Comments on: Quebecor bail-out plan http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/01/16/quebecor-bail-out-plan/ The News Blog of Comics Culture Fri, 29 Aug 2008 03:47:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: Patrick http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/01/16/quebecor-bail-out-plan/#comment-714984 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 21:26:52 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/01/16/quebecor-bail-out-plan/#comment-714984 Hi Rich, We used to be part of Quebecor but were sold 2 years ago to private investors... You had me wondering which division you dealt with... Yes the bigger they are ... The shares were worth 45$ 6 years ago... going for 25 cents yesterday! Nice trade if you were short on them... Hi Rich,

We used to be part of Quebecor but were sold 2 years ago to private investors… You had me wondering which division you dealt with…

Yes the bigger they are … The shares were worth 45$ 6 years ago… going for 25 cents yesterday! Nice trade if you were short on them…

]]> by: rich http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/01/16/quebecor-bail-out-plan/#comment-714962 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 21:06:50 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/01/16/quebecor-bail-out-plan/#comment-714962 Patrick: I'm pretty sure it was Montreal ... that didn't help with long distance calls, either. Florida was cheaper to call, and this was before cell phones and land-lines with better long distance deals. I would have to dig deep into some papers I could have (and should) recycled years ago. Off-hand, I can't remember the name of the rep, or the division. But it was definitely Montreal ... a receptionist answered the phone in French, then English once I spoke to her. Yeah ... the harder they fall ... Patrick:

I’m pretty sure it was Montreal … that didn’t help with long distance calls, either. Florida was cheaper to call, and this was before cell phones and land-lines with better long distance deals.

I would have to dig deep into some papers I could have (and should) recycled years ago. Off-hand, I can’t remember the name of the rep, or the division. But it was definitely Montreal … a receptionist answered the phone in French, then English once I spoke to her.

Yeah … the harder they fall …

]]> by: Patrick http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/01/16/quebecor-bail-out-plan/#comment-714883 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 20:02:49 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/01/16/quebecor-bail-out-plan/#comment-714883 Hey Rich, Do you know what division you used? Was it the guys out of Montrea and do you remember the plant name? For sure the last few year at Quebecor have been extremely difficult... Quality has been average... They've been hit by so many problems... Sales executives going to RRD with huge accounts, failed aquisitions in France, the exchange rates, bad management decisions , increased competition in a down market ... not a good thing when you are the largest printer in the world... Hey Rich,

Do you know what division you used? Was it the guys out of Montrea and do you remember the plant name?

For sure the last few year at Quebecor have been extremely difficult… Quality has been average… They’ve been hit by so many problems… Sales executives going to RRD with huge accounts, failed aquisitions in France, the exchange rates, bad management decisions , increased competition in a down market … not a good thing when you are the largest printer in the world…

]]> by: rich http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/01/16/quebecor-bail-out-plan/#comment-714740 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 17:48:53 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/01/16/quebecor-bail-out-plan/#comment-714740 JON: "I vowed to never use them again." I've been publishing pulp fiction reprints for years, and had a similar problem. There was a problem with a trade paperback they printed. A minor problem, but a major headache dealing with the rep. "Have you ever SEEN a trade paperback??" he defensively asked. I printed two issues of THE SPIDER with them ... then found a Florida printer with the best prices of anyone I've ever used. I saved over $1000 by switching, and saved even more on shipping from FL to NJ, since they were crossing an international line. Clearly, my small press imprint was a blip on their radar, back in 1997. But with the money they charged, it was a major radar blip for me. JON:
“I vowed to never use them again.”

I’ve been publishing pulp fiction reprints for years, and had a similar problem. There was a problem with a trade paperback they printed. A minor problem, but a major headache dealing with the rep. “Have you ever SEEN a trade paperback??” he defensively asked.

I printed two issues of THE SPIDER with them … then found a Florida printer with the best prices of anyone I’ve ever used. I saved over $1000 by switching, and saved even more on shipping from FL to NJ, since they were crossing an international line.

Clearly, my small press imprint was a blip on their radar, back in 1997. But with the money they charged, it was a major radar blip for me.

]]> by: Brian http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/01/16/quebecor-bail-out-plan/#comment-713591 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 05:32:59 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/01/16/quebecor-bail-out-plan/#comment-713591 Of course, problems with Quebecor would affect much more than just comics. I work in textbook publishing, and Quebecor's Kentucky plant is one of two or three of the biggest printers I've seen publishers use. Of course, problems with Quebecor would affect much more than just comics. I work in textbook publishing, and Quebecor’s Kentucky plant is one of two or three of the biggest printers I’ve seen publishers use.

]]> by: Jon http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/01/16/quebecor-bail-out-plan/#comment-712957 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 01:22:28 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/01/16/quebecor-bail-out-plan/#comment-712957 Another thing that may have hurt them is the poor quality of their work (at least on my books). The sales rep I dealt with got defensive and tried to blame me when it was objectively it was their fault. I vowed to never use them again. Another thing that may have hurt them is the poor quality of their work (at least on my books). The sales rep I dealt with got defensive and tried to blame me when it was objectively it was their fault. I vowed to never use them again.

]]> by: Rakarich http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/01/16/quebecor-bail-out-plan/#comment-712811 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:32:56 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/01/16/quebecor-bail-out-plan/#comment-712811 There is a Quebecor building just outside Boston (located in Taunton, MA). Are they the same company but with a US outpost? There is a Quebecor building just outside Boston (located in Taunton, MA). Are they the same company but with a US outpost?

]]> by: David Bird http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/01/16/quebecor-bail-out-plan/#comment-712382 Wed, 16 Jan 2008 21:47:46 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/01/16/quebecor-bail-out-plan/#comment-712382 Ever since our dollar surpassed your I have been expecting this to happen. Quebecor is as professional and reliable as any, but their advantage was always the lower Canadian dollar. Ever since our dollar surpassed your I have been expecting this to happen. Quebecor is as professional and reliable as any, but their advantage was always the lower Canadian dollar.

]]> by: JimShelley http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/01/16/quebecor-bail-out-plan/#comment-712353 Wed, 16 Jan 2008 21:24:27 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/01/16/quebecor-bail-out-plan/#comment-712353 I have a different link that says they aren't out of the water yet: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080116.WBmarkets20080116124757/WBStory/WBmarkets I have a different link that says they aren’t out of the water yet:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080116.WBmarkets20080116124757/WBStory/WBmarkets

]]> by: Lenny Riggio http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/01/16/quebecor-bail-out-plan/#comment-712248 Wed, 16 Jan 2008 20:37:16 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/01/16/quebecor-bail-out-plan/#comment-712248 One thing that has hurt them is the strength of the Canadian dollar (relative to the U.S. dollar). That makes American printers more competitive. And I am assuming that most of their customers are American. One thing that has hurt them is the strength of the Canadian dollar (relative to the U.S. dollar). That makes American printers more competitive. And I am assuming that most of their customers are American.

]]>