Montreal – Marquis Book Printing Inc., headquartered in Montmagny, has announced that it has acquired Webcom Inc. This transaction creates an annual production capacity of over 100 million books produced in three state-of-the-art printing plants. Our combined strengths will help book publishers successfully navigate changing supply chain dynamics with POD, automatic stock replenishment, and complete ?life of title? management solutions.

For publishers in North America and Europe, this joining of forces means access to an impressive array of latest-generation inkjet presses for short-run book printing. It also means that Marquis's team of technological innovation and high-quality book production enthusiasts will grow from 400 to 600 employees.

"This acquisition attests to our confidence in the future of printed books," stated Serge Loubier, Marquis President and CEO. "It will help us better handle the new challenges of the publishing and book printing industry, which is undergoing a transformation. It is a new strategic milestone on our roadmap to making Marquis a leading book printer in North America."

"I am thrilled about our new journey together'', said Mike Collinge, President and CEO of Webcom. "The two companies complement each other perfectly. Marquis's leadership serving trade publishers dovetails well with Webcom's digital inkjet leadership supporting educational and professional reference publishers."

This acquisition comes after the partnership agreement with U.S. firm EPAC announced in June, which involved a $9 million investment to install three inkjet production lines at the Montmagny plant, one of which is already in operation. ($9-Million Investment at Marquis Book Printing Inc.)

"Beyond advancements in production, our main priority is to maintain a strong relationship with our customers and to supply them with their books as quickly as possible," enthused Serge Loubier.