Transcontinental - Difference


	The largest printer in Canada and sixth-largest in North America, Transcontinental is the country’s leading publisher of consumer magazines and French-language educational resources, and its second-largest community newspaper publisher. Transcontinental distinguishes itself by creating strategic partnerships that integrate the company into its customers’ value chain, notably through its unique newspaper printing outsourcing model and its value-added services. From mass to highly personalized marketing, the company offers its clients integrated solutions which include a continent-leading direct marketing offering, a diverse digital platform and a door-to-door advertising material distribution network. Transcontinental is a company whose values, including respect, innovation and integrity, are central to its operation. Transcontinental (TSX: TCL.A, TCL.B) has more than 15,000 employees in Canada, the United States and Mexico, and reported revenues of C$2.3 billion in 2007.







	Transcontinental is born. Rémi Marcoux teams up with partners Claude Dubois and André Kingsley to acquire Imprimerie Trans-Continental, a printing company located in the Montreal suburb of St-Laurent that has fallen on hard times. Specializing in flyer printing, the company employs 100 and generates revenues of $2.9 million in its first year. Revenues: $2.9 Million Employees: 100

	A second operating sector is added to the company with the creation of Publi-Home Distributors, a door-to-door flyer distribution business. The company also adopts a new name: G.T.C. Transcontinental Group Ltd.

	Transcontinental Publications is born with the purchase of the weekly business newspaper Les Affaires and the related magazine SIC (now entitled Affaires PLUS).

	Transcontinental makes its first foray outside Quebec by opening a flyer printing plant in Brampton, Ontario. The Publishing sector also continues to grow with the acquisition of Revue Commerce, a business magazine published by the Montreal Chamber of Commerce since 1896. Revenues: $37.4 Million

	On October 29th, Transcontinental makes its debut on the Montreal Exchange. Its ticker symbol is GRT. Revenues: $82.7 Million Employees: 569

	Transcontinental now makes its debut on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The company also diversifies its printing activities with the acquisition of the two Transmag plants in Montreal, one of which specialises in newspaper printing, the other in commercial products. The company also grows its operations outside Quebec with the acquisition of Perry Graphics in Calgary. Revenues: $107.6 Million Employees: 987

	A big year for Transcontinental. The celebrated Ad-Bag/Publi-Sac and Ad-Stand are born, products that have revolutionized the flyer distribution business. Transcontinental Publications moves outside Quebec with the purchase of The Hockey News. Printing operations also get a boost with the acquisition of Miami Valley Publishing Company, based in Dayton, Ohio, marking Transcontinental’s first step into the United States. Revenues: $167.3 Million Employees: 1,580

	Book publishing division Éditions Transcontinental is born. Transcontinental Publications acquires a majority share of Éditions du Feu Vert, publishers of Décormag and Le Bel Âge, and buys the magazine PME, as well as the newspaper Constructo. Revenues: $326 Million Employees: 2,650

	Various titles are added to the Transcontinental Publications family, including Santé (now entitled Capital Santé), and Good Times magazine. Revenues: $366,4 Million Employees: 3,200

	Transcontinental’s Brampton flyer printing operations move into new state-of-the-art facilities. Revenues: $413.5 Million Employees: 3,220

	Transcontinental becomes Canada’s leading commercial printer with the acquisition of Southam’s commercial printing division, up to then the biggest transaction in the company’s 16-year history. Revenues: $544.6 Million Employees: 4,676

	The company once again diversifies its operations with the acquisition of a majority interest in Americ Disc. With its European partner Moulage Plastique de l’Ouest, Americ Disc will go on to become the world’s biggest independent CD manufacturer before Transcontinental divests its interest in the company in 2001. 1993 also marks the year that Transcontinental acquires Litho Acme, a sheet-fed printing company renowned for its unparalleled quality. Revenues: $638.2 Million Employees: 6,157

	Transcontinental goes on a buying spree. First, the company becomes a player in the Quebec local and regional newspaper market with the purchase of 20 Telemedia weeklies published in the Greater Montreal area. Printing operations are enhanced with the acquisition of Yorkville Printing and Bergman Graphics in Ontario, as well as Ross-Ellis Printing and Métrolitho in Quebec. Revenues: $960 Million Employees: 7,068

	Transcontinental acquires Publications Dumont from Cogeco, thereby adding 32 weekly newspapers published in Ontario and Quebec to its portfolio, 17 of which are located in the Montreal area. The company also acquires 50% of CEDROM-SNi, a Montreal firm that specialises in electronic information delivery. Revenues: $1 Billion Employees: 6,993

