2019 M&A Activity
Seattle-based RPI announced the acquisition of on-demand printing assets from SoftPrint Holdings. The acquired assets include the ColorCentric production facility located in Rochester, New York. The...
View ArticleMarket for Label Printing Catches Fire – October 2019 M&A Activity
The number of M&A transactions in the label printing segment shot up in October after several rather tepid months including three months in the last twelve in which we found no acquisitions of...
View ArticleCommercial Printing: Consolidation or Regional Expansion? – November 2019 M&A...
Three out of every four transactions in the commercial printing business are structured as a “tuck-in.” The buyer folds the acquired customers into their existing production capacity, hires selected...
View ArticleThe Penguin’s Native Tongue is Now German – December 2019 M&A Activity
Bertelsmann, the massive media company based in Germany, has announced that it will soon become the sole owner of Penguin Random House. Upon approval by regulators, which is expected, the company will...
View ArticleThe Smartest Investor Ever Exits Newspapers – January 2020 M&A Activity
Warren Buffet, arguably the greatest investor in the world, has decided to leave the club of billionaires that own and support publications that have been withering and would otherwise be facing...
View ArticleCatching the Wave in Corrugated Cartons – February 2020 M&A Activity
The Welch Packaging Group stepped up and acquired PAX Corrugated Products from Georgia-Pacific. The acquired company’s product line, corrugated cartons, is consistent with every company that Welch has...
View ArticleThe Lull Before the Tempest – March 2020 M&A Activity
Let me say it right up front – it’s difficult to write a relevant fact-based commentary about M&A transactions in the printing and related industries when the world has literally stopped in its...
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