Mark R. Hahn
Mark Hahn is Senior Managing Director and Founder of Graphic Arts Advisors, a boutique strategic financial advisory and consulting firm focused exclusively on the printing, packaging and related industries. He assists company owners and management, as well as their lenders, investors and shareholders in the following areas: mergers & acquisitions, sale of business, strategic and financial advisory, capital structure & funding, financial analysis, interim & turnaround C-level management and business valuations. Mark is the author of The Target Report and is regularly published and quoted in printing industry trade and management journals. Mark can be reached at 973-588-7399 or [email protected].
Displaying 1-99 of 156 articles
The Target Report: Batman is Trapped Inside a Warehouse—May 2026 M&A Activity
Published June 8, 2026
Diamond Comic Distributors Holds the Cards, and more …
The Target Report: Madonna, Bob Dylan & the Sistine Chapel—April 2026 M&A Activity
Published May 12, 2026
Callaway Arts & Entertainment Files Chapter 11, and more …
The Target Report: What in the World is Schutzschirmverfahren?—March 2026 M&A Activity
Published April 9, 2026
Manroland Sheetfed Files, BP Print Group Acquires, and more …
The Target Report: Private Equity Bets Big on Digital Billboards—February 2026 M&A Activity
Published March 9, 2026
Clear Channel Outdoor Sold, Kubin-Nicholson Closes, and more …
The Target Report: The Bloom Is Off the Rose—January 2026 M&A Activity
Published February 9, 2026
Multi-Color Corporation Files Prepack Chapter 11, Marking a Turning Point for the Label Industry, and more…
The Target Report: Industry Transformation—December 2025 M&A Activity
Published January 8, 2026
ProAmpac Acquires TC Transcontinental Packaging, and more…
The Target Report: New Consolidator Emerges—November 2025 M&A Activity
Published December 9, 2025
RoyerComm Prism Acquires Brilliant, ColorArt Files Ch. 11, and more…
The Target Report: Mergers, Acquisitions & Restructuring in the Printing, Packaging & Related Industries
Published November 11, 2025
Corrugated packaging producers close plants as demand cools and more...
The Target Report: PE Places Bets on Two New Packaging Platforms—September 2025 M&A Activity
Published October 9, 2025
Portrait Capital launches new specialty label platform, and more …
The Target Report Annual Review—TTM August 2025 M&A Activity
Published September 10, 2025
Last year at this time, our view from the perspective of M&A activity in the printing, packaging, and related graphic communications industries was effectively an acknowledgement that the pandemic was finally and firmly in the rearview mirror. Many printing and packaging businesses were doing well, feeling their way to a new normal as the post-Covid demand bulge flattened out. We noted that some bumps were apparent on the road ahead. Many of those bumps have proven challenging for owners to navigate over the past year.
The Target Report: Surprising Dynamism in Market for Local Newspapers—July 2025 M&A Activity
Published August 11, 2025
Battle Erupts over Dallas Morning News, and more …
The Target Report: Challenges and Opportunities: Hardware versus Software—June 2025 M&A Activity
Published July 8, 2025
Landa Follows Highcon into Insolvency, Vista Acquires Amtech, and more …
The Target Report: Is M&A Activity in Commercial Print Poised for a Comeback? —May 2025 M&A Activity
Published June 9, 2025
Drummond Hits a Double, and more …
The Target Report: Prize Patrol Goes Digital—April 2025 M&A Activity
Published May 9, 2025
PCH Exits Print, Arna Acquires Federal Direct, and more …
The Target Report: Experiential Graphics Under the Lights—March 2025 M&A Activity
Published April 8, 2025
Wasserman Acquires Bluemedia, and more…
The Target Report: Think Outside the Rectilinear—February 2025 M&A Activity
Published March 7, 2025
Moss Acquires Rocket Graphics, and more…
The Target Report: Print Everything Everywhere All at One Place—January 2025 M&A Activity
Published February 10, 2025
Riverside Acquires Vomela, and more…
The Target Report: Zig-Zagging—December 2024 M&A Activity
Published January 7, 2025
RRD Acquires Williams Lea, and more…
The Target Report: On-Demand Print & Merch is BIG Business for Private Equity—November 2024 M&A Activity
Published December 9, 2024
Printful and Printify Merge, and more …
The Target Report: Paper Industry Transformation Moves Forward—October 2024 M&A Activity
Published November 8, 2024
International Paper Downsizes Again, CJK Rationalizes Kodi Again, and more…
The Target Report: Print Providers Seek Variety Via Acquisitions—September 2024 M&A Activity
Published October 8, 2024
Artisan Colour Acquires MarComm, CJK Rationalizes Kodi, and more…
The Target Report Annual Review—TTM August 2024 M&A Activity
Published September 12, 2024
Viewed from the perspective of M&A activity in the printing, packaging, and related graphic communication industries, the pandemic is finally firmly in the rearview mirror. Many printing and packaging businesses are doing well. However, there are some bumps in the road. Deal counts are down again, bankruptcies and non-bankruptcy closures have increased, and lenders have resumed pressuring poorly performing companies. Packaging is still the most active segment, but not close to the peak reached in 2022. The number of deals involving commercial print companies has increased for the second year in a row. Wide-format companies are showing up in greater numbers in our deal stats, while the number of direct mail companies selling or buying remains low.
The Target Report: Troubled Times for Graphic Machinery Innovators—July 2024 M&A Activity
Published August 8, 2024
Coloreel files Bankruptcy, and more …
The Target Report: Corrugated Consolidation—June 2024 M&A Activity
Published July 8, 2024
Green Bay Acquires SMC, SupplyOne Goes West, and more …
The Target Report: Book Manufacturing in Turmoil—May 2024 M&A Activity
Published June 10, 2024
Grafica Venata Acquires P.A. Hutchison, OPM Closes Plant and more …
The Target Report: Paper Manufacturers Shift Grades—April 2024 M&A Activity
Published May 8, 2024
International Paper Acquires DS Smith, and more …
The Target Report: Half a Loaf Is Better than None—March 2024 M&A Activity
Published April 9, 2024
RRD Acquires Valassis Legacy Business, and more…
The Target Report: Stationers in Turmoil—February 2024 M&A Activity
Published March 8, 2024
Fedrigoni Acquires Mohawk Papers & Shutters Crane, and more…
The Target Report: Paper-Based Journalism is Melting Away—January 2024 M&A Activity
Published February 8, 2024
Baltimore Sun Purchased, CherryRoad Media Acquires Page 1 Printers, and more…
The Target Report: Climb Another Peak?—December 2023 M&A Activity
Published January 8, 2024
Looking Back at the M&A Trends of 2023, and more…
The Target Report: The One-Two Punch Platform—November 2023 M&A Activity
Published December 8, 2023
Core Industrial Acquires Century Box, and more…
The Target Report: On-Product Printing Promotes & Protects—October 2023 M&A Activity
Published November 9, 2023
Avery Dennison Acquires Silver Crystal, Printing on Pills, and more…
The Target Report: Is a Soft Landing in Sight?—September 2023 M&A Activity
Published October 9, 2023
Smurfit Kappa Acquires WestRock, Veritiv Goes Private, and more…
The Target Report Annual Review—August 2023 TTM M&A Activity
Published September 13, 2023
Viewed from the perspective of M&A activity in the printing, packaging and related graphic communication industries, the pandemic is fading quickly into the rearview mirror, and most printing and packaging businesses are doing well. However, there are some ripples on the water. Deal counts are down, bankruptcies and non-bankruptcy closures have ticked up in the past six months, and the impact of higher interest rates is rolling in. Packaging is still the most active segment but has cooled down considerably. The commercial print, direct mail, and wide format segments are not as active, but desirable candidates still attract a number of suitors and deals are getting done; and more…
The Target Report: 116 Laps Around Fenway Park, Barefoot—July 2023 M&A Activity
Published August 8, 2023
Maine Newspapers Acquired by Nonprofit Trust, and more…
The Target Report: Stick to Your Knitting—June 2023 M&A Activity
Published July 10, 2023
Lakeside Acquires Marquis, and more…
The Target Report: The Party is Over at Vice Media, and Why it Matters—May 2023 M&A Activity
Published June 9, 2023
Vice Media Files Bankruptcy, and more …
The Target Report: Sudden Drop-Off—April 2023 M&A Activity
Published May 8, 2023
All Quiet on the M&A Front (well, not entirely)…
The Target Report: Blueprint for Convergence—March 2023 M&A Activity
Published April 10, 2023
Crisp Imaging Adds to West Coast Network; and more…
The Target Report: Duking it Out in the Label Business—February 2023 M&A Activity
Published March 8, 2023
Resource Label, Brook + Whittle and Inovar Acquire; and more…
The Target Report: The Box is Back—January 2023 M&A Activity
Published February 8, 2023
Italy-Based Pusterla Acquires Two US Box Makers, Supremex Executes Box Strategy; and more…
The Target Report: Private Equity Feeds Industry Growth—December 2022 M&A Activity
Published January 9, 2023
Fortis Completes Banner Year, Commercial Printing is Back; and more…
The Target Report: Specialty Products Take Center Stage—November 2022 M&A Activity
Published December 7, 2022
SupremeX Acquires Royal Envelope, Sealed Air Buys Liquibox; and more…
The Target Report: Direct Mail Providers Stretch Out—October 2022 M&A Activity
Published November 8, 2022
Moore Acquires CCA, Postal Standards Drive M&A Strategy; and more…
The Target Report: Private Equity Pieces Together Print & Packaging—September 2022 M&A Activity
Published October 10, 2022
Max Solutions Acquires Ellis, Ironmark Lands Millennium; and more…
The Target Report Annual Review—August 2022 TTM M&A Activity
Published September 12, 2022
Viewed from the perspective of M&A activity in the printing, packaging and related graphic communication industries, we are in a post-pandemic sweet spot, business is going strong, and we are not yet significantly feeling the effect of inflation and rising interest rates. Packaging is still the red-hot segment, fueled by PE-backed roll-ups chasing fewer available top-notch producers. The commercial print, direct mail, and wide format segments are not as active, but desirable candidates attract a lot of attention and deals are getting done; and more…
The Target Report: Cenveo Returns to its Roots—July 2022 M&A Activity
Published August 8, 2022
Burton Family Cements Control, Envelopes are in Demand, and more…
The Target Report: Commercial Print Awakes from M&A Slumber—June 2022 M&A Activity
Published July 11, 2022
Post Capital Acquires Ironmark, Graphic Village adds another, and more…
The Target Report: Paper Industry in Transition—May 2022 M&A Activity
Published June 8, 2022
Kruger Buys Domtar Mill, Paper Industry in Flux; and more…
The Target Report: When Does Customer Concentration Become an Advantage?—April 2022 M&A Activity
Published May 9, 2022
Pokémon Captures Millennium, Nahan acquires Intellus Mail Division, and more…
The Target Report: Label Roll-Ups are Red Hot; Are Folding Cartons Next?—March 2022 M&A Activity
Published April 6, 2022
Lewisburg Printing Acquires, H.I.G. Rebrands Flexible Packaging Platform as DazPak, and more…
The Target Report: Printing Papers Get Squeezed Out—February 2022 M&A Activity
Published March 7, 2022
McKinley Paper Buys Midwest Paper, Sealed Air Acquires Foxpak Flexibles, and more…
The Target Report: CCL Industries Breaks the Rules—January 2022 M&A Activity
Published February 8, 2022
Canadian Giant CCL Acquires Small, Label Segment Still Red Hot; and more…
The Target Report: GPA Global Emerges as Packaging Consolidator—December 2021 M&A Activity
Published January 10, 2022
Southern California Graphics Sells to GPA, CJK Acquires Again; and more…
The Target Report: Slugfest Breaks Out Over RR Donnelley—November 2021 M&A Activity
Published December 8, 2021
Chatham Asset Management Victorious in Fight Over RRD, CJK Acquires; and more…
The Target Report: The End of the Dotcom Era—October 2021 M&A Activity
Published November 9, 2021
HH Global Acquires Noosh, Allan Creel Jumps Back In, PE Still Loves Labels, and more…
The Target Report: Private Equity Fuel$ Consolidation of Label Industry—September 2021 M&A Activity
Published October 8, 2021
Resource Label Group Acquires Ample Label, Kennedy Group Purchases Color Label Business, Postal Center International Buys Arrowmail, and more…
The Target Report Annual Review—August 2021 TTM M&A Activity
Published September 9, 2021
M&A activity returns to pre-pandemic levels, label companies are red hot targets for PE-backed roll-ups; new national consolidator in commercial print, direct mail is steady, wide format matures; and more…
The Target Report: Packaging Industry Consolidation in Every Direction—July 2021 M&A Activity
Published August 9, 2021
Fort Dearborn & Multi-Color Join Forces, Mt. Royal Expands, and more…
The Target Report: Apollo Trades Textbooks for Wallpaper & Pillows—June 2021 M&A Activity
Published July 12, 2021
Shutterfly acquires Spoonflower, Cathedral expands, and more…
The Target Report: On Demand Everything—May 2021 M&A Activity
Published June 7, 2021
Printful Snags Unicorn Investment, Commercial Printing M&A Picks Up, and more…
SPACs and Credit Cards for the 1%—April 2021 M&A Activity
Published May 7, 2021
CompoSecure Merges with SPAC, Oliver Acquires Boutwell, and more…
Letterpress, Greeting Cards & Feminism—March 2021 M&A Activity
Published April 8, 2021
Paper Source files for bankruptcy, packaging segment is white hot, and more…
So Many Books, So Little Time* —February 2021 M&A Activity
Published March 8, 2021
Lake Book Joins Grafica Veneta, Outside Media Integrates, JN White Acquires ECI Screenprint, and more…
As Goes the Industry, so Goes the Trade Associations—January 2021 M&A Activity
Published February 8, 2021
Printing United Alliance Sets the Standard, H.I.G. Bags Action, BluEdge Expands, and more…
Bags, Pouches, Trays & Bowls—December 2020 M&A Activity
Published January 8, 2021
ProAmpac Brown Bagging It, Alcom Spreads Out, Ebony & The Voice Rise From the Dead, and more…
Dystopia, Social Justice, and Steamy Romance—November 2020 M&A Activity
Published December 8, 2020
Bertelsmann buys Simon & Schuster and Quad’s Book Plant, I.D. Images acquires Pointil Systems, Graphic Village adds a tuck-in, and more…
Target Report Interview—Conversation with Jim Barker, Former Owner of Richardson Communications Group
Published December 3, 2020
Rod Bristol talks with Jim Barker, the former owner of Richardson Communications Group, who merged his company with Kingston Printing. Jim talks about selling his business right in the middle of the worst part of the COVID-19 crisis.
Deconsolidation of the Consolidators—October 2020 M&A Activity
Published November 9, 2020
LSC Jettisons Creel Las Vegas Before Final Sale to Atlas, Brook & Whittle Acquires, Traxium Files Bankruptcy, and more…
CJK Goes Global as Cenveo Unwinds—September 2020 M&A Activity
Published October 8, 2020
Cenveo sells off content services, Meyers expands label business, and more…
Target Report Interview—The Target Report Annual Recap 2020
Published October 1, 2020
Mark Hahn of Graphic Arts Advisors looks back at M&A activity in 2020 by segment and identifies some long-term trends, which segments have experienced more or less deal activity, the rationale behind acquisition activity, and the impact that the COVID crisis had on this year’s M&A activity.
The Target Report Annual Recap—August 2020 TTM M&A Activity
Published September 9, 2020
M&A activity in commercial printing dips, tuck-ins still predominate; packaging deals are driven by PE, labels lead the pack; wide format transactions pick up; and more…
Target Report Interview—Buyers are On The Move and On Track
Published August 26, 2020
Rod Bristol talks with Mark Hahn of Graphic Arts Advisors about how M&A activity is not as high as it was pre-COVID, but there is still a steady drumbeat of activity and buyers are not veering off the strategic path they had been on.
Buyers are On The Move and On Track—July 2020 M&A Activity
Published August 11, 2020
CJK Acquires Quad Book Plant, Mittera Executes on Strategy (Again), and more…
The Target Report Interview—Donuts Lead the Way in Return to Normalcy
Published July 23, 2020
Rod Bristol talks with Mark Hahn of Graphic Arts Advisors about how buyers are back in the market: after a lull, new transactions are underway. Packaging acquisitions, specifically food packaging, have led the way.
Donuts Lead the Way in Return to Normalcy —June 2020 M&A Activity
Published July 9, 2020
Southern Champion Tray Acquires, Brook & Whittle Establishes Western Presence, and more…
The Target Report Interview—Regional Print Consolidator Builds Diverse Offerings
Published July 6, 2020
Rod Bristol talks with Mark Hahn of Graphic Arts Advisors about Graphic Village's acquisition of DMS Ink, a transaction that is representative of the “regional roll-up” trend that has been developing in the industry for the past couple of years.
Regional Print Consolidator Builds Diverse Offerings—May 2020 M&A Activity
Published June 8, 2020
Graphic Village acquires DMS ink, Brook & Whittle adds Croydon, and more…
The Target Report Interview—Alphabet Soup of Trade Association Mergers
Published May 26, 2020
Rod Bristol talks with Mark Hahn of Graphic Arts Advisors about consolidation among printing industry trade associations, culminating in the recent merger of PIA and SGIA, and with John E. Hyde of Graphic Arts Advisors about the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the state of industry M&As.
Alphabet Soup of Trade Association Mergers—April 2020 M&A Activity
Published May 8, 2020
Trade Association Mergers Reach an Apex, Commercial Printing Tuck-Ins, and more…
The Target Report Interview—The Lull Before the Tempest
Published May 7, 2020
Mark Hahn of Graphic Arts Advisors is interviewed by Rod Bristol about current industry M&A trends in the wake of the COVID-19 shutdown.
The Lull Before the Tempest—March 2020 M&A Activity
Published April 6, 2020
Transactions continue apace up to mid-March, then abruptly stop. What’s next, and more…
Catching the Wave in Corrugated Cartons—February 2020 M&A Activity
Published March 9, 2020
Welch Packaging Group Stays Strategically Focused with PAX, Thomas Printworks Acquires Dynamic, GSP Adds Custom Color, and more…
The Smartest Investor Ever Exits Newspapers—January 2020 M&A Activity
Published February 7, 2020
Berkshire Hathaway Gives Up on Newspapers, Transcontinental Embarks on Retail Strategy, Graphic Village Acquires Brand Consultancy, and more…
The Penguin’s Native Tongue is Now German—December 2019 M&A Activity
Published January 7, 2020
Bertelsmann Buys Balance of Penguin Random House, Ripon is Sold, Blackstone Invests in HH Global, and more…
Commercial Printing: Consolidation or Regional Expansion? —November 2019 M&A Activity
Published December 9, 2019
Mittera acquires business assets of Fuse, Knepper purchases Dual Print & Mail, H.I.G. Capital invests in print (again), and more…
Market for Label Printing Catches Fire—October 2019 M&A Activity
Published November 8, 2019
ProMach, Fort Dearborn, Inovar, and PPC Packaging light up M&A activity, Transcontinental acquires, H.I.G. Capital goes outdoor in a big way, and more…
Behind the Scenes in Photobooks—September 2019 M&A Activity
Published October 9, 2019
RPI Enters Consumer Market, Transcontinental Transforms, Colortree Forced into Bankruptcy and more…
The Target Report Annual Recap—August 2019 M&A Activity
Published September 9, 2019
M&A activity in commercial printing continues unabated, mostly tuck-ins; packaging deals are driven by PE; newspaper and magazine publishing segment in turmoil; and more…
What’s in a Letter?—July 2019 M&A Activity
Published August 7, 2019
Monotype Imaging Goes Private, DG3 Acquires, Coloredge Merges, and more…
Print Publishing in Turmoil—June 2019 M&A Activity
Published July 8, 2019
Justice Department Blocks Quad, Condé Nast Sheds W, Colortree Closes and more…
Sports Illustrated Print Edition Heads to Hospice—May 2019 M&A Activity
Published June 10, 2019
Meredith sells off Sports Illustrated branding rights, Welch Packaging stays focused, and more…
The De-Evolution of Cenveo—April 2019 M&A Activity
Published May 8, 2019
Cenveo spins out more assets, Knepper acquires, MSP converges, and more…
CJK Group Opens Next Chapter with Loan-to-Own Strategy—March 2019 M&A Activity
Published April 8, 2019
Thomson-Shore under the Gavel, Salem One and Envision3 Acquire Mailing Services, and more…
Platinum Equity Likes Print—February 2019 M&A Activity
Published March 8, 2019
Multi-Color Corporation taken private, McCormick Armstrong joins list of defunct web offset printers, trade-only printers trade hands, and more…
BCC Solidifies Position in Mail Preparation Software—January 2019 M&A Activity
Published February 8, 2019
Satori Software acquired by BCC, Diversified Labeling Solutions sells out to Taiwan-based TSC, McClung acquires Commonwealth, Oliver buys DISC, and more…
Consolidation in Commercial Printing Rolls On—December 2018 M&A Activity
Published January 8, 2019
Mittera acquires Henry Wurst, H.I.G. Capital invests in print, GSB Digital expands in NYC, Alliance adds another franchise system, and more…
The Waning Fortunes of the Time Inc. Magazines—November 2018 M&A Activity
Published December 7, 2018
Meredith sells off iconic American magazine titles, Quad/Graphics acquires Periscope, PE continues love affair with labels, and more…
A Reversal of Fortune: Paper Mills Gain Leverage—October 2018 M&A Activity
Published November 8, 2018
New Dragon acquires and opens shuttered paper mill, CJK rolls on in the book segment, Quad takes on LSC Communications, and more…
Cimpress: Getting Bigger by Staying Small—September 2018 M&A Activity
Published October 8, 2018
BuildASign achieves high valuation in strategic sale to Cimpress, Snapfish acquires CafePress at bargain price, regional serial acquirers active in commercial printing segment, and more…
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