Invesprint Adds To U.S. Label Ops By Acquiring Beckett

Toronto-based Invesprint Corp. (formerly Arthurs-Jones, Inc.) yesterday announced that its U.S. pressure-sensitive label printing subsidiary, Decorapak, Inc., has purchased all of the assets of Beckett Corp. of Lionville, PA. Beckett is a pressure-sensitive label printer in the Northeastern United States, focusing on the health and beauty aids and direct response markets.

Beckett's operations will provide an immediate benefit to Decorapak's recently opened facility in Moorestown, NJ. The Moorestown facility will provide additional capacity and technical capabilities for Beckett's current clients. Effective immediately, Decorapak will change its name to Beckett Corp. to capitalize on Beckett's established reputation in the marketplace.

Sales for the combined company are expected to be about C$40 million in the first 12 months of operation. Beckett produces labels for clients like Procter & Gamble, Novartis, American HomeFoods, Gryphon Development, Kiwi Brands and American Express. Rick Nopper, Beckett's president, will remain as president of the combined entity and will have an equity stake along with Decorapak's present management. On a fully diluted basis, Invesprint now owns a 75% interest in the combined entity.

Leland Verner, chairman and CEO of Invesprint Corp. stated "The acquisition of Beckett provides Invesprint with a tremendous opportunity to expand our presence in the pressure-sensitive label printing sector in the United States."

Since announcing the proposed disposition of its Mississauga sheetfed operation, Invesprint has narrowed its focus to the manufacture of prime labels and specialty packaging materials concentrated in the rapidly expanding business of visual product identification. The company produces specialized printing and packaging products for many of North America's major corporations through its three operating divisions: high-quality labels and specialty pressure-sensitive material at Jonergin in Montreal and at Beckett in Lionville, PA and Moorestown, NJ; and specialty packaging through 65% owned Jay Packaging Group, Inc. of Warwick, RI.