Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Ennis reports financial results, announces an acquisition and moves U.S. jobs outside of the U.S.

Two different recent Press Releases from Ennis are reprinted in this blog post. One deals with Ennis’ recently reported financial results; the other one announces Ennis’ acquisition of Printgraphics.

I would not normally post on Reprographics 101 financial results (or comments) about a company that’s not in the “reprographics” industry, but, in this case, I’ve done that, simply because of a comment Ennis’ CEO made in the financial results press release:

In the first press release reprinted below, Ennis’ CEO says, “The new manufacturing facility in Agua Prieta, MX is fully operational and all production has now been transitioned from our Anaheim, CA facility to this facility.” While that “transition” might be good for Ennis’ bottom line, that’s not a good sign for the U.S. job market. More U.S. jobs moving outside of the U.S.

Many years ago, early in my career in the reprographics business, we did operate an “offset printing” division (well, I should really call it a “department” rather than a “division.”) In conjunction with our offset printing business, we were a “reseller” of Ennis business forms. They were a great company to deal with – quick on quotes and fantastic on delivery of completed jobs.

Here are the two Press Releases:

“Ennis Reports Results for Three and Six Months End”

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Press release from the issuing company

Midlothian, - Ennis, Inc., today reported financial results for the three and six months ended August 31, 2011.



Financial Overview
For the quarter, consolidated net sales decreased by $12.6 million, or 8.8%, from $143.0 million for the quarter ended August 31, 2010 to $130.4 million for the quarter ended August 31, 2011. Print sales for the quarter were stable at $69.2 million, compared to $69.1 million for the same quarter last year. Due to unexpected softness in the market, Apparel sales for the quarter ended August 31, 2011 were $61.2 million, compared to $73.9 million for the same quarter last year, or a decrease of 17.2%. Overall gross profit margins ("margins") decreased from 27.8% to 26.1% for the quarters ended August 31, 2010 and August 31, 2011, respectively. Print margins increased during the period from 28.2% to 28.6%, while Apparel margins due to higher input costs decreased from 27.4% to 23.4%. Net earnings for the quarter decreased from $12.1 million, or 8.5% of sales, for the quarter ended August 31, 2010 to $9.7 million, or 7.4% of sales, for the quarter ended August 31, 2011. Diluted EPS decreased from $0.47 per share to $0.37 per share for the quarters ended August 31, 2010 and August 31, 2011, respectively.



For the six month period, net sales decreased from $283.8 million for the six months ended August 31, 2010 to $273.6 million for the six months ended August 31, 2011, or 3.6%. Print sales for the period again remained relatively stable at $136.3 million, compared to $136.9 million for the same period last year. Apparel sales for the period were $137.3 million, compared to $146.8 million for the same period last year, or a decrease of 6.5%. Overall margins decreased from 28.9% to 27.0% for the six months ended August 31, 2010 and 2011, respectively. Print margins decreased slightly during the period from 29.2% to 28.7%, while Apparel margins decreased from 28.5% to 25.3%, again due to higher raw material costs. Net earnings for the period, decreased from $25.2 million, or 8.9% of sales, for the six months ended August 31, 2010 to $21.1 million, or 7.7% of sales, for the six months ended August 31, 2011. Diluted earnings decreased from $0.97 per share to $0.81 per share for the six months ended August 31, 2010 and 2011, respectively.



The Company, during the quarter, generated $19.0 million in EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) compared to $22.2 million for the comparable quarter last year. For the six month period ended August 31, 2011, the Company generated $40.9 million of EBITDA during the period, compared to $46.0 million for the comparable period last year.



Keith Walters, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, commented by saying, "Overall the operational results for the quarter were as expected. Print continued to deliver steady revenue levels and operational results, while margins in our Apparel division were compressed some, due to higher raw material costs. Our Apparel raw material cost, on a comparable basis, was up approximately 50%, with continued increases expected over the next six months as the impact of the higher priced cotton makes its way through inventory. What wasn't expected was the softness in the market during the last quarter. Whether this is just a temporary situation or one we will have to manage for an extended period of time is unknown. As we indicated previously, manufacturers' ability to navigate through this period of higher cotton costs was dependent upon many factors, one being the continued economic recovery. The current softness in the marketplace will make this an even more challenging task for all concerned. The new manufacturing facility in Agua Prieta, MX is fully operational and all production has now been transitioned from our Anaheim, CA facility to this facility. So while many challenges have been negotiated to date, many challenges and uncertainties continue to mark the short term landscape. However, as always, we will remain vigilant to the task at hand."

“Printgraphics Acquired By Ennis”

Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Press release from the issuing company

Ennis, Inc. ("Ennis"), has acquired all of the stock of Printgraphics, Inc. as of October 1, 2011. Printgraphics has two locations, Vandalia, Ohio and Nevada, Iowa, both of which will continue producing their current products and services. Printgraphics has been a leading wholesale manufacturer of fully integrated document solutions for over 33 years and is now recognized as the 21st largest and 14th fastest growing company in our industry.

Paul Curry, President of Printgraphics, will continue in his role and noted, "We are extremely pleased to announce that Printgraphics has become part of the Ennis family of companies effective October 1, 2011. Ennis is one of the largest and most highly successful printing resellers in the industry. The acquisition of Printgraphics by Ennis will ensure the continued growth of the company into the future by allowing us to take advantage of their vast network of suppliers and economic strength."

