Canadian Printer Eyes U.S. Market

by Jim Milliot -- Publishers Weekly, 6/12/2006

The American book printing market, though doing better in recent years due in part to higher textbook sales, remains a challenging business. That's not stopping one of Canada's largest printers, Transcontinental Printers, from looking to establish a larger presence in the U.S. "We think there is opportunity for growth in the U.S." said Denis Beaudin, director of strategic business development for the company's book group. Part of the reason for the interest in expanding in the U.S., Beaudin acknowledged, is that with sales of more than C$2 billion, "there's not much room for growth in Canada."

Formed only in 1976, Transcontinental has been able to become a force in printing through acquisitions, and the purchase of an American-based book printer is a top priority for the company. "We're looking for a company that can give us brand recognition," Beaudin said. In the past, the company has made U.S. acquisitions in commercial printing and direct marketing.

Currently, the book group is a small part of Transcontinental's overall business, accounting for C$180 million in sales, but Beaudin is planning to expand in the educational, trade and religious segments. To meet the needs of its customers, existing and potential, Transcontinental has added more color capacity and invested heavily in pre-press technology in order to reduce production time. Beaudin is keenly aware that if North American printers are to compete with low-price overseas companies, the biggest incentive they can offer is speed to market. And similar to other printers, the company is expanding its digital printing capabilities, offering print-on-demand services to "cater to the life cycle of a book," Beaudin said. Transcontinental is not letting the tough competition in U.S. printing impede his plans. "We're optimistic about printing's future," he said.