Industry News

Industry News

Our best wishes to Bob Brown, former head of Daler-Rowney USA, who has been battling cancer.

ColArt, producer and marketer of the Winsor & Newton and Liquitex brands, has announced a USA Minimum Advertised Pricing (MAP) program. The program encompasses ColArt’s premium brands and will be phased in over the next 9 months. For complete details on this and all other MAP programs that we are aware of, visit the Dealer Zone at www.macphersonart.com.

Michaels Executive VP and Managing Director Harvey Kanter has resigned effective May 25 to pursue a top leadership role at another company. Until his replacement is named, the merchandising organization will report to CEO Brian Cornell.

Mike Parker, Senior Buyer for art supplies at Michaels, will be leaving the company soon for personal reasons.

Aaron Bros. Sr. Vice President of Merchandising, Ken Norton, has left the company effective May 11th and until a replacement is found the merchandising team will report to president Tom Bazzone.

Chartpak has acquired the art and engineering vellum paper business segment of Permalite, Inc. to be branded under Clearprint.

Polyform has named Wendy Carney as its Director of Sales. She was recently the Director of National Accounts for Wilton.

Julianne Eastman, sales rep for A&A Associates, is recently engaged to Michael Miller. Congratulations, Julianne!

Loew-Cornell will be closing its Englewood Cliffs, NJ office June 27, 2008. The corporate parent, Jarden, is moving the operation to Cincinnati, OH and merging it with its playing card division.

Michael Cornell, Loew-Cornell’s group president, has left the company.

Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services raised Jo-Ann’s corporate credit rating to B from B- and senior subordinated notes to CCC+ from CCC, citing improved cash flows in the past six quarters through better merchandise and inventory management, more efficient marketing and other cost controls. S & P said the outlook is positive.

Jennifer Lubelsky has recently left her position as Buyer at Barnes & Noble College Stores.

Mike Hartnett, in his online newsletter Creative Leisure News, reports that Herr’s is closed; the remaining inventory reportedly has been trucked to a retail location in Green Bay, WI for liquidation. The company, founded by industry pioneers Doug and Grace Herr, was at one time one of the leading distributors in the industry.

Congratulations to Speedball who won the “Best Product Award” at NAMTA 2008 for its Screen Printing Instructional DVD.

Our sincere sympathy to the Steinberg family, owners of Lee’s Art Shop in NYC, on the recent passing of patriarch Gil Steinberg.

Tonya Hill, sales manager at Speedall, left the company shortly after NAMTA.

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