Los Angeles, CA (May 10, 2006) – Canon Communications LLC, an Apprise Media Company, today announced an agreement in principle to acquire eight trade shows and one magazine dedicated to the US advanced, technology-based manufacturing sectors from Reed Elsevier. This acquisition will significantly expand and enhance Canon's portfolio of business-to-business media products serving the nation's $1 trillion advanced, technology-based manufacturing industry. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Already the producer of the leading events on the West and East coasts for advanced manufacturing, Canon will now also be positioned as the primary trade show producer in the Midwest, which has the largest concentration of advanced, technology-based manufacturing in the nation. The acquisition will additionally expand and strengthen Canon's events serving the Southeast and New England manufacturing regions.
The sale of exhibitions serving the US manufacturing and industrial sectors is part of a strategic refocusing of the Reed Elsevier business to business operations in North America. The company's Reed Exhibitions unit will increase its focus on the home enhancement, security, luxury & lifestyle and life science/healthcare sectors where it already manages a portfolio of market leading events.
"This follow-on acquisition, when fully integrated by our highly experienced management team, will position Canon as the leading producer of trade shows and related media serving the nation's vibrant advanced manufacturing sector," said Canon Chairman and CEO Charles G. McCurdy. "We are very pleased to have the opportunity to strategically incorporate these events into our highly successful operating platform."
The Reed Elsevier trade shows to be acquired are: Assembly Technology Expo, National Manufacturing Week, International Powder & Bulk Solids, and Quality Expo, all in Rosemont, IL; NEPCON East/Assembly East, in Boston; Quality Expo Detroit, in Novi, MI; AM Expo, in Greenville, SC; and Powder & Bulk Solids Southeast, in Atlanta. As a complement to the Powder & Bulk Solids show, Canon will also be acquiring Powder/Bulk Solids magazine, the number one publication for this aspect of the plastics, packaging, chemical, food and other related industries already served by Canon's publications and trade shows.
"In less than a year, Canon has fulfilled our goal of expanding our role in the advanced, technology-based manufacturing sector through organic and acquisition-driven growth in North America, Europe and China," McCurdy said. "As the acquisitions of the Reed assets and of Octo Media earlier this year illustrate, this is a very attractive segment in which we can increase the critical role we play globally. We will continue to look closely at other acquisitions that will increase Canon's market reach and leverage the talent of a highly experienced management team. At the same time, we will look to continue Canon's success in strong organic growth."
"We have always been proud of our manufacturing and industrial events and have worked hard to increase value for all of our customers. We are pleased that even as we turn our attention to investing in and growing other areas of the US market, our long-time customers and events in manufacturing will find a great fit with Canon," said Chet Burchett, President of Reed Exhibitions, Americas.
Established in 2004 by Charles G. McCurdy, co-founder and former President of Primedia, Inc., Apprise Media (www.apprisemedia.com) concentrates on niche media, one of the fastest-growing segments in the media industry worldwide. Apprise currently operates two strategic platforms: Apprise Business Media LLC, which includes Canon Communications LLC, a leading publisher, trade show producer, and digital media company serving advanced, technology-based manufacturing industries, including medical device, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, specialty packaging, electronics, and plastics processing; and Apprise Enthusiast Media LLC, which serves a variety of attractive consumer niche markets through Beckett Media LP and the Action Pursuit Group
Canon Communications LLC, a portfolio company of Apprise Media LLC, is the leading publisher, trade show producer, and digital media company for the nation's $1 trillion advanced, technology-based manufacturing industry, including medical device, specialty packaging, materials processing, automated assembly, electronics, quality control, and plastics processing.
Canon produces trade shows for each of these sectors. In the medical device manufacturing sector, the company produces Medical Design & Manufacturing (United States), MEDTEC (Germany and China), BIOMEDevice, and Medical Device Technology (UK); in packaging, WestPack, EastPack, SouthPack, and MidPak; in design engineering, National Manufacturing Week, Atlantic Design & Manufacturing, Pacific Design & Manufacturing, and Design & Manufacturing South; in quality control, Quality Expo and Quality Expo Detroit; in materials processing, International Powder & Bulk Solids and Powder & Bulk Solids Southeast; and in automated assembly, Assembly Technology Expo, Electronics Assembly, Electronics West, Assembly New England, Automation Technology Expo (ATX), , and Advanced Manufacturing Exposition (AM Expo);in plastics processing, PLASTEC East, PLASTEC West, PLASTEC Midwest; and in electronics, NEPCON, and OEM New England.
The company's expanding array of magazine titles includes MD&DI (Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry), Medical Product Manufacturing News, European Medical Device Manufacturer, Medical Device Technology (UK), China Medical Device Manufacturer, IVD Technology, MX, Pharmaceutical & Medical Packaging News, Nutritional Outlook, Cosmetic/Personal Care Packaging, Injection Molding Magazine, Modern Plastics Worldwide, Powder/Bulk Solids and Appliance. Digital media include the medical device design and engineering portal, Medical Device Link; the online magazine, Advanced Design & Manufacturing (AD&M); and 50 branded e-newsletters and e-publications.
Further information about the company's business-to-business publications, trade shows, and digital media, is available at
www.cancom.com