Top Printers 25 Years
Some of the names have changed, but the industry endures, as the 25th annual ranking of the nation's largest printers shows.
By Lisa Cross Senior Editor & Tim Avery Editorial Assistant -- graphic arts online, 6/1/2007
It has been 25 years since Graphic Arts Monthly began publishing its annual GAM 101 listing of the top printers in North America—and RR Donnelley is still on top. At that time, the Chicago-based printing giant posted $1.4 billion in sales, compared to $9.3 billion today.
Indeed, the vast majority of company names on the list has changed since 1983, the result of consolidations and ceased operations. (Think you can guess which printers from the '83 list are still around? For the answers, visit our special Website: www.graphicartsmonthly.com/101_in_1983.)
The industry's footprint in terms of manufacturing sites has grown astronomically. The top four printers on this year's list (excluding FedEx Kinko's 1,600 in-store print operations) operate 392 manufacturing sites, as compared with 36 on the original list. A large portion of this growth was due to mergers and acquisitions. A number of firms in our 2007 compilation—Quebecor World, Cenveo and Consolidated Graphics (CGX)—have ascended to the top echelon of the list via acquisition.
Consolidation activity played a major role again in industry restructuring this year, as reflected in the current list. RR Donnelley purchased Banta, Perry Judd's and Von Hoffman (a unit of Visant). The Banta deal was an industry shocker, as Donnelley played “white knight” to Cenveo's hostile bid. Following its failed takeover attempt of Banta, Stamford, CT-based Cenveo went on to acquire Cadmus and Printegra. Houston-based Consolidated Graphics added The Hennegan Co., Florence, KY, to expand its arsenal of companies to 76.
Consolidation aside, the printing industry remains fragmented. The top 400 U.S. printers, points out Donnelley CEO Thomas Quinlan, “account for less than 30% of the market.”
All in all, 2006 was a good year for GAM 101 firms, as 73% posted sales gains, 34% of which were double-digit increases.
VistaPrint had another standout performance, with 67% sales growth over last year (on top of 55% in 2005). What started as a company printing just business cards online now offers dozens of products. The printer expanded its production plant in Windsor, ON, and its staff to more than 800 employees worldwide.
To stay competitive, top printers continued to invest heavily in capital upgrades, spending $1.4 billion to improve and grow operations, compared to $1.3 billion the prior year. Investments centered on equipment, plant expansions and projects to boost efficiency.
Firms reported differentiating from the pack is becoming more challenging. Diversification, once hailed as the silver bullet of survival, is now commonplace. “What was a wild departure from traditional ink on paper five years ago (digital print, fulfillment, etc.) is now a given—by both the largest and smallest companies,” says William Woods, Jr., CEO of commercial printer The EPI Companies, Marietta, GA, which ranks 88th on the list with 2006 sales of $53.5 million.
He says the challenge now for printing companies is to establish collaborative relationships with clients.
Companies on the list represent $45.4 billion in sales. Sales data, the criteria used to rank firms on the GAM 101, was provided by the companies on the list and represents each firm's fiscal year.
New names and/or firms returning to the list this year include: Bertelsmann arvato (21), Multi-Color Corp. (30), Vmark (35), Canadian BankNote (44), Segerdahl (46), MPA Label Systems (56), Tweddle Litho (59), Southwest Offset (70), Bert-Co (73), Graphic Press (77), John Roberts (78), Pratt Corp. (82), JohnsByrne (84), Penn Industries (90), Wright Business Graphics (91), Primary Color Systems (92), Flower City Printing (93), NPC (95), Sprint Press (98), Suttle-Straus (99), GLS Companies (100) and McArdle Printing (101).
Firms choosing not to participate this year include John H. Harland (15th last year), Paxar (18), American Color (24), Nationwide Graphics/Premier Print (40), Hess Management (46) and K/P Corporation (67).
Check printer Harland was acquired by Clarke American; label printer Paxar by Avery Dennison.
Champion Industries opted to be listed this year under Chapman Printing.
For a more extensive listing of information provided here, the Graphic Arts BlueBook (www.gabb.com) offers a CD-ROM database that contains information on key contacts, demographics and product mix at individual plants and satellite offices. More than 1,000 individual facilities are included. To reserve your copy, e-mail csartori@reedbusiness.com or call 646.746.7429.