"It is also important to note that our customers will essentially see no change in their daily interaction with Printgraphics. The Ennis business model will allow us to operate as an autonomous business unit. This means our name and all of the associates at Printgraphics that have earned your trust over our long history will continue to be here to serve you now and into the future."

Keith Walters, Chairman, President and CEO of Ennis also noted, "We are very happy to have Printgraphics join the Ennis organization. We are delighted to have Paul and his team continue to work with the Printgraphics customers and continue their fine tradition of quality products and service. As we have done with our other acquisitions, Printgraphics' customers will see no change in their daily interaction with Printgraphics."

Google Docs vs. FileApartment (and vs. other cloud storage services that are not free.)

The other day, I posted an e-mal I received, from ARC, about ishipdocs Version 2.0

Someone later visited Reprographics 101 and posted a comment; this comment indicating that a product called “fileapartment” would be another alternative (for file sharing.)

I visited this web-site:

https://www.fileapartment.com/

And, just one comment: To support Reprographics 101 (that’s this blog), I occasionally have the need to share “files” associated with various articles posted on this blog. I’ve been doing that by using “Google Docs”. The nice thing about “Google Docs” is that it is very simple to use and, even better, it’s free. So, I find myself wondering, “why would I want to pay to use fileapartment, when I can use Google Docs for free?” There is more to ishipdocs than just file sharing or file transmission – ishipdocs does link to a print-partner network. I can’t say the same thing about fileapartment.

Managed Print Services Association Sponsors Special Workshop for MPS Professionals

Whatever happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, except for the valuable information you learn about the MPS business!

Managed Print Services Association Sponsors Special Workshop for MPS Professionals

Tuesday, October 04, 2011

The Managed Print Services Association (MPSA) will sponsor the first small group MPS workshop January 16, 2012 in Las Vegas. This unique gathering follows the intimate format successfully used by the "no rules MPS" peer group meetings in 2011. Participants praised these previous workshops for their open forums and fresh, honest discussions. Now, through the sponsorship of the MPSA, the next workshop will be open to any active MPS professional with two or more years of experience and who engages with end-user clients on a daily basis.



Registration is free for members of the MPSA, "no rules MPS" and LeopardONE, and $149.00 per person for non-members.



Small Groups Allow More Personal Interaction



Networking is a powerful way to learn more about any craft, and this intimate workshop setting takes that interaction to a new level. The workshop is a true small group experience. The venue focuses on content, substance and discussion, without the distractions and scheduling commitments of a larger professional conference.



"The small group workshop format of the previous no rules MPS workshops received very positive feedback from attendees. Now MPSA is making this discussion-focused, peer-to-peer experience available to a broader community of MPS professionals. Participants are encouraged to 'come as they are' for a relaxed interactive, but intense experience," said MPSA President, Joe Barganier.



Based on Groups of 12



Each group will have 12 participants and an assigned leader who facilitates open discussions on pertinent topics chosen by attendees in advance of the event. The leader will summarize the best practices from the individual groups to be shared later with all participants and the MPSA membership.



Participation is limited to the first 120 qualified professionals, and all attendees must participate in the group sessions. There will be a maximum of eight one-hour sessions, each covering a separate topic. Beverages and light lunch will be provided. 



Requests to participate can be sent to Joe Barganier at buckeyefenn@att.net

MPS Workshop Details



Date: Monday, January 16, 2012


Location: Harrah's Las Vegas


Cost: Free for MPSA, "no rules MPS" and LeopardONE members;
 $149.00 per person for non-members


Meals: Beverages and a light lunch will be provided


Hotel: Special event rate of $69.00 per night at Harrah's Las Vegas


Deadlines: Participation cut-off is November 31, 2011 


Harrah's special event rate cut-off is December 12, 2011

Workshop topics: January 2, 2012

Spending On U.S. Construction Surges In August

I'm not sure that I'd characterize this result as a "surge", but, on the other hand, any increase is good news for reprographers.

-By Jeff Bater, Dow Jones Newswires; 202 862 9249; jeff.bater@dowjones.com

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Construction Spending Aug Jul ! Consensus: !

Overall Spending +1.4% -1.4%r ! -0.4% !

Residential +0.9% -3.3%r ! Actual: !

! +1.4% !

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WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- Spending on construction projects in the U.S. unexpectedly rose during August, according to a report showing a broad-based increase among builders despite the listless economy.

Construction spending climbed by 1.4% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $799.15 billion, the Commerce Department said Monday. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires had projected spending to drop by 0.4% in August.

The surprising surge, following a 1.4% tumble during July, was the third increase in four months.

Yet year over year, construction spending was only 0.9% higher than in August 2010. Builders are reluctant to start projects because the economy is weak. Home sales are near record lows, and municipal governments are grappling with budget shortfalls.

The report showed spending on U.S. residential projects rose 0.9% in August to $246.09 billion compared to the prior month, after falling sharply in July.

Spending in August for projects other than housing increased 1.6%, with outlays rising for roads, churches, and schools.

Private-sector spending on construction rose 0.4% to $510.98 billion. Spending on construction in the public sector surged 3.1% to $288.16 billion, as outlays by state and local governments jumped. Yet for the year, public construction spending was down 6.3%.

The Commerce Department report on construction spending can be found at http:/ /www.census.gov/const/C30/release.pdf