1996 to 2005

Growth and innovation – 1996-2005

The company extends its activities to new products in magazine and newspaper publishing while pursuing its path of growth in printing. Transcontinental has the wind in its sails and achieves the billion-dollar revenue mark. It succeeds in carving out a strong position in North America with its innovative offering in newspaper printing outsourcing.

1996

Transcontinental acquires Publications Dumont from Cogeco, adding 32 local and regional newspapers published in Ontario and Québec to its portfolio.
The company also acquires 50% of CEDROM-SNi, a Montréal firm specializing in electronic information delivery.

1997

Transcontinental diversifies and increases its book printing capacity by acquiring Imprimerie Gagné, located in Louiseville, Québec, and Best Book, in Peterborough, Ontario.
Transcontinental Interglobe in Beauceville, is in expansion mode and moves into a new 154,000 square foot ultra-modern facility. The size of this plant has grown to 280,000 square feet today.

1998

Transcontinental reaches the billion-dollar revenue threshold.
After the United States, Transcontinental crosses the border into Mexico with the acquisition of Refosa, one of the country’s largest commercial printers. A new ultra-modern flyer printing plant is also built in Toluca.
The company continues its stream of acquisitions north of the border notably in the printing industry in Québec: Interweb Printing (now Transcontinental Boucherville), Prescom and Impressions des Associés; in Ontario: Interweb Ontario (now Transcontinental Vaughan), and Bayweb; in Manitoba: LGM Graphics, and Spot Graphics.
The Publishing Sector expands its list of publications by acquiring numerous titles, including Hockey Business News.
Transcontinental adopts a new corporate signature.

1999

Transcontinental strengthen its publishing activities with acquisitions such as Investment Executive, as well as seven titles from Plesman Communications, including Computing Canada and Direction informatique. That year also marks the launch of Finance et Investissement magazine.
Transcontinental delves into website development to provide content from its magazines and newspapers, and launches Publisac.ca.
On the printing side, Transcontinental is now printing The Globe and Mail in Atlantic Canada thanks to the acquisition of Web Atlantic (now Transcontinental Halifax).
Direct marketing activities are launched in the United States with the acquisition of Spectra Graphics and Newtown in Philadelphia.

2000

Transcontinental completes the largest 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 results in the creation of Transcontinental Media.
Transcontinental acquires Ergonet, a Montréal e-commerce firm, and Infinet Communications, a Toronto-based interactive marketing firm.
The company reorganizes its activities into three operating sectors: printing, media and interactive marketing.

2001

The Corporation consolidates its position as the largest local and regional newspaper publisher in Québec, and becomes the second-largest in Canada with the acquisition of UniMedia Group’s weeklies along with most of Gesca Ltd.’s weeklies. Eighteen newspapers and six periodicals are added to its portfolio.
A number of noteworthy launches mark the year, including that of Elle Canada, the Métro Montréal daily newspaper (a partnership with Métro International S.A. and Gesca Ltd.), and the French-language finance and business news portal lesaffaires.com.
Acquisition of Imprimerie La Renaissance in Québec City.

2002

Numerous transactions drive the expansion of all three sectors.
In printing:
- Acquisition of three Gesca Ltd. printing plants specializing in newspaper printing and located in Québec City (now Transcontinental de la Capitale), Gatineau (now Transcontinental Qualimax) and Trois-Rivières, in the province of Québec.
- Acquisition of the O'Keefe Group’s printing plants in Montréal (now Transcontinental O’Keefe Montréal) and in Toronto.
- Acquisition of Coronet/Fahlke Printers Ltd. (now Transcontinental LGM-Coronet) located in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
- Acquisition of Editorial Offset located in Mexico City.
In publishing:
- Acquisition of 12 local and regional newspapers from CanWest Global Communications Corp. in Atlantic Canada and Saskatchewan, including 10 daily newspapers and 32 related publications.
- Acquisition of the Ottawa Business Journal.
- Acquisition of the publications of Éditions Versicolores and Spécialités Terre à Terre, including Fleurs, Plantes et Jardins magazine.
In interactive marketing:
- Acquisition of Tener Solutions Group, a company specializing in database management and analysis.
The Corporation first appears on the ranking of the year’s 50 most responsible corporate citizens in Canada, according to the independent Canadian media company Corporate Knights.

2003

Transcontinental takes a major step in its United States direct marketing operations with the acquisition of CC3, a company with a network of eight facilities in Pennsylvania, California, and Texas, signalling its most sizable acquisition in terms of acquired revenues.
The company opens Transcontinental Métropolitain, a new Montréal plant primarily dedicated to the printing of La Presse daily newspaper and its related products, under a 15-year contract.
Inauguration of Transcontinental Prince Edward Island, Borden-Carleton, P.E.I.
Acquisition of The Amherst Daily News newspaper, The Citizen and Sackville Tribune Post weeklies, as well as the related publications of Cumberland Publishing Ltd., in Nova Scotia, and of Sackville Tribune-Post Ltd., in New Brunswick.

2004

Transcontinental becomes the largest publisher and printer in Eastern Canada with the acquisition of Optipress Inc., a publishing and printing company located in Atlantic Canada. This transaction includes 25 weekly and biweekly newspapers, nine printing shops and a network of digital copying centres.
Transcontinental acquires the Canadian company Avid Media Inc., a publisher of respected titles such as Canadian Gardening, Outdoor Canada, Canadian Home Workshop and Canadian Home & Country. The Media Sector also launches Mon Chalet magazine.

2005

Transcontinental doubles its direct marketing production capacity in the United States by acquiring JDM Inc.
Transcontinental becomes the first Canadian company to print The New York Times by securing a 10-year contract for Ontario and Upstate New York.
Transcontinental is selected by the publishing house Éditions Gallimard to print Harry Potter et le Prince de Sang-Mêlé.