To be included in the 2008 GAM 101, contact Lisa Cross at lisa.cross@reedbusiness.com.
| Rank | Company Parent Headquarters, Products, CEO | Current | Prior | Change | Employee Count | Sales Per Employee $ | Production Sites | Capital Expenditures |
| (Annual Sales($000s) | ||||||||
| 1 | RR Donnelley1Chicago, IL, COM, PUB, BK, T. Quinlan | 9,316,000 | 8,430,000 | 11% | 60,000 | 155,267 | 186 | 374,300,000 |
| 2 | Quebecor World1Montreal, QC, PUB, W. Lucas | 6,090,000 | 6,280,000 | -3% | 28,800 | 211,458 | 130 | 73,400,000 |
| 3 | FedEx Kinko's1Dallas, TX, COM, SPC, K. May | 2,088,000 | 2,066,000 | 1% | 21,000 | 99,429 | 1,600 | N/A |
| 4 | Transcontinental Inc.1Montreal, QB, COM, PUB, L. Desjardins* | 2,049,235 | 2,049,235 | 0% | 14,500 | 141,327 | 60 | 107,258,083 |
| 5 | Quad/GraphicsSussex, WI, CAT, PUB, J. Quadracci | 2,020,000 | 1,950,000 | 4% | 12,000 | 168,333 | 16 | 150,000,000 |
| 6 | American Greetings1Cleveland, OH, SPC, Z. Weiss | 1,744,600 | 1,875,104 | -7% | 9,400 | 185,596 | 9 | 41,700,000 |
| 7 | Deluxe Corp.1St. Paul, MN, SPC, L. Schram | 1,639,654 | 1,716,294 | -4% | 8,396 | 195,290 | 24 | N/A |
| 8 | Cenveo Inc.1Stamford, CT, COM, S. Sullivan | 1,511,224 | 1,594,781 | -5% | 10,000 | 151,122 | 46 | 27,000,000 |
| 9 | Vertis CommunicationsBaltimore, MD, INS, DM, M. DuBose | 1,500,000 | 1,500,000 | 0% | 5,800 | 258,621 | 38 | 49,000,000 |
| 10 | Visant Corp.1Armonk, NY, BK, DM, SPC, M. Reisch | 1,186,600 | 1,110,700 | 7% | 5,096 | 232,849 | 24 | 51,900,000 |
| 11 | Valassis1Livonia, MI, INS, A. Schultz | 1,043,500 | 1,131,000 | -8% | 3,600 | 289,861 | 3 | 16,200,000 |
| 12 | Consolidated Graphics1Houston, TX, COM, J. Davis | 1,006,000 | 879,000 | 14% | 6,000 | 167,667 | 76 | 42,314,000 |
| 13 | Chesapeake Corp.1Richmond, VA, SPC, A. Kohut | 995,400 | 1,009,200 | -1% | 5,756 | 172,933 | 46 | 35,800,000 |
| 14 | Standard Register1Dayton, OH, BF, DS, PM, D. Rediker | 894,904 | 890,740 | 0% | 3,760 | 238,006 | 13 | N/A |
| 15 | Scientific Games1New York, NY, SPC, L. Weil | 892,200 | 781,700 | 14% | 5,500 | 162,218 | 5 | N/A |
| 16 | Bowne & Co.1New York, NY, FIN, D. Shea | 832,200 | 666,900 | 25% | 3,200 | 260,063 | 11 | N/A |
| 17 | Merrill Corp.St. Paul, MN, COM, FIN, J. Castro | 796,417 | 697,893 | 14% | 6,100 | 130,560 | 8 | N/A |
| 18 | Ennis, Inc.1Midlothian, TX, BF, K. Walters | 559,397 | 365,353 | 53% | 6,200 | 90,225 | 30 | N/A |
| 19 | Brown Printing Co.Waseca, MN, PUB, T. Engdahl | 400,000 | 400,000 | 0% | 2,600 | 153,846 | 3 | 18,000,000 |
| 20 | The Sheridan GroupHunt Valley, MD, PUB, J. Saxton | 338,000 | 348,000 | -3% | 2,000 | 169,000 | 7 | N/A |
| 21 | WS Packaging Group, Inc.Algoma, WI, SPC, T. Fulwiler | 313,905 | 257,131 | 22% | 1,728 | 181,658 | 17 | 12,737,000 |
