Toronto-based Webcom has signed an agreement to acquire York Bookbinders (Scarborough, Ontario), a 34-year-old business specializing in hardcover book bindery services. The deal is expected to close on April 27, 2018. The acquisition adds to the $30 million of Webcom’s digital book manufacturing investments and “reconfirms its commitment to meet the growing publisher demand for unique casebinding capabilities,” said the company. This is Webcom’s second major expansion of its casebinding services in 2018, following the recent investment in digital casebinding systems from GP2 Technologies. “The integration of York Bookbinders into Webcom’s Toronto manufacturing facility significantly improves Webcom’s capacity to support book publishers with cost-competitive, responsive service for hardcover books in quantities ranging from book of one to thousands of copies,” said Mike Collinge, President and CEO of Webcom. “This acquisition will augment Webcom’s current POD, ASR, digital inkjet and softcover production capabilities, supporting Canadian and global book publishers with an efficient, full-service North American book manufacturing and distribution hub.”
New capabilities will allow Webcom to meet the high-quality standards for NASTA-compliant educational titles, library bookbinding and a wide range of elaborate casebound book formats. The addition of York Bookbinders’ skilled hardcover book operators, customer base and modern binding equipment also aligns with Webcom’s goal of full-service manufacturing support of global and mid-sized publisher needs. “York Bookbinders’ current customer base of Canadian trade printers, brokers and agencies mirrors Webcom’s Coatings Canada Division customer base,” Collinge added. “It’s an opportunity to improve our competitiveness and create compelling product offerings for our trade customers by combining coating finishing and bindery services.” The management of both companies is currently developing a 6-month transition plan to consolidate equipment and operations at Webcom’s plant.
Webcom is a leading Canadian book manufacturer that’s been serving global and independent publishers for over 40 years, offering print solutions to address the challenges of high inventory and high production costs. Print solutions are integrated through its automated workflow technology and leading-edge digital inkjet web presses, conventional offset presses, and the latest bindery systems.
Webcom adds 7.5 million hardcover books per year to its manufacturing capacity with acquisition of York Bookbinders
