From Big Picture Magazine….

Feb 5, 2021 – Cushing & Co., a printing company specializing in wide format display graphics, today announced the launch of Sepia Studio, an in-house creative division. Established to address customer requests for a full-service graphic design and print experience, Sepia Studio has already been hired to complete several projects.

Establishing Sepia Studio addresses evolving client needs and market demand. Cushing began serving the Chicago market in October 1929, printing blueprints for architects, engineers, and construction firms. Pivoting to color graphic imaging two decades ago, projects have grown in complexity, and many require graphic design consultation.

“New businesses and our existing clientele increasingly expect an all-inclusive print and design experience,” said Joseph X. Cushing, Executive Vice President at Cushing. “Offering creative services cements our commitment to address their needs.”

Link to full article on Big Picture:

https://bigpicture.net/press-release/cushing-launches-sepia-studio-provide-graphic-design-services?oly_enc_id=9453B9066134H7T

Blog Publisher’s Comments:

Cushing began serving the Chicago market in October 1929.

Repeat, Cushing began serving the Chicago market in October 1929.

A 92 year-old imaging company, a well-established, and very well-respected leader in the Chicago imaging services marketplace, has established a “graphic design services” division.

That speaks miles as to how the graphic imaging services industry is changing.

FOUND ON LINKEDIN:

Vince Pingel• 1stGeneral Manager, National AIM Operations at ARC Document Solutions1w • 1 week ago

 

Find out how the fourth-largest school district in Texas kept historical building documents alive with document conversion and archiving services from ARC. I am very proud of my team in Houston for the completion of this successful project. 

 

Read More: https://bit.ly/3aePKOu

TITLE: Reproduction services

SOLICITATION AWARDED

 

Procurement

Section

 

Fire Department (FDNY)

Agency Name

 

ARC Document Solutions

Vendor Information

 

Services (other than human services)

Category

 

Request for Proposals

Selection Method

 

2/10/2021

Publication Date

 

Award

Notice Type

 

$5,985,270.00

Contract Amount

PIN#057200000479

 

Blog Publisher’s Comments:

 

It is my understanding that this procurement was for on-site and off-site copying, duplicating, reprographics services and that the procurement includes a “staffed” on-site service.  It is my further understanding that BluEdge had this deal for at least two contract periods.  Note the size of the contract award (that, of course, is an estimated amount.)  This procurement is an example of why it is never a good idea to ignore opportunities to do business in the government sector.

CORRECTION ON Feb 16, 2021:  Well, it was Xerox Corp who had been the incumbent vendor, not BluEdge.

“Builders say it (3D printing) will cut housing construction costs.”

 

“You’ve probably heard of 3D printed face masks and even 3D printed hands, as 3D printing technology has expanded over the past few decades. 

Now a company says it has listed the first 3D printed house in the United States for sale. The Riverhead, New York, home is listed online through Zillow with an asking price of $299,999. 

 

“This is the future, there is no doubt about it,” says Kirk Andersen, the director of operations at SQ4D Inc.””

 

Link to article on CNN:

 

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/07/us/3d-printed-house-united-states-for-sale-trnd/index.html

 

How a 70-Year-Old Swedish Company Uses Xerox to Create the Future of Print and Digital Marketing

For­ Arkitektkopia, headquarted in Stockholm, Sweden, the answer is to embrace the latest printing and automation software technologies provided by Xerox. It uses 12 printers and automation to produce between 680,000 and 1 million pages per week for some of its more than 6,000 different customers across architecture, education, finance, retail and more.

“In particular, Arkitektkopia uses its Xerox^®Baltoro™ HF Inkjet Press to produce crisp, vivid color prints, quickly, in any conceivable number of copies for larger or smaller jobs, and far more economically than it would cost to print on a higher-end offset printer, with similar quality,” says Arkitektkopia’s CEO Gunnar Duintjer.

 

LINK TO FULL ARTICLE:

https://www.xerox.com/pt-ao/digital-printing/insights/arkitektkopia-case-study

 

LINK TO ARKITEKTKOPIA’S WEB-SITE: (It’s in Swedish; use Google Translate to read in English)

Arkitektkopia

 

LINK TO INFO ABOUT XEROX’S BALTORO PRESS:

Xerox^®Baltoro™ HF Inkjet Press 

 

 

Blog Publisher’s Comment:

 

Even though I could not find a date on Xerox’s article about Arkitektkopia, I do think this article is very recent article, and I say that because the article says that Arkitektkopia is “70 years old.”  Arkitektkopia was founded in 1951, so, add 70 to that…. and that gets us to 2021.  I’ve never been to Sweden and I don’t recall ever having met Gunnar, the company’s CEO, but I am well acquainted with the Owner of Arkitektkopia, Ulf Grankvist, who is a wonderful guy.  A visit to Sweden is on my bucket list.

p.s. Arkitektkopia is the largest reprographics enterprise in Sweden

OBITUARY

Mark C. POPE III

DECEMBER 14, 1924 – MAY 28, 2019

Mark Cooper Pope III passed away on May 28, 2019. He was born in Washington DC on December 14, 1924, to Mark Cooper Pope Jr. and Nancy Braxton Pope. 