| 22 | Bertelsmann arvato AGGuetersloh, DE, COM, BK, H. Ostrowski | 297,000 | 286,000 | 4% | 2,000 | 148,500 | 9 | N/A |
| 23 | Arandell CorporationMenomonee Falls, WI, CAT, D. Treis | 281,431 | 269,411 | 4% | 808 | 348,306 | 1 | N/A |
| 24 | Courier Corporation1North Chelmsford, MA, BK | 269,100 | 227,000 | 19% | 1,724 | 156,090 | 6 | 29,400,000 |
| 25 | St. Joseph CommunicationsConcord, ON, COM, T. Gagliano* | 268,192 | 263,536 | 2% | 2,000 | 134,096 | 54 | 33,870,974 |
| 26 | IWCO DirectChanhassen, MN, DM, J. Andersen | 264,500 | 199,200 | 33% | 1,700 | 155,588 | 5 | 9,800,000 |
| 27 | Trend Offset PrintingLos Alamitos, CA, PUB, A. Lienau | 255,000 | 240,000 | 6% | 1,065 | 239,437 | 3 | 20,000,000 |
| 28 | EarthColorWest Orange, NJ, COM, R. Kashan | 233,000 | 207,000 | 13% | 724 | 321,823 | 7 | 7,000,000 |
| 29 | Gannett Offset1 (Gannett Co.)Springfield, VA, PUB, D. Washburn | 226,238 | 225,201 | 0% | 1,192 | 189,797 | 5 | 5,600,000 |
| 30 | Multi-Color Corporation1Sharonville, OH, SPC, F. Gerace | 222,374 | 205,272 | 8% | 829 | 268,244 | 10 | 2,683,000 |
| 31 | Ivy Hill1 (Cinram)New York, NY, SPC, A. Kern | 213,000 | 234,000 | -9% | 1,000 | 213,000 | 4 | 12,000,000 |
| 32 | Publishers Press Shepherdsville, KY, PUB, N. Simon | 207,000 | 205,000 | 1% | 1,800 | 115,000 | 2 | 15,000,000 |
| 33 | J.J. Keller & AssociatesNeenah, WI, PUB, R. Keller | 205,156 | 187,389 | 9% | 1,200 | 170,963 | 1 | 8,781,522 |
| 34 | Fort Dearborn CompanyElk Grove Village, IL, SPC, M. Anderson | 200,000 | 180,000 | 11% | 750 | 266,667 | 6 | 10,000,000 |
| 35 | VmarkHillside, IL, COM, BF, SPC, P. Veluchamy | 200,000 | 185,000 | 8% | 1,500 | 133,333 | 9 | N/A |
| 36 | ColorGraphicsLos Angeles, CA, COM, C. Madison | 175,700 | 160,200 | 10% | 460 | 381,957 | 4 | N/A |
| 37 | Command Web (MacNaughton) Secaucus, NJ, A. Merson | 175,000 | 170,000 | 3% | 670 | 261,194 | 5 | 15,000,000 |
| 38 | Unigraphics USAPhoenix, AZ, BF, S. Gaynor | 168,000 | 165,000 | 2% | 1,135 | 148,018 | 12 | N/A |
| 39 | VistaPrint Limited1Hamilton, Bermuda, COM, R. Keane | 152,100 | 90,900 | 67% | 800 | 190,125 | 2 | 24,900,000 |
| 40 | Chapman Printing1 (Champion) Huntington, WV, COM, BF, M. Reynolds | 145,188 | 134,925 | 8% | 150 | 967,920 | 10 | 2,951,610 |
| 41 | Sandy Alexander (Mickelberry)Clifton, NJ, COM, R. Grossman | 142,000 | 139,000 | 2% | 315 | 450,794 | 4 | 2,100,000 |
| 42 | The Matlet GroupPawtucket, RI, COM, G. Stiffler | 142,000 | 137,000 | 4% | 650 | 218,462 | 5 | 4,500,000 |
| 43 | Japs-Olson CompanySt. Louis Park, MN, COM, M. Beddor | 141,024 | 138,276 | 2% | 732 | 192,656 | 1 | N/A |
| 44 | Canadian BankNoteOttawa, ON, SPC, R. Arends* | 135,961 | 114,776 | 18% | 1,000 | 135,924 | N/A | N/A |
