FRONTLINE: Deal or No Deal

Joint ventures and cooperative partners are proliferating in the supply chain. Hamada Printing Press will sell Screen's (USA) TruePress 344 direct imaging press through its U.S. and Canadian dealer network. The TruePress (shown) is a 4-color DI press that prints traditional wet offset.

Graphic arts distributor Pitman Company announced it will sell Kodak NexPress digital production color presses and Kodak Digimaster digital production systems in the U.S. The company also expanded its offering of Presstek presses, adding the 34DI and 52DI to its production line.

Presstek announced that La Crosse Litho Supply will distribute, service and support its chemistry-free DI digital offset and CTP product lines in the upper Midwest.

Agfa Graphics announced a partnership with Technique Group to provide an integrated prepress, project management, MIS workflow. The result, say the companies, will be a JDF/JMF-based solution offering complete job automation and control, from job creation to delivery of the final product.

Offset pressmaker KBA and xpedx formed a joint marketing agreement where KBA will use printing papers from xpedx and include xpedx products in its press demonstration, education and training seminars.

“This alliance will benefit printers because they can see how specific papers perform on KBA presses,” says Eric Frank, marketing VP of KBA. “Printers will also get up-to-date information on technical and environmental issues surrounding paper and learn about new paper innovations that can help their business grow.”

KBA also signed an exclusive distribution deal with Vegra to provide its line of fountain solutions, coatings, washes and varnishes in the U.S. and Canada with Vegra.

www.agfa.com, www.hamada.co.jp, www.screenusa.com, www.kba-usa.com, www.presstek.com, www.lacrosselitho.com, www.xpedx.com, www.pitmanco.com, www.technique-group.com, www.vegra.com