Mark was a decorated World War II veteran, a visionary entrepreneur and the founder of Graphics Industries, Inc., the first multi-state consolidator of printing companies in the country.He expanded the company from one Atlanta printer into a New York Stock Exchange listed company ranked among the ten highest volume printing operations in the United States.

After graduating from North Fulton High School, Mark enrolled in the University of North Carolina in September 1941, two months before World War II broke out. Having enlisted in the Navy Reserve Officers Training Corps, he was called to active duty and commissioned as a U.S. Navy Ensign in February 1944. He was assigned to the USS Haggard DD-555, a Fletcher class destroyer that took part in some of the largest and most significant battles in the Pacific.

After the war, he resumed his studies at UNC and graduated with a business degree in June 1947. He returned to Atlanta and started several small businesses, including a vending machine operation, frozen food delivery service and a restaurant.

In 1949, he joined Williams Printing Company, a one man printing shop founded in 1922 by his father-in-law, Jesse R. Williams. After the death of Jesse Williams in 1955, Mark became president and for the next decade built the business into a leading Atlanta printing company. In 1968 he organized Graphic Industries, Inc and led its expansion into 25 companies, which at that time was the nation’s largest network of high quality printing companies. For his outstanding contributions to the industry, he was presented the Ben Franklin Award from the Printing Industry of Georgia in 1981 and was elected to the printing Impressions National Hall of Fame in 1992.

Mark was co-author of “Mark Anthony Cooper”, a biography of his great, great grandfather and “Aboard the USS Haggard DD-555in World War II”, an account of his wartime service.

In addition to his executive roles with Graphic Industries, Inc., Mark was a member of the Board of Directors of the Alpharetta Community Bank and the Buckhead Community Bank. He was a member of the Atlanta Rotary Club, a founding member of the Buckhead coalition and member of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation in Atlanta. He loved the University of North Carolina and enjoyed taking his children and grandchildren to football and basketball games. He was a member of the Peachtree Golf Club, Piedmont Driving Club, Capital City Club, Ocean Forest Club, Cherokee Town and Country Club and Homosassa Fishing Club. He was also a long time coach for Buckhead Baseball.

Blog Publisher’s comment:

 

I don’t know how I managed to miss the passing of this awesome gentleman.  I’m very sorry for the very belated notice of his passing.  Mark C Pope, III (affectionately known as MCP3) was the Chairman & CEO of Graphic Industries, one of the world’s largest printing enterprises.

 

MCP3 was a true southern gentleman.  A wonderful, brilliant, inspirational person.  I had the good fortune, and privilege, to meet MCP3 back around 1984.  One of the companies MCP3 owned was Atlanta Blueprint (which in later years was became known as Imaging Technologies.)  I actually met Mark Pope before I met Carter, his son.   When MCP3 sold Graphic Industries to a larger enterprise, that sale did not include Imaging Technologies.  Graphic Industries sold Imaging Technologies to MCP3’s son, Carter Pope.  Carter later sold Imaging Technologies to ARC Document Solutions. 

For those of you who know Dan Stephens, the former owner of Georgia Blue Imaging(formerly Georgia Blueprint) (Georgia Blue Imaging was acquired by ARC a number of years ago), please join me in wishing Dan lots of luck and success with Cherokee Estates, his real estate development project in NW Georgia.  (Yes, Dan is in the real estate development business.)

 

Here’s a link to the Cherokee Estates web-site:

 

https://www.cherokeeestatesga.com

 

Promoted as the only gated community in Polk County, GA, Cherokee Estates is located just outside of Cedartown, GA, a lovely small town.  Total of 40 lots.  Buy a lot and have them build a home for you, or hire your own builder. Lot prices begin at less than $30,000. Buy with confidence; the owner of this development, Dan Stephens, is a person of the highest integrity.

 

As an added plus(?), if you become a full-time resident at Cherokee Estates, you will be a resident of Georgia’s 14^thCongressional District….. and your Representative in the U.S. Congress will be none other than (IDI0T) Marjorie Taylor Greene, or, as some refer to her, Congressperson Q’Anon. Makes for interesting dinner conversations.

LINK TO POST BY MR. ART POST, PUBLISHER OF P4P HOTEL, THE COPIER/PRINTER INDUSTRY’S LEADING BLOG….

https://www.p4photel.com/blog/top-ten-copier-and-imaging-industry-predictions-for-2021

(Note:  I posted my comments on Art’s predictions in the comment section on Art’s blog)

 

Links:

 

https://www.p4photel.com/topic/applied-imaging-acquires-managed-print-services-company

 

https://www.appliedimaging.com/about-us

……but OD says it’s open to other types of ventures

PUBLISHED TUE, JAN 19 20218:45 AM EST, UPDATED TUE, JAN 19 202112:30 PM EST

 

Melissa Repko@MELISSA_REPKO

 

KEY POINTS

 

• Office Depot rejected a takeover attempt by office supply rival Staples, according to a letter between company executives.
• In the letter, the chairman of the board for the parent company of Office Depot said they would be open to another deal that draws less scrutiny from antitrust regulators.
• It’s the third attempt by Staples to acquire Office Depot.

Link to article on CNBC:

 

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/19/office-depot-rejects-takeover-offer-from-rival-staples-wsj-reports.html