Mohawk Fine Papers Acquires LabPrints

COHOES, N.Y., Feb. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Mohawk Fine Papers has announced the acquisition of LabPrints, a leader in workflow integration for professional photographers and photo labs. While continuing to develop its existing customer base, LabPrints joins Mohawk's growing list of marketing partners developing products and solutions for the converging worlds of print, photography, and graphic design.

Mohawk's best-selling i-Tone^® papers for the HP Indigo are the first choice for creators, publishers, digital printers, and other producers of photo specialties. With the addition of LabPrints, Mohawk is poised to expand its product and service offering to this rapidly growing market.

LabPrints is a highly regarded solutions provider to photo labs and professional photographers, offering an integrated toolset that links labs and photographers with lab orders through online storefronts and the fulfillment of printed products. Best known for its design and workflow tools, thousands of professional photographers depend on LabPrints to simplify their workflow and increase their sales.

"Since our founding in 2002, LabPrints has been dedicated to creating innovative workflow solutions to help photographers and their labs focus on shooting and selling their prints," says LabPrints CEO, Bill Gamble. "As our photo lab partners embrace digital printing presses, they find that integrating LabPrints software allows them to seamlessly offer a much broader range of products and services. Mohawk is a powerful player in digital printing. Aligning with Mohawk will expand our opportunity space and allow us greater scope for future innovation."

According to Thomas O'Connor, Jr., Chairman and CEO, Mohawk Fine Papers, "It's no secret that the world of print communications is changing, as digital technology drives convergence in the worlds of print, photography, and design. In the past 18 months we've seen dramatic structural and cyclical shifts in the demand for premium papers. Digital printing is one bright spot in an otherwise challenging market, and Mohawk is fortunate to have established an early leadership position in this space. Our acquisition of LabPrints will bring a very talented, innovative team of software developers into the mix and allow us to create new products and services that add value for all of our partners in the new print economy."

In 2009, Mohawk began expanding its footprint beyond paper — embarking on a number of initiatives that are already showing results. The company's strategic investment in liveBooks (www.livebooks.com) allowed this leading supplier of portfolio websites to expand into a software as a service model; Felt & Wire Shop (www.feltandwireshop.com) was launched in October and has quickly become a staple in the graphic design community; mohawkpaperstore.com has made it possible for businesses of all sizes to access its papers on the Web.

About Mohawk

Recognized for its technical innovation and environmental focus, Mohawk Fine Papers Inc. is the largest manufacturer of premium printing, writing and digital paper in North America. Signature products include Strathmore^®, Mohawk Superfine^™, Mohawk Color Copy^® Mohawk Options, and proprietary i-Tone technology.

A third-generation family-owned business and certified Women-Owned Business Enterprise and leader in environmental stewardship, Mohawk is the first U.S. paper mill to match 100% of its electricity with windpower renewable energy credits and the first U.S. premium paper mill to shift toward carbon neutral production. Also offered are recycled papers certified by Green Seal and papers certified to the Forest Stewardship Council's (FSC) standards by SmartWood, a program of the Rainforest Alliance. FSC certification ensures responsible use of forest resources.

About LabPrints

LabPrints software helps in every step of the post-production process, including organizing images, placing print orders, designing albums, projecting images, and online proofing and album review services. LabPrints is partnered with the top photo labs and album companies in the country, allowing photographers to choose the lab that best fits their needs. www.labprints.com

SOURCE Mohawk Fine Papers Inc.