manroland Goss Expects More Orders, Higher Profitability in 2021
manroland Goss forecasts a significant increase in incoming orders, especially for new web offset presses, and a further stabilization of profitability for 2021. With the acquisition of Thallo packaging printing tech, the company adds to its range of packaging printing solutions along with Varioman. Varioman and Thallo and other solutions were presented by manroland Goss at the virtual.drupa trade show. For the manroland Goss Group, the 2020 financial year was influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. While the order situation in the service business remained largely stable, incoming orders for new printing systems fell below expectations. Overall, sales of 220 million euros ($266 million) and positive earnings before interest and taxes of 3.2 million euros ($3.9 million) were achieved. Net debt improved by 7.5 million euros ($9.1 million) compared to the previous year. manroland Goss continues to demonstrate a solid financial and capital structure, says the company. This is also supported by the shareholders L. Possehl, Lubeck and American Industrial Partners, New York.
Fujifilm Launches J Press 750S High Speed Model
Fujifilm North America Corporation has launched its J Press 750S High Speed Model, with output speeds of 5,400 B2 sheets per hour, says the company. The launch celebration was shared via a concept video and shown as part of Fujifilm’s Graphics Systems Division’s presence at virtual.drupa (April 20 to 23), the annual industry event for printing and graphics.
“Fujifilm is dedicated to the continued development of innovative products for the digital printing market,” said Tommy Katagiri, president, Fujifilm North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division. “We are very proud to have introduced the world’s first B2 inkjet press with the launch of the original J Press.” Fujifilm North America Corporation, a marketing subsidiary of Fujifilm Holdings America Corporation, consists of five operating divisions and one subsidiary company. Fujifilm Holdings Corporation is based in Tokyo, Japan.
Newspapers File Suits Against Google, Facebook
Facebook and Google are facing a parade of lawsuits from newspaper companies, along with legislative and Department of Justice pressure.
- Publishers of 125 newspapers in 11 states filed or announced suits against Google and Facebook April 19, claiming the tech giants have unlawfully monopolized the digital advertising market and engaged in an illegal secretive deal, nicknamed “Jedi Blue,” to throttle competition. Fourteen complaints were filed or announced by publishers from Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Mississippi, New Jersey, Indiana, Missouri, Maryland and Delaware, said a press release from West Virginia-based Fitzsimmons Law Firm (see complaints). Publishers filing suit: AIM Media, Brown County Publishing Company and Multi Media Channels Clarksburg Publishing Company, d.b.a. WV News; Coastal Point; Eagle Printing Company; Ecent Corporation; Emmerich Newspapers; Flag Publications; Gale Force Media and Journal Inc. In addition, WKTimes and Pinnacle Communications have announced their intention to file similar suits.
- U.K.-based Associated Newspapers, which publishes the online newspaper MailOnline, branded as the Daily Mail in the U.S., has also filed suit against Google, the Guardian reported.
- In January 2021 an antitrust suitagainst Google and Facebook was filed by HDMedia, a West Virginia-based company that publishes the Charleston Gazette-Mail and the Herald-Dispatch (Huntington).
- Those actions follow government-led suits. In December, a coalition of 38 states filed suit against Google, with a focus on Google’s search engine (see complaint). Colorado’s Democratic Attorney General Phil Weiser and Nebraska’s Republican Attorney General Doug Peterson led that effort. That same month, ten states, in an effort led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, filed suit against Google (see complaint, commentary). The U.S. Department of Justice and eleven states filed an antitrust suit against Google in October (see press release, complaint). More states joined the suit later.
- Google and Facebook denied the “Jedi Blue” allegations in the government and HD Media suits, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Times Media Group Buys Tucson Publications
Times Media Group, based in the Phoenix area, has bought The Tucson Weekly, Inside Tucson Business and Explorer, the Tucson Sentinel reported. Terms of the deal were not made public. Colorado-based owner Randy Miller of 10/13 Communications and Thirteenth Street Media sold the publications, the Sentinel reported. Times Media bought a chain of publications in California in 2019, including CityBeat (San Diego), which hasn’t published since 2020, when it “pause because of the coronavirus pandemic, says the Sentinel.
NorDak Publishing Buys Three North Dakota Papers
The Hazen Star, The Beacon and The Center Republican have been sold to NorDak Publishing. The sale also includes the Dollar Saver shopper. The Star and Beacon were owned by the Gackle family and BHG News for over 50 years prior to the sale, says a press release from merger firm Grimes, McGovern & Associates. “My approach to community newspapers is we want to serve the communities,” Kelsey Majeske, the new publisher for the papers, said. Louis Mullen, the new owner of the papers, has similar views. “If you were to pick up any weekly paper across the country, you’d find your hometown paper is one of the best,” Mullen, who is from Buffalo, Wyoming, said. “Local stories, local contributors and strong local business. They make up the heart of your community and the heart of America.”
NorDak Publishing’s other papers in North Dakota include the Ransom County Gazette in Lisbon, the Sargent County Teller in Milnor, the Cass County Reporter in Casselton, the Traill County Tribune in Mayville and the Emmons County Record in Linton. Mullen also owns four papers in South Dakota: the Prairie Pioneer in Pollock, the Mobridge Tribune in Mobridge, the West River Eagle in Eagle Butte and the Potter County News in Gettysburg. BHG Inc. continues to own the McLean County Independent, Leader-News and Central McLean News-Journal.
More News
- The Sacramento Bee is relocating into a new newsroom at the Cannery development, a business park campus near midtown, later in 2021, the paper reported. McClatchy owns the paper.
- Broker and auctioneer Larry Hubbell has bought The Daily Herald building (Columbia, Tennessee), the paper reports. Gannett owns the paper. Plans for a new location for The Daily Herald are in progress, reports the paper.
- Q.I. Press Controls-Engineering Automation Electronics (QIPC-EAE) India has gained a firmer foot hold in the book printing market by delivering a system to Yadanarmoe Printing House, in Mandalay, Myanmar. Working with The Printers House, India, and their exclusive agent in Myanmar, Gensecon Myanmar, QIPC-EAE equipped two Orient semi commercial presses with mRC-3D for color register and integrated cut-off control.
- The Ogdensburg Journal (New York) is relaunching as a weekly publication in June, NNY360 reports. The paper was last put out in June 2019. It was published twice a week then, says NNY360.
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