| 45 | LithographixHawthorne, CA, COM, H. Zebrack | 135,000 | 120,000 | 13% | 400 | 337,500 | 1 | 2,000,000 |
| 46 | Segerdahl Corp.Wheeling, IL, COM, R. Joutras | 132,761 | 113,506 | 17% | 350 | 379,317 | 2 | 3,350,000 |
| 47 | CGI North AmericaJersey City, NJ, COM, FIN, D. Klaiss | 129,000 | 128,000 | 1% | 425 | 303,529 | 3 | 9,000,000 |
| 48 | St. Ives Inc. US Division1Hollywood, FL, COM, W. Angstrom | 117,095 | 123,949 | -6% | 819 | 142,973 | 3 | N/A |
| 49 | PBM Graphics, Inc.Durham, NC, COM, T. Pegram | 117,000 | 115,000 | 2% | 800 | 146,250 | 3 | 3,000,000 |
| 50 | PLM Group1Markham, ON, COM, B. Pike* | 116,434 | 108,982 | 7% | 450 | 258,742 | 4 | 5,645,404 |
| 51 | Creel PrintingLas Vegas, NV, PUB, A. Creel | 111,000 | 103,000 | 8% | 450 | 246,667 | 2 | N/A |
| 52 | Imagine! Print SolutionsMinneapolis, MN, COM, R. Lothenbach | 109,506 | 96,850 | 13% | 550 | 199,102 | 1 | 8,400,000 |
| 53 | IntegraColorMesquite, TX, COM, L. King | 96,300 | 87,400 | 10% | 544 | 177,022 | 4 | 3,500,000 |
| 54 | Imprimerie Solisco Scott, QB, PUB, J. Gregoire* | 94,976 | 86,307 | 10% | 365 | 260,208 | 3 | 2,352,153 |
| 55 | Outlook GroupNeenah, WI, COM, DM, SPC, J. Baksha | 94,000 | 86,000 | 9% | 454 | 207,048 | 3 | 2,000,000 |
| 56 | MPI Label SystemsSebring, OH, SPC, R. Kocher | 90,000 | 89,500 | 1% | 510 | 176,471 | 8 | 2,450,000 |
| 57 | L.P. ThebaultParsippany, NJ, COM, B. Thebault | 89,400 | 88,300 | 1% | 237 | 377,215 | 2 | 4,900,000 |
| 58 | Keller Crescent Co.Evansville, IN, SPC, T. Smythe | 88,930 | 87,490 | 2% | 589 | 150,985 | 3 | 3,892,000 |
| 59 | Tweddle LithoClinton Twp., MI, BK, PUB, A. Tweddle | 86,500 | 82,300 | 5% | 300 | 288,333 | 4 | N/A |
| 60 | Hammer PackagingRochester, NY, SPC, J. Hammer | 86,000 | 74,000 | 16% | 385 | 223,377 | 5 | 15,000,000 |
| 61 | Henry WurstNorth Kansas City, MO, COM, M. Wurst | 85,000 | 67,250 | 26% | 536 | 158,582 | 4 | 2,300,000 |
| 62 | Pictorial Offset Corp.Carlstadt, NJ, COM, D. Samuels | 83,400 | 82,500 | 1% | 300 | 278,000 | 1 | 2,500,000 |
| 63 | Smyth CompaniesMinneapolis, MN, SPC, J. Hickey | 82,500 | 82,500 | 0% | 350 | 235,714 | 3 | 5,000,000 |
| 64 | Maple-Vail Book Mfg. GroupYork, PA, BK, J. Wisotzkey | 81,000 | 81,000 | 0% | 900 | 90,000 | 5 | N/A |
| 65 | Williamson Printing CorporationDallas, TX, COM, J. Williamson | 80,000 | 80,000 | 0% | 400 | 200,000 | 3 | 10,000,000 |
| 66 | Continental Web PressItasca, IL, CAT, K. Field | 78,500 | 80,000 | -2% | 400 | 196,250 | 2 | 20,000,000 |
| 67 | Edwards BrothersAnn Arbor, MI, BK, PUB, J. Edwards | 77,500 | 76,000 | 2% | 750 | 103,333 | 7 | 6,000,000 |
| 68 | Friesens Corp.Altona, MB, BK, D. Friesens* | 75,056 | 75,056 | -2% | 550 | 136,465 | 4 | N/A |
| 69 | TanaseybertNew York, NY, COM, E. Bernstein | 75,000 | 75,000 | 0% | 375 | 200,000 | 2 | 6,500,000 |