	¡Hola Mexico! Transcontinental expands south with the acquisition of a majority interest in Mexico’s largest flyer printing outfit Refosa, promptly renamed Impresora Transcontinental de México. The company also continues its trend of strategic acquisitions north of the border. On the printing side, those include Interweb Printing, Interweb Ontario, LGM Graphics, Spot Graphics, Bayweb, Prescom, and Impressions des Associés. On the publishing side, Transcontinental acquires Hockey Business News, Journal économique, and Preview Sports Publications (eight annual titles). 1998 also marks the year that Transcontinental adopts its new corporate signature. Revenues: $1.3 Billion Employees: 8,954

	Transcontinental’s publishing activities increase significantly with the acquisitions of Investment Executive, as well as 7 titles from Plesman Communication, including Computing Canada and Direction informatique. Transcontinental becomes involved in website development by bringing the content of its magazines and newspapers to the Web and by launching Publisac.ca. Finally, direct marketing activities get a kick-start in the US with the purchase of Spectra Graphics and Newtown in Philadelphia. Revenues: $1.5 billion Employees: 9,130

	Transcontinental makes the most important transaction of its history thus far with the acquisition of Telemedia’s magazine publishing division. Eleven major titles are added to the company’s portfolio, including Canadian Living, TV Guide, Coup de Pouce, and Elle Québec. The acquisition prompts the creation of Transcontinental Media, a merging of the company’s publishing and distribution operations. Revenues: $1.7 Billion Employees: 11,431

	Transcontinental acquires a stable of weekly newspapers from Unimedia Group along with most of Gesca's weeklies. The major acquisition adds 18 weekly newspapers and six periodicals to its portfolio, thereby consolidating the corporation’s position as the largest local and regional newspaper publisher in Quebec, and second-largest in Canada. A number of noteworthy launches also mark the year, including that of Elle Canada, the weekday daily Métro (a partnership with Swedish firm Métro International S.A. and Gesca, which publishes the daily La Presse), and the French-language business portal lesaffaires.com. Revenues: $1.8 Billion Employees: 10,367

	Another major acquisition. The company lands 12 local and regional newspapers from CanWest Global Communications, published in the four Atlantic provinces and Saskatchewan, along with 32 related publications. This marks Transcontinental’s first foray into the daily newspaper publishing business. Close to 900 new employees join the Transcontinental Media team. Transcontinental also acquires Éditions Versicolores, publishers of magazines Fleurs, Plantes et Jardins and Spécialités Terre à Terre, as well as the Ottawa Business Journal. Revenues: $1.8 Billion Employees: 11,750

	Transcontinental takes a momentous step forward in its U.S. direct marketing operations with the acquisition of CC3, a growing company with a network of eight facilities in Pennsylvania, California, and Texas. This represents the biggest acquisition in terms of revenues added made by Transcontinental. Revenues: $1.9 Billion Employees: 11,266

	The acquisition of the printer and publisher Optipress increases Transcontinental Media’s weekly newspaper portfolio with the addition of 25 weekly and bi-weekly newspapers in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. The transaction secures Transcontinental’s position as the leading publisher of local and regional newspapers in the Atlantic provinces. Transcontinental Media also strengthens its consumer magazine portfolio with the addition of Avid Media, publisher of respected titles Canadian Gardening, Canadian Home and Country, Canadian Workshop and Outdoor Canada.

	Transcontinental doubles its direct marketing capacity in the United States by acquiring JDM, Inc., which raises the production capacity of Transcontinental Direct U.S.A. to more than five billion pieces of direct mail a year. Transcontinental Interweb Toronto wins the contract to print the prestigious daily paper The New York Times for the province of Ontario and the Buffalo and Rochester areas of Upper New York State. Transcontinental starts building the new Transcontinental Gagné printing plant in Louiseville, Quebec

	The company enters a publishing segment with strong growth potential by acquiring Chenelière Éducation, Canada’s biggest publisher of French-language educational resources. Transcontinental signs a 15-year contract to print The San Francisco Chronicle, owned by Hearst Corporation. The Media sector develops its digital activities. Revenue: $2.1 billion dollars Employees: 14,476

	Transcontinental’s growth continues with the acquisition of several publications, including The Springhill-Parrsboro Record in Nova Scotia, the Seaway News in Ontario and The Oxbow Herald in Saskatchewan. Transcontinental moves into direct marketing in Canada by acquiring PLM Group, the fourth-largest printer in Canada, whose primary activity is providing direct marketing products and services. The Corporation also launches Transcontinental Custom Communications, a joint venture with British agency Seven Squared, to offer custom publishing services. A division is created to oversee the development of Transcontinental’s model for outsourced newspaper printing in North America. Revenues: 2.3 billion dollars Employees: 15,000