Marquis Book Printing (Montmagny, Quebec) has announced that it’s acquired Webcom Incorporated of Toronto, another book printing giant. The purchase cost was not revealed at press time. This blockbuster transaction will create an annual production capacity of over 100 million books produced in three state-of-the-art printing plants. The companies added that their “combined strengths will help book publishers successfully navigate changing supply chain dynamics with POD, automatic stock replenishment, and complete life-of-title management solutions. For publishers in North America and Europe, this joining of forces means access to an impressive array of latest-generation inkjet presses for short-run book printing. It also means that the Marquis team of technological innovation and high-quality book production specialists will grow from 400 to 600 employees.
“This acquisition attests to our confidence in the future of printed books,” said Serge Loubier, Marquis President and CEO. “It’ll help us better handle the new challenges of the publishing and book printing industry, which is undergoing a transformation. It’s a new strategic milestone on our road map to making Marquis a leading book printer in North America.”
“I’m thrilled about our new journey together,” said Mike Collinge, President and CEO of Webcom. “The two companies complement each other perfectly. Marquis’ leadership serving trade publishers dovetails well with Webcom’s digital inkjet leadership supporting educational and professional reference publishers.”
The acquisition comes after Marquis’ partnership agreement with U.S. firm EPAC announced in June, which involved a $9 million investment to install three inkjet production lines at Marquis’ Montmagny plant, one of which is already in operation. “Beyond advancements in production, our main priority is to maintain a strong relationship with our customers and to supply them with their books as quickly as possible,” Loubier added.
