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he argues that michael foods is <unk> this is a growth company in the packaged food industry a rare breed like finding a white <unk>
earnings are n't keeping pace he says because of heavy investments in the egg technologies and <unk> costs in its potato business
mr. <unk> however believes the company 's egg product wo n't help the bottom line in the short run even though it makes sense it 's more convenient and justifies its price which is higher than shell eggs because of health and <unk> concerns
prospective competition is one problem
last week a closely held new jersey concern <unk> high-grade egg products co. rolled out an <unk> packaged <unk> item called table ready
company president steve <unk> says <unk> will be among his clients as well
michael shares closed at N N yesterday in national over-the-counter trading
says new york-based short seller mark <unk> in my mind this is a $ N stock
michael late yesterday announced a $ N million stock buy-back program
michael which also processes potatoes still relies on <unk> for about a fourth of its sales and nearly half its pretax profit
but dry growing conditions in the red river valley of minnesota and north <unk> are pushing spot prices of potatoes beyond what michael contracted to pay last spring
company lawyers recently sent letters to growers saying that michael would take very seriously any effort to <unk> its <unk> potatoes to other outlets
still analysts believe that profit margins in the potato business will be down again this year
pierre peladeau a canadian newspaper publisher <unk> in the u.s. figures to become a big player in north american printing and his ambitions do n't end there
yesterday quebecor inc. a montreal printing publishing and forest-products company <unk> by mr. peladeau agreed to acquire maxwell communication corp. 's u.s. printing subsidiary maxwell graphics inc. for $ N million in cash and securities
the purchase expected to be completed by year end will make quebecor the second-largest commercial printer in north america behind only <unk> <unk> & sons co. chicago
the printing customers that quebecor will gain through maxwell graphics include the sunday newspaper supplement parade time sports illustrated and tv guide
but the transaction is just mr. peladeau 's latest step in a larger design to build quebecor through acquisitions into an integrated paper publishing and printing concern with a reach throughout north america
he already has achieved <unk> integration on a limited scale quebecor can put a weekly newspaper on almost any quebec <unk> without using outside help from <unk> down the tree to making the newsprint to <unk> it up onto the <unk>
analysts say quebecor 's purchase is part of a trend toward consolidation in the north american printing industry
along with <unk> says <unk> <unk> an analyst with <unk> thomson <unk> inc. in montreal quebecor has positioned itself as one of the two key players
he adds i think this is a great strategic move for quebecor
they are buying an operation that is running well
mr. peladeau says he is n't trying to catch up to <unk> which has annual sales of over $ N billion
size does n't matter mr. peladeau says
what counts is the bottom line
some of mr. peladeau 's ventures including an earlier push into the u.s. market have n't paid off on the bottom line
quebecor started the philadelphia journal a daily tabloid in N and closed it three years later
the venture cost quebecor $ N million mr. peladeau says
more recently some former quebecor executives started their own printing company specializing in printing and distributing advertising <unk>
quebecor still <unk> in the quebec <unk> market while mr. peladeau 's former employees are expanding across canada
mr. peladeau took his first big gamble N years ago when he took advantage of a strike at la <unk> then montreal 's dominant <unk> newspaper to launch the journal de montreal
the tabloid 's circulation soared to N but plunged to under N when the la <unk> strike ended
still mr. peladeau stuck with the venture
now the journal flush with ads and <unk> profitable is even with la <unk> in weekend circulation and <unk> it N to N every <unk>
mr. peladeau has never made any <unk> for publishing the tabloid a <unk> mix of crime and sports
i 've read <unk> he answers critics
it 's tabloid news from a to z
quebecor also publishes a second tabloid in montreal the struggling <unk> montreal daily news <unk> in quebec city and <unk> manitoba and dozens of <unk> covering most of quebec
a series of recent acquisitions made it the dominant magazine publisher in quebec
after a recent merger it is also the only <unk> distributor of magazines and newspapers in quebec
finally with maxwell communication the company controls N N of <unk> inc. a quebec city pulp and paper concern
in yesterday 's accord quebecor agreed to pay $ N million in cash for maxwell graphics and to give maxwell communication a N N stake valued at $ N million in quebecor 's new printing subsidiary
the new as yet <unk> subsidiary will combine quebecor 's existing printing unit and maxwell graphics
it will have N plants from coast to coast and $ N billion in annual sales
quebecor will own N N of the new subsidiary
<unk> de <unk> <unk> placement the quebec government <unk> agency will pay $ N million for the remaining N N stake in the printing operation
<unk> peladeau the founder 's son and the executive in charge of the acquisition says quebecor has n't decided how it will finance its share of the purchase but he says it most likely will use debt
the maxwell deal is quebecor 's second big printing acquisition in just over a year
last october quebecor bought N canadian printing plants from <unk> inc. a montreal telecommunications manufacturing energy and real estate company
that purchase doubled quebecor 's annual printing revenue to $ N million
