CGX acquires Champagne/Lafayette
Merges print manufacturing into Pride Printers Consolidated
Graphics Inc. of Houston has purchased the assets of Champagne/Lafayette Communications, Inc. of Natick, Mass., and merged its print manufacturing operations into Pride Printers, a separate commercial printing firm in Woburn, Mass., that Consolidated acquired several years ago.

Andy Arcadipane, president of Pride Printers, said the merging of Champagne’s assets should be complete by the end of this month.

He said some production and sales employees from the Natick company have joined Pride. Others have moved on to other jobs. It was unclear how many jobs were lost.

“All of Champagne’s employees were offered positions, but because of the 25 miles distance between our facilities and where employees would commute from, it wasn’t feasible for some displaced employees to come here,” he said. “Some employees have scattered as well.

“We weren’t the 800 pound gorilla in this. We stepped up to the plate. We’re maintaining health benefits for those who have come aboard, for example.”

Wayne Champagne and Duncan Todd, president and chief executive officer respectively from Champagne/Lafayette, will join Pride.

Pride also will add Champagne’s 1998 six-color 40-inch Mitsubishi sheetfed press. That press gives Pride needed redundancy in the multi-color arena to complement Pride’s two Heidelberg presses, a 1999 40-inch two-color perfector, and a 1999 40-inch six-color with coater. Also, much of Champagne’s bindery and cutting equipment is already in use at Pride.

Any excess equipment will be dispersed throughout Consolidated Graphics’ other plants if needed.

Champagne and James Browne, a partner in Champagne/Lafayette who cut back his day-to-day involvement in the business a few years ago, have retained ownership of the Natick property just off Route 9. A property management firm has been hired to find a tenant.

Consolidated Graphics, Inc., is a publicly-held company that owns printing companies in 25 states and Washington, D.C. Its trading symbol is CGX. Shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange.