MONTREAL, QUEBEC--As part of its Horizon 2005 project, a fundamental facet of which is continuous improvement, Transcontinental announced today that it is creating the position of Corporate Vice President, Production and Procurement Efficiency, to which Jean Denault has been appointment. Working closely with the heads of Transcontinental's various units, the new Vice President will coordinate efforts to make prepress, printing and finishing operations more efficient throughout the corporation. He will also coordinate the many Kaizen initiatives implemented under the Horizon 2005 project. Finally, he will oversee improvements to procurement processes and coordinate the management of risks related to operations and environmental management. "Our goal in creating this position is to intensify and unify the search for innovative ways to serve our customers better, work more closely with our suppliers and improve efficiency - all this while making optimum use of our current printing capacity," said Luc Desjardins, president and COO of Transcontinental. "Jean Denault has theskills and credibility required to do the job." Jean Denault brings more than 25 years of experience in the printing industry and 10 years with Transcontinental to his new position. A chartered accountant, he spent the greater part of his career in the family-run company Litho Acme, where he held several senior management positions. Litho Acme was acquired by Transcontinental in 1993. Prior to Mr. Denault's new appointment, he was general manager of Transcontinental Litho Acme and Transcontinental O'Keefe Montreal. One of the 10 largest commercial printers in North America, Transcontinental is Canada's leading printer of flyers, direct marketing products, books and newspapers, and one of the country's top two printers of magazines, catalogues and directories. Also the fourth largest print media group in Canada, Transcontinental is the country's leading publisher of consumer magazines and its second-largest publisher of community newspapers. The Corporation is also engaged in the door-to-door distribution of advertising material. Transcontinental has over 12,000 employees in Canada, the United States and Mexico, and reported revenues of C$1.8 billion in 2002.