White Stone, VA, -- May 8, 2002 -- On April 30 and May 1, the Research and Engineering Council of the Graphic Arts Industry held its 44th annual Binding, Finishing and Distribution conference in Chicago. At the meeting, some 175 postpress personnel from around the world gathered to learn the latest in technologies affecting their operations, as well as how to address personnel problems in the workplace. The conference, chaired by Charles Dine, manager of corporate industrial engineering for Banta Corporation, and Dr. Twyla J. Cummings, assistant professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology School of Print Media, focused on optimizing efficiency to reduce costs in the bindery. Keynote speeches were offered by John Favat, publisher and editorial director of Binding, Finishing & Distribution magazine, and by Katherine M. O’Brien, editor of American Printer. The annual R&E Council Bindery, Finishing & Distribution seminar is widely seen as the preeminent technical meeting in the postpress segment of the printing industry. At the 2002 meeting, attendees heard executives from Banta Corporation, Booklet Bindery, Quad/Graphics, Quebecor World, and The Washington Post describe their successful solutions to myriad postpress problems. Discussing the success of the seminar, R&E Council managing director Ronald L. Mihills said: “No other meeting in the industry focuses solely on the latest in technology and processes for bindery and distribution. This year, postpress personnel from across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland heard the latest in operating techniques from users and vendors.” The 2002 R&E Council Binding, Finishing and Distribution Conference also featured a display of the products which won the recent Binding Industries Association International Product of Excellence competition.