Published March 2004

Equipment, software maker to close its Lynnwood office

SCBJ Staff

A Canadian printing equipment and software company will shut its Lynnwood office in June, affecting more than two dozen employees.

Creo Inc. of Burnaby, British Columbia, took over the local operation when it bought ScenicSoft Inc. in August 2002. That company, founded by Erik Smith in 1985, employed 60 people in Lynnwood at the time and 12 more in Europe.

After the acquisition, Creo laid off people in positions that were considered redundant. Before the latest action, the staff numbered 28, Creo spokeswoman Rochelle van Halm said. Not all of those will be laid off, however.

“Some will be offered positions in our Vancouver office, some were laid off effective immediately, and others will be laid off over the next months, depending on their positions,” van Halm said.

The decision to close the office on 164th Street SW came as part of an overall restructuring of the company, she added. About 100 positions in several locations around the world are being eliminated.

“It was kind of an overall tightening of things, as we’re in an economy that remains challenging,” van Halm said.

ScenicSoft, which developed software widely used by publishing and graphic arts firms, grew fast in the late 1990s, but then laid off employees in 2000 and 2001. When Creo purchased the company, ScenicSoft’s liabilities exceeded $2 million.

Creo, which employs 4,000 people, makes pre-press software, digital printers, scanning and proofing systems, and components for digital presses. The equipment and software is widely used by newspapers, magazines and other commercial printing facilities.

The company reported in February that its profit for the quarter that ended in December was $12.3 million.

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