Relizon Sells Epsilon To Alliance Data Systems
The Relizon Company, Dayton, Ohio, announced that it has sold Epsilon, a provider of marketing, transaction, technology and analytical services to Alliance Data Systems. Total consideration is expected to be approximately $300 million, and the transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2004. Relizon, a portfolio company of the Carlyle Group based in Washington D.C., is a supplier of business process solutions for document management, billing and marketing fulfillment services. Marketing services will remain a key part of Relizon's business communication solutions, particularly marketing literature fulfillment and kitting, commercial print management, personalized and customized collateral, and direct mail programs, the company said.

VersaSeal® Introduces VSX Folder Sealer
VersaSeal, a Quality Park Brand, Englewood, Colo., introduced a proprietary folder-sealer designed for small to medium-sized companies. The VersaSeal VSX pressure sealer delivers up to 85 documents per minute with a weekly duty cycle of 4,000 pieces, according to the company. The unit features an integrated conveyer and can handle 11-inch or 14-inch products in C, V, Z or custom fold configurations.

Paris Business Products Moves Offices
Paris Business Products Inc., Burlington, N.J., will begin operating Oct. 18 out of a corporate office, manufacturing plant and distribution facility in Westampton, New Jersey. The 130,000-sqaure-foot, state-of-the-art facility will be the company's main manufacturing and distribution center for its Laser 3 laser cut sheets, security checks and security papers, continuous custom forms and more. The company's new address is 800 Highland Dr., Westampton, NJ 08060. The new phone number is (609) 265-9200.

IKON, Equitrac Announce Deal
IKON Office Solutions, Valley Forge, Pa., announced a strategic relationship with Equitrac Corporation for document accounting and cost management solutions. Through its global services organization , IKON Enterprise Services, IKON will offer Equitrac Office to help customers monitor, measure and manage document output, lower operational costs and improve efficiency.

Sales and Marketing Tip
Are You Missing These Triggers?
Whether you're an individual who sells to corporations, or a corporation that sells to individuals, at some point in the sales process you must communicate your core values. Make sure your message includes these three psychological triggers. Full story.

E-Commerce Spotlight
Track Your Online Sales
Wise online merchants are always looking to improve sales, boost conversions and better understand their customers. Fortunately, there's a single way to achieve all three—through the science of tracking your site's visitor behavior, known as web analytics. Full story.

Expansion Envelopes Make it Work
A leading health care provider faced cumbersome tasks when it distributed policy information to its members. The company used a Bell+Howell inserter to place specific members' policy information into envelopes with gussets, then manually inserted doctor provider books of varying thickness. The gusseted envelopes, not intended for automatic insertion, frequently jammed in the automated equipment. The health care provider sought a more efficient machine-insertable envelope and an enhanced marketing image.

Distributorship Pama Enterprises Inc., which is affiliated with Conformer Expansion Products Inc., Great Neck, N.Y., told the end user about Conformer® Expansion Envelopes. The envelope appears similar to a traditional one, but its patented score and glue design expands to fit variable content up to 1 1/2 inch thick. After a consultation, the end user selected one measuring 9 3/4 x 12 5/8 inches with more than 1-inch expansion. This flat envelope performed well on a machine inserter and displayed a 3-color design. Following machine insertion, the envelope expanded to accommodate the thickness of hand-inserted materials, providing greater efficiency and a more professional look, says Marvin Makofsky, 36-year industry veteran and president of Conformer Expansion Products. Also, the envelopes cost considerably less than the original gusseted envelopes. "As a result of manufacturing efficiencies and its enhanced marketing appearance, these products are setting new standards in the mail fulfillment arena," he says.

After the highly successful Print Solutions 2004 Conference and Expo held Oct. 5-7 in Rosemont, Ill., here's what's coming next:

CEO Summit
This year's program is packed with information, discussions and details you need to further your success. Join your fellow members with sales volumes of more than $2.5 million in St. Petersburg, Fla., Feb. 2-4, for what has proven year after year to be a great program! Click here for more.

Small Distributor Summit
This summit is for distributors with sales volume below $2.5 million. This year's program has new topics, new technologies and new insights. Designed exclusively by member distributors, this program brings top-notch education in a format that works for you. Your peers developed all the programs, the schedule and the manufacturer sessions. Join us from March 12-14 at Embassy Suites Outdoor World, Dallas. Click here for more.

Investment and Retirement Planning
DMIA members have preferred access to a complete range of corporate and individual solutions through Retirement Capital Group. RCG has two webcasts coming up. To register for free, click here. For more information, click here.

Here are this week's top unusual source requests received by DMIA:

1. Tissue Holder for Auto Sun Visor; 1 color imprint; QTY=100
2. Expanded Polystyrene Foam (EPS) packaging material; 1" thick with 1lb density; box sizes: 6"x6"x4"; 9"x7"x6"; 10"x10"x8"; 14"x10"x10"; 18"x12"x12"; sets consist of 6 pieces of foam packaging for each size box—top; bottom and four sides; QTY=1.2M sets of 6
3. Fold-Over Post Card; pop-up graphics; prints 4cp; QTY=9,395
4. Continuous Affixed Envelopes; 9" x 12" booklet with timing marks on carrier; QTY=12.5M
5. Jump Rope; pad printing on plastic handles; QTY=9M
6. Clear Plastic Simplex Box; will hold three 2" x 4" cosmetic bottles; QTY=1.8M
7. Styrofoam Packaging for Organ Donor Transportation; two pieces at 18" x 18" for ends; two at 35" x 18" for sides; two at 34" x 20" for top; QTY=250 sets
8. Protective Glass Caps; 1 color imprint; paper material; QTY=5M-10M+
9. CD/DVD Disc Burning Equipment
10. Edge Glued form 8 1/2" x 11"; two parts; prints 1 color; Arabic numbering in 10 positions QTY=25M

If you have a source request--for anything--call the Hotline at (800) 333-2828 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Time, or use the Source Hotline Database online. For new sales ideas every day, try our 1,000 Sales Ideas Database. Manufacturers, if you produce any of these items and would like to check your listing with the Source Hotline, please email Cheryl Rush.

Product of the Week
2004 Distributor Compensation
& Benefits Report
The 2004 Distributor Compensation & Benefits Report is here! This 294-page report includes actual compensation for all positions at a distributorship. The data is broken down by sales volumes to compare your company to like-sized firms. The report also includes sales per sales representative and sales per employee for six levels of distributorships. You can see how sales representatives are paid, benefits, experience levels, and more. Code: DICOMP. $149. To order, click here, or contact
Tina Davis.

Hot Sites
Find a Flu Shot
Most years you have to drag folks to get their flu shots, but the vaccine shortage has changed all that. Read through the guidelines to be sure you're truly in need, then search for the nearest vaccination venue. Visit the site.

Take Your Kids to Vote
You take the children to work every spring to show them what it's like to be an adult in the workforce. This site recommends that you take them to the polling place in November to show them what it's like to be a citizen of a democracy. Voting, after all, runs in families: This site persuasively argues that families that talk about voting (and actually do vote) tend to raise kids that will go to the polls in their turn. Visit the site.