PARAMUS, N.J., JANUARY 4, 2006 – Many of today’s savvy graphic communications companies have used mergers and acquisitions to accomplish a range of strategic objectives, including entry into new services areas or markets; greater economies of scale; and, for companies in expansion mode, “instant” growth. NAPL Managing Director of Consulting Services John Hyde, a graphic communications industry M&A specialist with extensive experience in implementing a wide range of strategic transactions, will discuss what it takes to implement a successful merger or acquisition in two free webinars from NAPL (www.napl.org), the trade association for excellence in graphic communications management, and WhatTheyThink.com on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2006, and Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2006, at 2:00 p.m. EST. In the Jan. 17 event, “Achieving Business Objectives Through Merger & Acquisition: Current Trends for Printers,” Hyde will present M&A strategies, based on insights gained from implementing scores of successful transactions and guiding numerous printing companies through every phase of the merger and acquisition process. The audience will learn how to: Determine if M&A is an appropriate strategy for their organization. Identify a suitable target company, or, for those considering selling their business, how to ready their company for sale. Conduct due diligence to minimize risk. Effectively communicate the planned merger or acquisition to employees, suppliers, and customers. Efficiently integrate the merged operations. The webinar will include a Q&A session in which Hyde will address individual questions from participants. A panel of printing company owners who have either sold their business or acquired a company will join Hyde for the Feb. 14 event, “Printing Industry M&A: Buyers and Sellers Share Their Insights.”. The panel will share firsthand experiences in navigating the merger and acquisition process, focusing on what worked—and what didn’t. During the discussion, Hyde and the panel members will be available to answer questions from audience members, making the webinar a valuable interactive experience for graphic communications companies interested in learning how they can use M&A to achieve their goals. To register for these informative and interactive online events, visit http://members.whattheythink.com/home/webinars.cfm.