WARREN, Ohio -- Warren Printing, a fixture 59 years in the local printing industry, has reached an agreement to join HKM Direct Market Communications of Cleveland.Jim Jastatt, president of Warren Printing, said HKM will purchase some of the company's assets, including a 29-inch conventional printer, and additional equipment. The Warren company will change its name to HKM May 3."It will expand our capabilities and improve our service," Jastatt said. The new venture, however, also means the loss of 17 or so employees because of duplication of services since all the printing operations will be based in Cleveland. A sales and customer service division will remain open in Warren with some 10 employees on staff."We regret the loss of jobs and we'll do everything we possibly can to get our employees back into the job market," Jastatt stated.Through HKM, Jastatt said, his company will be able to provide a wider variety of services to its customers, such as digital, 40-inch sheet-fed commercial offset printing, full-service binding, laser printing, full Internet capability, direct mailing and order fulfillment. "We needed those capabilities," he added. "We had what they wanted and they had what we wanted."The other specialty that sparked Warren Printing's interest in the merger -- the possibility of which Jastatt said "came up out of the blue a few months ago" -- is HKM's ability to offer design capabilities directly over the Web. "It allows customers to design their own prints, order the printed copies and have it all shipped within 48 hours via the Internet," Jastatt said.The company plans to continue serving its local, regional and national clients through its affiliation with HKM, Jastatt added. "In order to provide our customers with the most up-to-date, high-quality products, we feel a business alliance with HKM is a positive step forward," he commented.Keeping up with technology is becoming more and more important for clients looking to achieve the best results for their investment, Jastatt said. The consolidation with HKM "gives us the ability to ensure customers get the best value with today's technology," he stated. The alternative was for Warren Printing to underwrite substantial investments in new technology, the costs of which could not be passed on to customers if the company was to remain competitive, Jastatt said.In 1996, Warren Printing invested $560,000 in two new 26 inch presses that nearly doubled the company's printing capacity, The Business Journal reported at the time. Eight years ago the company had 41 full-time employees. "Without high-tech equipment investment, our products would not be of the quality we prefer," Jastatt said then.HKM describes itself as a full-service marketing company and has offices in New Jersey, Seattle and Cleveland.Among the Warren Printing employees who will remain on the payroll following the merger are Jastatt and his sister, Nancy; both will concentrate on sales, he said. Other employees who will continue to work at the company's Warren offices are customer service representatives, he noted, and two additional sales representatives.Contact Dan O'Brien: [email protected]"