RR Donnelley to buy Van Hoffmann

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CHICAGO (AFX) - Printing company RR Donnelley & Sons Co. is buying Von Hoffmann, an education and trade book printer, from Visant Corp. in an all-cash deal valued at $412.5 million, officials announced Wednesday.

Van Hoffmann, a subsidiary of Armonk, N.Y.-based Visant, will help Donnelley expand its educational, children's, religious and trade catalog segments.

The latest deal was announced two months after Chicago-based Donnelley said it would buy printing rival Banta Corp. for $1.3 billion.

Last month, Donnelley announced plans to purchase Perry Judd's Holdings Inc., a private catalog and magazine printer, for $176 million.

"Together with our recently announced agreements to acquire Banta and Perry Judd's, this completes our 'trilogy' of transactions designed to offer our print customers greater capacity and flexibility," CEO Mark A. Angelson said in a statement.

Officials said the Von Hoffman deal will add to earnings in the first year of operations. It is expected to close in the first quarter but must first secure regulatory approval.