Print and finishing solutions company GBC has announced its move back into the New Zealand market under its own banner.

IPMG has entered into an agreement with digital marketing group BlueFreeway hoping to acquire all the ordinary shares of BlueFreeway, which it does not already own. IPMG currently controls 73 per cent of the marketing group and has offered $0.04 per share for the additional 27 per cent.

Web offset manufacturer Goss is planning to merge its two French manufacturing sites into one, moving out of its Nantes plant to consolidate the operation in to the Montataire site.

Web offset manufacturer Goss is planning to merge its two French manufacturing sites into one, moving out of its Nantes plant to consolidate the operation in to the Montataire site.

Switzerland-based identification technologies company Bluehill ID has acquired Australian identification management company Fastcards, who provides ID and RFID solutions to government, mining and the industrial sector throughout Australia. Fastcards’ RFID and web solutions will now be sold internationally through the Bluehill Group.

PaperlinX will sell its Australian manufacturing business, Australian Paper, to Japanese-based Nippon Paper for $700m, with the sale expected to be completed by mid 2009. However the deal will exclude Australian Paper's two Tasmanian mills at Burnie and Wesley Vale, with the company to decide their fate following a review over the next few months.

PaperlinX will sell its Australian manufacturing business, Australian Paper, to Japanese-based Nippon Paper for $700m, with the sale expected to be completed by mid 2009. However the deal will exclude Australian Paper's two Tasmanian mills at Burnie and Wesley Vale, with the company to decide their fate following a review over the next few months.

Packaging film manufacturer Cosmo Films is set to purchase the GBC commercial laminating business from US-based ACCO Brands. The acquisition, which is expected to close late in the second quarter of 2009, is subject to certain conditions precedent to closing including regulatory approvals. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Colourbox, the large format digital printing company in Albany on Auckland’s North Shore, which recently purchased the assets and patents of long established Albany roll panel designer and manufacturer Versamount, intends extending its products offerings in more areas of primtimg and packaging.

Colourbox, the large format digital printing company in Albany on Auckland’s North Shore, has purchased the assets and patents of long established roll panel designer and manufacturer Versamount, also of Albany.

OPUS Print Group has made a strategic move into the offset market with the acquisition of two Canberra based print companies, CanPrint Communications (CanPrint) and Union Offset Printers (Union Offset). The group says the move extends its business into government printing – adding to its existing divisions of Short-Medium Run Book Printing and Out of Home Printing.

Blue Star will close the McMillan Print Group’s Granville facility as part of a consolidation of its Sydney sheetfed capabilities into a single location at Silverwater. Blue Star bought McMillan Print Group from well know industry identity Bob McMillan in 2007.

Rotoflex International, the supplier of web inspection and finishing equipment has been acquired by MAI Holdings, an international supplier of the packaging and printing industry for an undiclosed amount. Rotoflex is represented in Australia and New Zealand by Aldus Engineering.

Rotoflex International, the supplier of web inspection and finishing equipment has been acquired by MAI Holdings, an international supplier of the packaging and printing industry for an undisclosed amount.

Rotoflex International, the supplier of web inspection and finishing equipment has been acquired by MAI Holdings, an international supplier of the packaging and printing industry for an undisclosed amount. Rotoflex is represented in Australia and New Zealand by Aldus Engineering.

Flint Group, printing and packaging supplier, and Unirep, a supplier to the Turkish paper and packaging industry, have established a joint venture in Turkey. The joint venture, Flint−Unirep Packaging Inks based in Istanbul, has been formed to serve the local packaging market, according to Flint Group.

CPI is looking at merging its two big fine paper businesses, CPI Paper and Edwards Dunlop Fine Paper, as the uncertain economic situation looks set to continue into the new year.

Roland DG and Aarque Graphics have entered into a partnership, looking to enhance their capabilities and competitiveness in the wide-format digital print market.

Print services company Polestar has formed an alliance with Tokyo-based printing group, Vanfu. Polestar says the alliance, which will cover the Asian and European print production markets, centres around Polestar’s print management and technology, as Vanfu develops its own print management business, Synergy Communications.

Sydney printer Kerim El Gabaili has announced the formation of an offset printing hub, which is expected to be up and running by March 2009. Kerim El Gabaili, CEO of Prografica and Co-ordinator of the new hub says by collaborating with other companies a printer can slash its overheads while retaining its identity and be using the latest equipment.

Korean business group Doosan Corporation has announced that it has executed an agreement with MBK Partners, one of the largest private equity fund managing companies in Korea, to sell 100 per cent of its stake in the packaging business Techpack.

Korean business group Doosan Corporation has announced that it has executed an agreement with MBK Partners, one of the largest private equity fund managing companies in Korea, to sell 100 per cent of its stake in the packaging business Techpack.

In a move to strengthen its position in the wide format printing market EFI has acquired US company Raster Printers, which manufactures the Daytona range of environmentally-friendly UV wide format printers.

Finishing and mailing solutions company GBC Australia has been appointed Australian distributer for digital press and finishing technology manufacturer MGI. The agreement will include all of MGI’s products, which will be on display in GBC’s Melbourne and Sydney showrooms.

Japanese beverage giant Suntory is set to buy Frucor, the beverage subsidiary of French company Groupe Danone, based in New Zealand and Australia for more than $1bn.

Graphic Packaging’s Japanese subsidiary has signed an agreement with Hung Hing Printing Group to jointly invest in an integrated paperboard packaging business in China.

Knox Print Media has changed its name and branding to Opus Print Group, with CEO Cliff Brigstocke telling Australian Printer that the company is now actively looking for further acquisitions to strengthen its print portfolio.

Dragon International Group, Chinese manufacturer of specialty paper products and packaging materials has increased its revenues for the three quarters of 2008 financial year to $33.28m compared with $13.32m in the same period last year.

Alcan Global Pharmaceutical Packaging, a division of Alcan Packaging has acquired the Chakan flexible packaging plant from Associated Capsules Private in India. Alcan says the Chakan operations will both expand Alcan Packaging's geographic footprint and strengthen the organisation's strategic presence in the Indian pharmaceutical market.

M-real has signed an agreement to sell its graphic papers business area to South African manufacturer Sappi for an enterprise value of Euro750m. The transaction consideration consists of Euro500m in cash and assumed debt, EUR 200 million vendor loan note from Sappi to M-real and Euro50m of newly issued shares in Sappi.