2016 to date

Transformation and long-term vision – 2016 to date

Transcontinental celebrates 40 years of history. The company pursues its transformation with diligence and determination by making acquisitions in promising segments, particularly for the development of its North American flexible packaging platform. It opts to divest its local and regional media assets in order to refocus on its specialty media activities.

Plants that remain part of our printing and packaging network are specified in the text. (As of January 4^th, 2018).

2016

2016 marks the 40^th anniversary of Transcontinental’s founding.
The packaging division continues to grow with two new acquisitions: Robbie Manufacturing (now Transcontinental Robbie), based in Lenexa, Kansas, and Flexstar Packaging (now Transcontinental Flexstar), located in Richmond, British Columbia.
The printing division continues to optimize its platform.
A five-year agreement is signed to print the Toronto Star.
The company divests its assets in Saskatchewan, including its 13 local newspapers.
The Media Sector strengthens its portfolio of specialty financial brands by acquiring those of Rogers Media Inc.
Transcontinental wins in the "Business Transfer" category at the Mercuriades Awards—organized by the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec.

2017

Transcontinental reports, for a third consecutive year, the highest profitability in its history.
The packaging division pursues its growth with the acquisition of Les Industries Flexipak (now Transcontinental Flexipak), a flexible packaging supplier located in Montréal, its first in Québec.
In printing:
- Conclusion of an expanded multi-year agreement with Lowe’s Canada for all retailer-related services offered by Transcontinental.
- Announcement of the transfer of printing operations of its Transcontinental Northern California facility, in Fremont, to Hearst, effective April 2018.
- Announcement of the consolidation of its newspaper printing operations in Québec into three plants.
Transcontinental opts to divest its local and regional media assets in order to refocus on its specialty media and educational publishing activities.
- Sale of its media assets in Atlantic Canada.
- Start of a process for the sale of its 93 local and regional newspapers in Québec and Ontario. As at the end of December 2017, 60% of these publications had been sold.
Transcontinental sells its stake in CEDROM-SNi.
The Corporation moves up in the prestigious Corporate Knights ranking of the 50 most responsible corporate citizens, climbing from 40^th position in 2016 to 22^nd position in 2017.

2018

TC Transcontinental reports the highest profitability in its history for a fourth consecutive year.
Transformational acquisition of Coveris Americas at a cost of C$1.69 billion, enabling TC Transcontinental to position itself as one of the top ten leaders in flexible packaging in North America. This acquisition, the largest in the Corporation’s history, adds 21 production facilities to TC Transcontinental Packaging’s flexible packaging platform, for a total of 28.
Another important acquisition: Multifilm Packaging Corporation, a leader in high-end confectionery packaging in North America based in Elgin, Illinois.
With the closure of its Transcontinental Métropolitain plant at the beginning of the year, TC Transcontinental Printing consolidates its newspaper printing activities in Québec into three plants.
In the Media Sector, Pierre Marcoux is appointed as its President. The Groupe Constructo business unit acquires Contech. Thirty-two publications and the Métro Montréal weekday newspaper are sold to a Canadian corporation of which Michael Raffoul, a Montréal-based businessman, is President, as part of the sale process for TC Media’s newspapers in Québec and Ontario launched in April 2017. The Media Sector also welcomes Somabec, a pan-Canadian distributor of French-language books, and publishing house Edisem into its fold.
TC Transcontinental is in 29th position in the 2018 Corporate Knights ranking of Canada’s 50 best corporate citizens.
Appointment of Donald LeCavalier as Chief Financial Officer of the Corporation.
In December, TC Transcontinental announces that it will participate in the City of Montréal’s public consultation in 2019 with respect to “the environmental and financial costs of the large-scale distribution of Publisacs”, as part of its Waste Management Master Plan (WMMP).

2019

TC Transcontinental becomes the first Canadian-based manufacturer to join the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment. The Corporation pledges, by 2025, for 100% of its plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable. In this context, the Corporation launches vieVERTe, its portfolio of sustainable products, in addition to its new 2019-2021 Corporate Social Responsibility Plan, Acting Together.
TC Transcontinental launches an advertising campaign in Québec media and on social media to raise awareness among the population of the relevance and value of its Publisac. This initiative occurs in parallel to the public consultations held by the Montréal Metropolitan Community (MMC) on its Draft Amendment to the 2015-2020 Residual Materials Management Plan (RMMP) in which the Corporation participates, in addition to the Commission on Culture and Education initiated by the government of Québec as part of its order of initiative on the future of information media (over 95% of Québec weeklies are distributed in the Publisac). In the fall, the Corporation innovates with the launch of a new bag made entirely from recycled plastic. TC Transcontinental speaks out once again in October as part of the public consultation on flyer distribution control by the City of Montréal’s Standing Commission on Water, Environment, Sustainable Development and Large Parks in the wake of a citizen petition calling for, among other things, an opt-in subscription mode of distribution. The City of Montréal’s decision is expected in 2020.
Thomas Morin is appointed President of TC Transcontinental Packaging. During the year, the sector launches one of the first 100% recyclable, multilayer barrier stand-up pouches in collaboration with Harney & Sons. In the fall, the Corporation expands its capabilities for the agricultural end market with the acquisition of a majority participation in Ecuador-based Trilex. A few weeks later, TC Transcontinental sells its paper and woven polypropylene packaging operations to Hood Packaging Corporation, as the vertical for this business, acquired in the Coveris Americas transaction in 2018, is less core to the Packaging Sector’s growth strategy.
TC Transcontinental Printing enhances its offering in the promising vertical of in-store marketing product printing and acquires Holland & Crosby in Mississauga, Ontario. The Corporation also continues to optimize its retail printing platform in Canada with the closure of its Transcontinental Brampton plant in Ontario at the end of December.
TC Transcontinental sells the majority of its specialty media assets and event planning activities to Contex Group and Newcom Media. The Media Sector continues to operate with TC Media Books and Groupe Constructo.

2020

2020 is marked by the Covid-19 global pandemic, confining the population and requiring the closure of non-essential companies and businesses as of mid-March in accordance with government guidelines implemented in many provinces, states and countries. The Crisis Management Committee takes action on all fronts joining forces with managers and employees to contribute to the global effort to halt the pandemic, enable the Corporation to protect the health of its people, pursue its manufacturing activities designated as essential and meet the evolving needs of its customers. Flexible packaging as well as newspaper and flyer printing are identified among others to support essential sectors such as grocery, pharmacies and hardware stores. However, many temporary layoffs are unfortunately necessary in the Printing Sector. In conjunction, telework is widely adopted to comply with the confinement. Printing activities gradually resume in step with the reopening and with customer needs.
TC Transcontinental announces the creation of the Recycling Group within its Packaging Sector. It aims to vertically integrate the recycling of plastics in its packaging production chain in Canada, the United States and Latin America to ensure stable procurement of recycled resin for the Corporation. In the spring, this is followed by the acquisition of the assets of Enviroplast Inc., a company dedicated to recycling flexible plastics in the province of Québec.
The Corporation is part of the creation of the Circular Plastics Taskforce (CPT) in collaboration with the federal government and five other organizations to develop a circular economy for plastics in Canada, by identifying and recommending solutions to optimize the handling of plastics throughout the recycling value chain.
Further expansion of TC Transcontinental’s offering of in-store marketing product printing with the acquisition of Artisan Limited Complete.
TC Transcontinental Printing announces the closure of two of its plants in the province of Québec, Transcontinental de la Capitale (Québec City) and Transcontinental Qualimax (Gatineau), as part of its strategy of continuously optimizing its printing platform by adjusting capacity and costs to its business volumes.