Sept.
 2004

Last month saw the resolution of two high-profile mergers as Goss International Corp. formally concluded its acquisition of Heidelberg’s web and postpress operations and Agfa closed its $191 million purchase of Lastra SpA.

Goss’ purchase of Heidelberg essentially doubles the revenues of Goss, said Chief Executive Officer Bob Brown, catapulting the firm into one of the world’s biggest makers of offset presses.

It also gives Goss entry into the postproduction business, allowing the company to offer newspapers equipment that spans everything from the press downstream.

All told, the combined entity will have operations worldwide with more than 4,000 employees.

“This is an exciting day for Goss International,” Brown said. “We believe the Heidelberg web product portfolio coupled with the finishing equipment lines will be a terrific complement to the existing Goss product range.”

Goss declined to release any details about the transaction, other than saying that Heidelberg would retain a 15 percent stake in the combined venture. In addition, Goss’ majority stakeholder, MatlinPatterson Global Opportunities, said it would pour in an additional $100 million in new capital to support the integration of the two firms.

Goss is expected to detail some of its integration plans later this month at the ING conference in Milwaukee.

Meantime, the prepress landscape shifted as Agfa took control of Lastra. The purchase gives Agfa additional horsepower in the computer-to-plate market through Lastra’s Western Lithotech unit.

As part of the purchase, Agfa reshuffled its executive suite, naming Tom Saggiomo, president and chief executive officer of Lastra America Corp., head of its North American graphics group.

Saggiomo replaces Robert Stabler, who had presided over the unit for the past several years.

An e-mail sent to Lastra customers in mid-August said that the combined company plans to hold a series of meetings in late September to disclose future plans. Earlier, Agfa said it wouldn’t change how it markets Lastra’s Western Lithotech-branded computer-to-plate equipment to the North American newspaper market.

In a related development, Creo Inc. said it would transfer administrative functions from its Boston-area Creo Americas subsidiary to its Vancouver, B.C., corporate headquarters, citing a need to better control expenses.

The Billerica, Mass., office will become a sales and customer service facility. The decision affects more than 140 employees, including Larry Letteney, president of Creo Americas, and Paul Willis, director of Creo’s newspaper segment, according to a spokesman.