Trade shows, trade agreements and acquisitions make headlines
With two major industry trade shows in the rear-view mirror, we’re finally getting back to normal – almost! The Sign Association of Canada’s Sign Expo Canada Sept. 21-22 at the International Centre in Mississauga saw steady traffic during its entire two days. Booths were busy and I was happy to see many new and familiar faces. We’ve got a photo wrap-up on pages 22 and 23. We also attended the Print 18 trade show Sept. 30-Oct. 2 in Chicago. The crowds were large and steady, and exhibitors seemed busy every minute showcasing their products and technology. Bestselling author Seth Godin also gave an insightful talk about today’s new ways of marketing to kick off the event.
Several major OEMs participated—including Ricoh, Canon, KBA, MGI, Xerox, Konica Minolta, C.P. Bourg, Kirk Rudy, etc.—as well as some major trade printers such as 4over. Print 18 also attracted many Canadian exhibitors including Printers Parts & Equipment, Verso Solutions (Oakville, ON), Ultimate TechnoGraphics, YUL Technologies, MPI Print and others. A special “thank you” to Standard Finishing for the excellent party they organized at Buddy Guy’s that attracted upwards of 500. Thanks also to Jim Schmidt, partner at Toronto’s Document Direction (Ricoh), for putting on another enjoyable post-show party. GAM will also be attending the SGIA Expo Oct. 18-20 in Las Vegas. And we’ll have wrap-ups of both Print 18 and the SGIA for you in the November issue.
In other news, Canada finally inked a new trade agreement with the US and Mexico. I’m calling it NAFTA 2 – not USMCA. Finally, I’d like to congratulate Serge Loubier, president of Quebec’s Marquis Book Printing, who acquired Webcom of Toronto, another book-printing giant, to become Canada’s largest book manufacturer. This blockbuster transaction will create an annual production capacity of over 100 million books produced in three printing plants. Congratulations also to Manoj Sheth, owner of trade-only Sherwood Printers in Mississauga, Ontario, who purchased the Printer Gateway building (Mississauga), and the majority of its printing assets. We wish him success moving forward.
As always, stay positive and stay focused.