PICTOU, NS—Advocate Printing and Publishing has recently added an Aristo TL48 flatbed cutter to its growing fleet of production equipment. Celebrating over 120 years of business, Advocate Printing and Publishing produces a wide range of print and sign applications.

The Aristo TL48 can cut and rout sheets of rigid and flexible materials and is equipped with a creasing tool to create folds in cardboard stock and a variety of other prototyping materials.


Standing from left to right Michael Stock, account manager at ND Graphics; Alex Lochead, graphics specialist; Jason Hamilton, director of digital operations; and Allan Hines, solutions specialist all from Advocate Printing and Publishing

KITCHENER, ON—The installation of a Xerox Colour 800 press and two complementary workflow programs at Innovation Design & Print has enabled the design and print shop to double its productivity.

"We grew our customer base overnight," said owner Calvin Frey of the company, which launched in 2008 and in 2013 expanded with the acquisition of Get Printing. "Without the colour press we would not have been able to handle the current volume, while providing consistent quality to our customers," said Frey.


Xerox Colour 800

TORONTO—Manon Chin, chief operating officer at Labels in Motion, spoke June 12 at the Xeikon Café in Toronto to talk about how he successfully entered the label business without any prior experience.

The Orlando, FL-based company is the in-house print shop of Xymogen, a nutritional supplement manufacturer. Chin convinced Xymogen to invest in a Xeikon 3500 to handle production of the company's customized labels for the nutraceutical market.


Manon Chin tells the origin story of Labels in Motion at the Xeikon Café in Toronto

TORONTO—Colour digital presses are "great" for printing labels and packaging and the market is growing, said Bob Leahey, associate director at Infotrends.

The analyst spoke June 12, followed by a presentation by Labels in Motion's Manon Chin, at the Xeikon Café presented by Xeikon and distributor Canflexographics at the Toronto Hockey Hall of Fame.


Bob Leahey addresses the Xeikon Café crowd at the Hockey Hall of Fame

MISSISSAUGA, ON—Gateway Visual Communications' new Kodak Nexpress SX 2700 sports a supplementary feeder for sheets up to 14" x 36", plus dimensional and spot-clear toner features.

A gold metallic unit will be added soon. "We needed something that would allow us to do what we had been doing, but also get us into new markets," said Brian McConnell, co-owner and vice-president of operations. The digital printing company is looking to move into point of purchase (POP), high-end invitations, and packaging, McConnell said.


Left to right: Jim Instance, small format document specialist; Brian McConnell, vice-president of operations and administration; Chris Moss, print production manager

VANCOUVER—PacBlue Printing's new facility shows the company is ramping up the push into large format and signage that it began six years ago.

The recent move enabled the company to reorganize its offices and consolidate operations into two locations. The new 26,000 sq. ft. headquarters, ten minutes from the city's downtown core, now houses the company's large and grand format division, as well as its administrative office.


PacBlue on move-in day. Left to right: Nicolas Slobinsky, director of sales and marketing; Carol Colley, owner; Jonathan Colley, owner, chief executive officer and president (Photo: Ron Sombilon)

TORONTO—Michael Druce, a past chair of the OPIA who worked at some of the industry's biggest companies, died peacefully on June 6, 2013 at St. Michael's Hospital.

Druce held positions at Quebecor Printing, Maclean Hunter, and Kuehne and Nagel, and was chairman of the OPIA (Ontario Printing and Imaging Association) board from 2002-2004. He also served on the judging panel for the OPIA Awards of Excellence and in 2001 played a role in the development of the first OPIA Strategic Plan.

TORONTO—Graphic Monthly Canada magazine scooped up a silver writing award for Best Profile of a Person at the KRW Awards, a Canadian Business Press event celebrating business-to-business magazines.

The mag, a sister publication of PrintCAN.com, was awarded for its "Printer of the Year" profile on Jay Mandarino, president of C.J. Graphics, which appeared in the December 2012 edition. In total, the awards program dished out gold and silver prizes in 24 categories with winners chosen from nearly 600 submissions nationwide.

MONTREAL—Denis Beauchamp brings over 35 years of experience with him to his new role at Pazazz Printing, where he joins the team as general manager of manufacturing.

In this position, Beauchamp (pictured on left) will oversee all aspects of the company's manufacturing operations from prepress to finishing, and including personnel.

MISSISSAUGA, ON—C.J. Graphics scored big at the 2013 OPIA awards with wins in 13 categories, plus three awards of excellence in Sheetfed, Digital and Specialty.

Among its prizes, the company swept all three awards in the Speciality category, and collected 9 of the 16 awards handed out in Sheetfed.


Leslie Smith (left) of C.J. Graphics accepts an OPIA award