maxwell 's sale of its u.s. printing unit was expected the last major business to be <unk> of in a major <unk> of assets
according to its most recent annual report covering the N months ended march N maxwell communication bought $ N billion in assets including macmillan inc. and official airlines <unk> and sold $ N billion in <unk> businesses
now maxwell founder robert maxwell says he has an appetite for new acquisitions in the u.s. adding that he could spend a good deal more than $ N billion on another u.s. purchase
in london trading yesterday maxwell communication shares rose nine pence to N pence $ N
in montreal quebecor 's multiple voting class a stock closed at c$ N us$ N down N canadian cents
quebecor class b stock closed at c$ N up N canadian cents
craig <unk> in london contributed to this article
<unk> searle & co. said the food and drug administration approved the sale of <unk> a <unk> drug developed by a joint venture between searle and a french concern
searle a unit of monsanto co. said the <unk> <unk> drug <unk> is the first product to reach the market through <unk> pharmaceuticals the u.s. company jointly owned by searle and <unk> a french pharmaceutical concern owned by france 's <unk> s.a
the u.s. equal employment opportunity commission sued new york state for age discrimination against appointed state judges
the suit filed in federal court in manhattan charges that new york 's mandatory retirement age of N violates federal law
separately the commission intervened in a connecticut state judge 's <unk> suit in federal court in new haven
the commission 's filing in that case challenges connecticut 's mandatory retirement age of N for appointed judges
the new york suit was filed on behalf of justice <unk> rubin whose appointment to the state appellate division expires at year end and all other judges hurt by the alleged age discrimination
the suit assigned to federal judge <unk> wood seeks a permanent injunction back pay for judges who have been forced to retire <unk> of retired judges and other <unk> relief necessary to <unk> the effects of new york 's unlawful employment practices
justice rubin a state judge since N said the <unk> age <unk> the court system because it <unk> the state of experienced judges still capable of serving on the bench
the issue is n't age age is just a number
the issue is one of a judge 's experience his <unk> and his physical ability to serve on the bench justice rubin said
i 've had no problems performing my duties and responsibilities
because justice rubin turned N on may N he is n't eligible to be <unk> to the bench at the end of the year
the suit 's impact on new york may be narrow however
most new york judges are elected and the federal <unk> law does n't apply to elected officials said james l. lee regional attorney for the <unk> in new york
under new york law elected judges must retire at age N but then can be appointed to two-year terms until they reach N
a spokeswoman for the state 's office of court administration declined to comment on the suit
but she said the state currently has N appointed judges who are over N
in connecticut however most state judges are appointed by the governor and approved by the state legislature
the parties in the connecticut case have agreed to stay proceedings pending the appeal of another <unk> <unk> case against vermont
in the vermont case a federal judge ruled that the state 's mandatory age of N for appointed judges was illegal vermont 's appeal of that decision is pending before the u.s. second circuit court of appeals in manhattan
<unk> <unk> connecticut 's chief court administrator declined to comment on the suit and the <unk> 's intervention
he said the state has N appointed judges and N trial <unk> who are former judges over age N and serve a restricted role on the bench
organized crime strike forces likely to be abolished next month
u.s. attorney general dick thornburgh 's plan to <unk> the N regional <unk> strike forces is expected to go into effect next month despite the opposition of democratic congressional leaders and lawyers in the special units
the units are <unk> from u.s. attorneys ' offices and focus exclusively on <unk> <unk> cases
in february mr. thornburgh announced his plan to abolish the units
he says the <unk> lawyers will work more efficiently under the supervision of u.s. attorneys
mr. thornburgh will be free to <unk> the strike forces after congress approves a $ N million <unk> for federal law-enforcement and <unk> agencies according to david runkel a justice department spokesman
the bill is expected to pass in congress next month
congress temporarily halted mr. thornburgh 's effort with an <unk> resolution that prohibited him from using <unk> funds to implement his plan
opponents say mr. thornburgh 's plan will <unk> break up longtime tightly <unk> <unk> units that have successfully prosecuted major <unk> figures
they predict that <unk> activity will increase once the units are <unk> and their responsibilities transferred to u.s. attorneys ' offices
some former <unk> personnel say the units have already begun to break up
the eastern district unit in brooklyn n.y. lost seven of its N attorneys this year partly because the lawyers were troubled by the proposed reorganization says <unk> a. <unk> who left the strike force to join morrison cohen singer & <unk> a new york law firm
those who have left have expressed an opinion that the strike force should continue ms. <unk> says
but mr. runkel contends there has been no exodus of <unk> lawyers
he says N lawyers have left and N have been hired since mr. thornburgh announced his plan
at the time the plan was announced there were N lawyers
some congressional leaders intend to continue to fight for independent strike forces
a spokesman for sen. edward m. kennedy d. mass says mr. thornburgh would be required to <unk> the units next year if an proposed omnibus crime bill is passed
among other things the bill calls for a reorganization of the justice department