Transcontinental Inc.

Distribution in the Digital Age
June 1, 2008

Observed from 30,000 feet, the modern system for delivering manufactured goods appears little changed from what it was 30, 40, 50 years ago—trucks roll, trains rumble, ships ply the harbors and canals. Only a closer view reveals the logistical revolution made possible by rolling stock, just-in-time ordering and outsourced production. Similarly, the average consumer picking up the latest best-seller at their local bookstore is unaware of how book distribution models are changing. While the book they hold in their hands may adhere to the old “print-and-deliver” model, for instance, the one next to it may have been “deliver and print,” as in large distributors

Books Bound for Greatness
May 1, 2008

Printers generally like to talk about investments they’ve made in print technologies—offset or digital. Perhaps that’s because it suggests they’re doing well and that they’re investing in their customers’ businesses. Besides, talking about a slick, new machine that requires little to no makeready time and gets up to color with minimal effort is sexy. Well, comparatively speaking. The clunkier “back-office” equipment found in the typical finishing department is perhaps not as provocative, but talk to most any book printer or trade binder, and they’ll likely confide that the bindery machines are the real workhorses. Indeed, investing in the bindery is just as important

INTERQUEST & Book Business magazine Announce Impressive Speaker Line-up for 2008 Digital Book Printing Forum
February 15, 2008

Charlottesville, Va. (February 15, 2008)–—INTERQUEST, a leading market and technology research and consulting firm serving the digital printing and publishing industry, and Book Business magazine, the leading trade publication for book printing and publishing as well as producer of the Publishing Business Conference and Expo, today announced an impressive and wide-ranging line-up of speakers for the Digital Book Printing Forum, which will be held Tuesday, March 11, 2008, during the annual Publishing Business Conference and Expo at the New York Marriott Marquis Hilton in midtown Manhattan. According to INTERQUEST Director Toby Cobrin, “These speakers bring hands-on expertise and insight into all aspects of digital

Editor’s Note: Digital Book Printing Forum Speakers Announced
February 15, 2008

INTERQUEST, a market and technology research and consulting firm serving the digital printing and publishing industry, today announced an impressive line-up of speakers for the Digital Book Printing Forum, which will be held Tuesday, March 11, 2008, during the annual Publishing Business Conference & Expo (produced by Book Business and Publishing Executive magazines) at the New York Marriott Marquis in midtown Manhattan. The Forum Keynote will be delivered by Thomas Willshire, vice president of sales and marketing for the New York office of Continuum International Publishing Group. Continuum, which incorporates digital strategies into its traditional publishing model, is a fast-growing academic, religious

34 Cost-Cutting and Time-Saving Production Tips
December 1, 2007

Publishers looking to cut costs and production time face a wealth of challenges, not the least of which is shaking off old conceptions. Putting the focus on content, rather than on books as manufactured objects, can paradoxically help to uncover new ways to speed up the workflow (or, more accurately, customize the workflow to meet the needs of individual projects), and do so in as cost-effective a manner as possible. Common themes among those who shared with Book Business their cost- and time-saving production tips are planning and adaptability, which depend on effective communication. Despite all the technological advances of recent years (and

How Thomson Nelson Cut Production Workflow by 50 Percent
June 15, 2007

Thomson Nelson, Canada’s leading educational publisher, recently partnered with Transcontinental Printing to utilize the company’s Job Assistant module. The module is a Web-based, self-service, title-management premedia solution designed for an automated prepress workflow that allows electronic file transmission and soft proofing [online approval]) through its Digital Workshop software suite. The result has been Thomson Nelson cutting its production time by approximately 50 percent. Book Business Extra spoke with Marnie Benedict, director of composition and prepress technology, Thomson Nelson, and Denis Beaudin, business development manager, Transcontinental Printing, about the partnership and how other publishers can learn from their success. EXTRA: How did your company

Supply Chain Management
June 1, 2007

When it comes to improving the supply chain function in book publishing, the watchword is communication—between various components of the chain, and especially between manufacturing, distribution and retail. Saying this, however, is not saying nearly enough, as the quality of information and the way it’s used matter just as much as making the right connections. “Communication is the No. 1 supply chain issue,” says Rich Eby, director of inbound distribution at Thomson Learning, the Stamford, Conn.-based provider of educational, training and reference books for academic and corporate customers. For Thomson, that means anticipating shipments from manufacturers around the world for distribution in the

Transcontinental Offers 100-Percent Recycled Paper at Price Parity
April 6, 2007

Transcontinental Printing’s Book Group, part of Transcontinental Printing, Canada’s largest printer and the sixth largest printer in North America, circulated a marketing brochure to book publishers this week to promote its latest offering: a new paper made from 100-percent post-consumer recycled material. This marks the first time recycled papers are available from Transcontinental at price parity. The environmentally friendly option, known as “Enviro 100 trade,” can be used by trade publishers short through long runs, or in specialty publications. According to Transcontinental using environmentally friendly options no longer means you have to sacrifice quality and pay top dollar. Until recently these environmentally friendly choices

Pick a Cover, Any Cover
March 1, 2007

Choosing a cover-material supplier or deciding to switch to a new provider can seem like a game that we don’t know how to play. Knowing what materials are available and which would work best for the look and feel you are trying to achieve for your next book project can be tricky ... and even risky. A bad decision can break a book—after all, aren’t books judged by their covers? Fortunately, representatives at most cover-material companies are available to walk you through the process helping you discover what qualities and features are most important for your needs. “So many questions have to be

Transcontinental Posts Fourth-Quarter Profit
December 15, 2006

A favorable tax adjustment helped Transcontinental, one of North America’s largest printers, post higher-than-expected profits this week. The Montreal-based company reported its fourth-quarter profits rose 16 percent to C$51.6 million ($44.5 million U.S.) because of the positive impact of a C$15.1-million “unusual favorable” income tax adjustment. Revenue for the company was C$583.1 million for its fourth quarter, down slightly from C$539.9 posted for the same quarter a year before. For the overall fiscal year 2006, Transcontinental’s revenue was flat at $2.19 billion. “Our results for fiscal 2006 are in line with our annual objective,” said Luc Desjardins, president and chief executive officer of Transcontinental. “We executed strongly, controlling