Direct mail

Bosses at the Communication Workers Union (CWU) have reiterated the union's threat to get postal workers to boycott mail from downstream access (DSA) providers ahead of a ballot in the New Year.

Westdale Press has expanded its in-house services by investing in a new Sitma mailing line.

Howard Hunt will install eight Kodak Versamark DH9100 printheads next month to wrap up a 3.5m spend that does not include the Kodak Prosper 5000XL installed in early 2011.

The Finishing Company in Wiltham, Essex has been rebranded as Finco to reflect its move into online ordering and delivery and on demand digital printing.

Envelope printer First Class Post was fined 2,500 and ordered to pay 1,041 in costs by Leeds magistrates for allowing staff to be lifted nearly six metres in a box perched on a forklift truck.

Print procurement consultancy Blue Buffalo has been awarded the contract to tender the print of UK healthcare giant Bupa, a long-standing client of print management company RR Donnelley GDS.

Monkey Mail, a new direct mail service which includes email, and telemarketing has launched in Killingworth, Newcastle.

KBA has made "significant progress" in improving print quality on its RotaJet 76 and has added newspaper printing to the potential applications for the inkjet web press.

Direct mail printer Geoff Neal Litho has invested around 600,000 in a Heidelberg Anicolor press and finishing machinery to offer short run services.

Royal Mail has announced a renewed freeze on reversion charges relating to envelope sealing issues just over a month after its initial six month moratorium ended on 17 September.

Quad/Graphics has announced a $258.5m (161m) bid for rival direct marketing business Vertis Holdings as the latter filed for Chapter 11 "to facilitate the intended sale".

Shares in St Ives have risen by more than 17% in the past week, after the group announced better than expected results on Tuesday (2 October).