Information
Management Services to Play 'Crucial Role' in Customer Solutions
Accelerating its drive into the aviation services market, The Boeing
Company today announced an agreement to purchase Continental Graphics
Corporation, a leading provider of customized and specialized technical
information to the aviation industry. Financial terms were not
disclosed.
Privately held Continental Graphics provides a wide range of customized
information and documentation to airlines, including Illustrated Parts
Catalogs, Provisioning/Procurement Data, Customized Fleet and
Owner/Operator Catalogs, and Component Maintenance Manuals. Using 9,700
proprietary software programs, the company's 1,550 employees have
developed an unsurpassed expertise in parts-related information
management services.
"Our focus is on offering our customers innovative solutions that help
them operate more efficiently and effectively, and information
management plays a crucial role in that," said Tom Schick, executive
vice president of Boeing Commercial Aviation Services. "Continental
Graphics has the intellectual capital and technology that, when combined
with our existing digital solutions, will accelerate our ability to
develop and offer our customers new electronic information management
services."
Curt Bourland, chairman and CEO of Continental Graphics Corporation,
said Continental was excited about joining the world's largest aerospace
company.
"Boeing has long been an industry leader in digital information
technology, and we're looking forward to joining forces to expand the
information management services offered to airlines," Bourland said.
The new services will be built around Continental Graphics' detailed
knowledge of industry data, especially the Illustrated Parts Catalogs
the company produces. Every commercial jet in service has a unique
Illustrated Parts Catalog (IPC) that contains the airplane's parts
configuration, including any changes since the airplane was first
delivered. The IPC is consequently one of the most important sources of
information in the aviation industry.
For Illustrated Parts Catalogs as well as other information products,
Continental Graphics transforms raw engineering and technical data into
illustrated, customized documentation, and distributes the information
to airlines electronically or in any format the customer selects.
Among Continental Graphics' digital products in development is the Smart
IPCTM, a highly specialized Illustrated Parts Catalog, based upon parts
lists stored in relational databases with embedded links to intelligent
graphics. The Smart IPCTM can be continually revised online in real
time, offering an electronic IPC that is current at all times. It
contains intelligent, part-specific links to enable parts search queries
in industry databases, as well as links to an organization's own
internal inventory, procurement or other systems.
Continental Graphics processes 1,200 engineering items per day and
produces 2 million to 3 million pages of customer-unique documentation
every week, and delivers its information products to more than 100
airlines every month. The company maintains the information in massive
databases that are networked to its customers' own computer systems.
Continental Graphics Corporation had sales of $135.6 million in 1999. In
addition to the aviation industry, the company serves customers in the
heavy equipment manufacturing and oil and gas exploration industries.
Boeing will operate Continental Graphics as a subsidiary, with the
current management team remaining in place. The agreement is subject to
regulatory approval.
With headquarters in Los Angeles, Continental Graphics Corporation has
three primary business units:
* Continental DataGraphics (www.cdgnow.com), with 1,200 employees,
leverages the company's proprietary systems and software to produce
customized technical information. Continental DataGraphics also supports
the Air Transport Association (ATA) and the International Airlines
Technical Pool (IATP) by providing data hosting services and daily
management of their databases.
* Continental Graphics Group - Europe, with 100 employees, provides
technical information services to European customers through Continental
DataGraphics Ltd. in the United Kingdom and PK DataGraphics in Germany.
* Continental Graphics, with 250 employees, provides high-technology
imaging services, the conversion of legacy documentation into digital
formats, and other printing and reprographic services.
As a subsidiary of The Boeing Company, Continental Graphics Corporation
will report to the Customer Support organization within Boeing
Commercial Aviation Services, which offers the industry's broadest
selection of aviation support products and services.
Forward-Looking Information Is Subject to Risk and Uncertainty
Certain statements in this release contain "forward-looking" information
that involves risk and uncertainty, including projections for revenues,
earnings, earnings per share, market growth, completion of government
and regulatory reviews and receipt of necessary approvals, statements
regarding goals, and other trend projections. This forward-looking
information is based upon a number of assumptions including assumptions
regarding demand; internal performance; customer, supplier and
subcontractor performance; and government policies and actions. Actual
future results and trends may differ materially depending on a variety
of factors, including the company's successful execution of internal
performance plans including research and development, production system
initiatives, asset management plans, procurement plans, and other
cost-reduction efforts; the cyclical nature of the company's business,
volatility of the market for certain products, future integration of
Continental Graphics Holdings Inc.'s business and related operations;
product performance risks; action by regulatory agencies in regard to
the proposed acquisition, and other regulatory uncertainties; collective
bargaining labor disputes; performance issues with key suppliers,
subcontractors and customers; governmental export and import policies;
global trade policies; worldwide political stability and economic
conditions; changing priorities or reductions in the U.S. Government or
foreign government defense and space budgets; termination of government
contracts due to unilateral government action or failure to perform; and
legal proceedings. Additional information regarding these factors is
contained in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
1999 and Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2000. |