Sales results of the largest printing firms in North America signal a return to better days. This 23rd edition of the annual GAM 101 listing of the largest publicly and privately held printing companies (by sales volume) indicates that more firms posted sales gains than losses. Of firms posting gains, 30% were in the double digits compared to 23% in last year’s listing. Top printers invested $1.1 billion in capital improvements.

Recent earnings reports from public printing firms indicate that positive sales momentum continues. Banta (#9) reported Q1 sales reached $386 million, 10% above the $350 million reported in the same quarter in 2004. Quebecor World (#2) reported Q4 revenues increased 9% to $1.9 billion compared to $1.7 billion in the prior year’s quarter. RR Donnelley (#1) reported sales for Q1 up 49.5% to $1.9 billion versus the same period in 2004, as a result of its Moore Wallace acquisition and increased volume in the publishing and retail services segments. Last month the company inked two contracts valued at a total of $340 million. Cadmus (#22) reported flat Q3 sales of $113.2 million compared to last year—double-digit growth in the specialty packaging segment was offset by lower sales in the publisher services segment and lower revenues from freight and postage.

Acquisition activity continues. Consolidated Graphics (#17) purchased Kelmscott Communications (#60 on 2004’s list). RR Donnelley agreed to buy the UK-based Astron Group—a provider of transactional print and mail services, data and print management, document production and marketing support services—for $990 million cash. Astron employs more than 4,000 and expects 2005 revenues of $550 million. The deal is expected to close this summer. Cenveo (#5) is currently engaged in a shareholder battle with Burton Capital Management and Toronto hedge fund Goodwood.

Here is last year’s ranking (in parentheses) of a few firms that did not or chose not to respond this year: Taylor Corp. (12), Corporate Express Documents (28), UnigraphicsUSA (41), Miami Systems (49), Berlin Industries (54), L.P. Thebault (67), Holden Communications (85) and Monarch Litho (92) are absent.

The order of the list is based on sales revenues. Data was provided by firms in response to a mailed questionnaire, telephone contacts and company websites. Companies on the list represent $44 billion in sales. (For Canadian firms, a uniform currency-exchange rate was applied.)

Companies that want to be included in our next listing, slated for May 2006, should contact Lisa Cross at lisa.cross@reedbusiness.com.

For a more extensive listing of the information provided here, including key contact information at individual plants, the Graphic Arts Blue Book offers its Blue Book Top 100. The $750 CD includes extensive information for more than 1,000 locations of the top 100 commercial, financial, specialty and catalog/publication printers in the U.S. & Canada. For more information, call 646.746.7429 or visit www.gabb.com/pages/top100.php.