Clancy . . . overflow . . . the best bits . . . funnies

Yes, it is a drawing, but the building it represents will open for operations in April. Those of you who remember CPI’s previous high-tech venture into Sydney warehousing at Wetherill Park – a colossal automated ‘dark’ mausoleum – will immediately recognise a move towards pragmatism in the new 19,000m2 purpose built site. Located at Greystanes with direct access to the M4 motorway, the complex will, in press release terms, adopt modern warehousing management systems, maintain current conversion facilities and include an expanded ink division offering high quality mixing, matching and laboratory capabilities.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


US analysts are poring over the entrails of the Kodak acquisition of Creo, speculating on its effects and the likely problems of integrating the maverick technology company into the Graphic Communication Division. One highly placed source spoke of unhappiness in Xerox with its promotion of Creo’s Spire DFE for its DocuColor products, now that Creo is in the same stable as digital press competitor NexPress.

Creo long enjoyed an across the industry relationship with different OEMs because of its independence. Not any more.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Where it begins, Clancy can’t, with respect to Neill Diamond, even begin to notice, but being aware of the dislocation abroad in the industry he nominates the Said Sydney Harbour Cruise as a possible beginning.

The people from Said Studio, along with AGDA, are going Creatively Cruising on Sydney Harbour in the cause of communication and community. Yes, it’s about networking but it could be fun. Thursday 24th February
Darling Harbour (King Street Wharf) 6.45 for 7.00pm Departure.
Bookings Robyn : secretariat@agda.com.au

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Here’s a go for our inplant friends (NIPPA people especially). When mega Texas financial institution A&M recently closed its inplant printing department in favour of outsourcing Jimmy Stewart, mail/print services manager, Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, wrote these words to OnDemand;

"Very short-sighted of those who make such decisions. It will always end up costing A&M more in dollars and a drop in the service. A&M printing employees have the interest of the university as their goal; any outside company has only the profit interest in mind and will drop service after the 'honeymoon' stage and prices will begin the upward move."

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

While most of the industry’s attention is fixed on offset printing plate production, there comes news that the Swiss-based Gallus Group is spending 12 million francs to upgrade its production of narrow web screen-printing plates. It is moving its production of the electrolytic coating process under the roof of Huber+Suhner, a leading international manufacturer of systems for electrical and optical connectivity. Both groups have synergies in surface finishing processes and the move will provide security for label printers using screen-printing methods.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


Paper company Stora enzo is moving downstream with its digital printing venture. It has developed an automated printing, production and filling line for packaging CDs and DVDs using a Xeikon digital engine. The company sees internet commerce as a huge market in the future and is positioning itself to supply mailing packages to fulfil online commercial delivery.

The first fulfilment line is going into Belgium to the De Coker company, which will start its DBS production in March 200. Stora Enso Digital Solutions was established at the end of 2004 to conduct sales, marketing and development of total packaging solutions using Xeikon digital printing.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

And finally . . . welcome back Astrid, who is the only acceptable source of blonde jokes. Although not necessarily blonde, the following has all the satisfactorily feminine Astrid flavour.


A young woman (blonde) on a years training course in South Africa recently received a Dear John letter from her boyfriend back home. It read as follows:

Dear Mary,

I can no longer continue our relationship. The distance between us is just too great. I must admit that I have cheated on you twice since you've been gone, and it’s not fair on either of us. I'm sorry. Please return the picture of me that I sent to you.

Love,

John.

Mary, with hurt feelings, asked her colleagues for any snapshots they could spare of their boyfriends, brothers, ex-boyfriends, uncles, cousins etc. In addition to the picture of John, Mary included all the other pictures of the lads she had collected from her buddies. There were 57 photos in that envelope. . . along with this note:

Dear John,

I'm so sorry, but I can't quite remember who the hell you are. Please take your picture from this pile and send the rest back to me.

Take Care,

Mary.