Walsworth Publishing Co.

Though the deal has yet to be finalized, Marceline, MO-based Walsworth Publishing has tentatively agreed to buy magazine and journal printer Ovid Bell Press of Fulton, MO for an undisclosed sum.

Walsworth marketing and communications VP Alex Blackwell, told PrintWeek, "We’ve entered into an agreement to purchase Ovid Bell, but the acquisition has not gone through. The estimated close date is December 31 of this year."

Blackwell said he could not comment on how Ovid Bell will be integrated into Walsworth until the deal was completed."

To survive and thrive as the book industry's digital revolution pushes forward, and as better inventory management drives the shift toward smaller print runs, the smarter printers are doing everything they can to ensure they'll be a part of that ongoing transformation. This includes incorporating newer technologies with an ever sharper focus on customer support and service. Book Business spoke with executives from Quad/Graphics, BookMasters, Sheridan Books, Walsworth and Thomson-Shore, and asked about their outlooks for their businesses. The general consensus: They're ready for what the next year (and the years to come) have in store for them.

Commercial book printer Walsworth Publishing Co., Marceline, Mo., has acquired the assets of Webco Printing, Omaha, Neb., to expand its services to the catalog, educational testing and government printing markets, using Webco's web presses, high-speed binding and mailing equipment. Walsworth will keep the Webco operation in Omaha, Neb., and has retained some former Webco employees to ensure the quality and integrity of product produced on the purchased equipment. In addition to expanding its presence in the four markets, Walsworth will produce four-color books and educational material to help balance the product mix at the Omaha facility. www.Walsworth.com

Commercial book printer Walsworth Publishing Co., Marceline, Mo., has acquired the assets of Webco Printing, Omaha, Neb., to expand its services to the catalog, educational testing and government printing markets, using Webco's web presses, high-speed binding and mailing equipment. Walsworth will keep the Webco operation in Omaha, Neb., and has retained some former Webco employees to ensure the quality and integrity of product produced on the purchased equipment. In addition to expanding its presence in the four markets, Walsworth will produce four-color books and educational material to help balance the product mix at the Omaha facility. www.Walsworth.com

In compiling the Top 30 Book Manufacturers for our print issue (May/June), some privately held companies, whose revenues may have qualified them to be ranked, chose not to participate. In order to recognize all the book manufacturers surveyed for the ranking, BookTech editors compiled this alphabetical listing. Ambrose Printing, Nashville, Tenn. Alcom Printing Group, Harleysville, Pa. Balmar Inc., Falls Church, Va. Banta Corp., Menasha, Wis. Bertelsmann Arvato, New York Bolger Concept to Print, Minneapolis Burton & Mayer, Brookfield, Wis. Cadmus Communications, Richmond, Va. Carter Printing, Richmond, Va. Cavanaugh Press, Baltimore Cedar Graphics, Hiawatha, Iowa CJK, Cincinnati Commercial Communications, Hartland, Wis. Courier Corp., N. Chelmsford, Mass. Dickinson Press, Grand Rapids, Mich. Dollco Printing, Ottawa Dome Printing, Sacramento, Calif. Edwards Brothers, Ann Arbor, Mich. EP

With his slight build, round rims and British accent, Harry Potter, the international star of the children's literati, has already inspired comparisons to beloved book characters including The Little Prince and Mathilda. Magical and quirky, the Potter series is reputed to be among the bestselling publishing cross-over hits ever with 55 million prints and counting in circulation in the U.S. alone. But what sets Potter apart from the pack is not so much the creativity of J.K. Rowling, but rather, the bite that the traditional print book series takes out of the multi-media world: toys, gadgets and a Hollywood movie replete with special effects

1. R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company is the leading North American book printer. The company's book operations provide a full range of integrated service solutions to help book publishers deliver communications to their customers. With seven book operations across the nation, R.R. Donnelley provides services such as * hardcover and softcover book manufacturing using web-offset, sheetfed-offset and digital printing technology; * conventional and digital prepress operations, including composition and page makeup; * custom publishing and print on demand; * packaging design and assembly; and * online services, in which customers' digital information is converted into Web-ready formats. 2. Quebecor World is the largest commercial

by Tatyana Sinioukov What is truly negotiable in terms of print contracts? Almost anything, according to Barbara Hagen, senior product specialist, C.J. Krehbiel, Cincinnati, OH, who spoke on the subject at the BookTech West session titled "The Clever Negotiator: Everyone Wins" session. Book publishers, she continued, just have to know how to better negotiate with vendors about a job. Hagen gave her audience a few pointers on perfecting their bargaining skills * Pick the right vendor for the right project. Make sure your vendors can provide all necessary services in house, Hagen suggested. If your cover is four-color, or, say, requires lamination, the vendor should be able