| 70 | Southwest Offset PrintingGardena, CA, PUB, G. McDonald | 72,900 | 72,500 | 1% | 530 | 137,547 | 2 | 7,000,000 |
| 71 | National GraphicsN. Branford, CT, COM, N. Napoli | 72,000 | 68,800 | 5% | 382 | 188,482 | 3 | N/A |
| 72 | WebcraftersMadison, WI, BK, J. Garner | 71,000 | 76,000 | -7% | 650 | 109,231 | 2 | N/A |
| 73 | Bert-Co IndustriesCerritos, CA, SPC, C. Stay | 70,000 | 65,000 | 8% | 240 | 291,667 | 2 | 6,500,000 |
| 74 | National Print GroupChattanooga, TN, SPC, P. Harris | 68,000 | 57,000 | 19% | 413 | 164,649 | 4 | 2,500,000 |
| 75 | Times Printing Co. Random Lake, WI, COM, J. Scholler | 65,655 | 60,040 | 9% | 450 | 145,900 | 1 | 1,527,792 |
| 76 | American Spirit GraphicsMinneapolis, MN, COM, D. Carlson | 65,000 | 64,000 | 2% | 305 | 213,115 | 4 | 2,000,000 |
| 77 | Graphic PressLos Angeles, CA, COM, R. Ginsberg | 65,000 | 60,000 | 8% | 220 | 295,455 | 2 | 1,500,000 |
| 78 | The John Roberts Co.Minneapolis, MN, COM, M. Keene | 62,600 | 60,800 | 3% | 320 | 195,625 | 1 | 6,000,000 |
| 79 | doodadAustell, GA, INS, T. McCloskey | 62,000 | 54,000 | 15% | 220 | 281,818 | 4 | 1,500,000 |
| 80 | Specialty PrintingNiles, IL, COM, P. LeFebvre** | 60,000 | 57,860 | 4% | 250 | 240,000 | 1 | 10,000,000 |
| 81 | E&D WebCicero, IL, C. Love | 59,620 | 58,500 | 2% | 175 | 340,686 | 2 | N/A |
| 82 | Pratt CorporationIndianapolis, IN, SPC, D. Pratt | 58,500 | 66,500 | -12% | 270 | 216,667 | 1 | N/A |
| 83 | Universal PrintingSt. Louis, MO, COM, R. Ebel | 58,000 | 60,000 | -3% | 250 | 232,000 | 2 | N/A |
| 84 | JohnsByrne Co.Niles, IL, COM, C. Gustafson | 58,000 | 40,000 | 45% | 185 | 313,514 | 1 | 4,200,000 |
| 85 | Lane PressSo. Burlington, VT, PUB, P. Drumheller | 58,000 | 55,000 | 5% | 290 | 200,000 | 1 | N/A |
| 86 | Worzalla PublishingStevens Point, WI, BK, C. Nason | 57,361 | 53,232 | 8% | 355 | 161,580 | 1 | 6,000,000 |
| 87 | Intelligencer PrintingLancaster, PA, M. Stief | 56,000 | 47,000 | 19% | 225 | 248,889 | 2 | 11,000,000 |
| 88 | The EPI CompaniesMarietta, GA, COM, W. Woods, Jr. | 53,500 | 44,000 | 22% | 275 | 194,545 | 2 | 2,000,000 |
| 89 | Lake County PressWaukegan, IL, COM, R. Johnson | 50,239 | 43,006 | 17% | 235 | 213,783 | 3 | 950,000 |
| 90 | Penn IndustriesCerritos, CA, INS, J. Alkazian | 50,000 | 36,000 | 39% | 190 | 263,158 | 1 | 3,500,000 |
| 91 | Wright Business GraphicsPortland, OR, J. Wright | 49,000 | 40,000 | 23% | 325 | 150,769 | 4 | 1,000,000 |
| 92 | Primary Color SystemsCosta Mesa, CA, COM, D. Hirt | 48,750 | 38,100 | 28% | 240 | 203,125 | 2 | 4,000,000 |
| 93 | Flower City Printing Rochester, NY, SPC, W. Scheible | 48,489 | 40,828 | 19% | 292 | 166,058 | 3 | 3,077,000 |
| 94 | WebcomToronto, ON, BK, M. Collinge* | 48,436 | 49,368 | -2% | 300 | 161,453 | 1 | N/A |
| 95 | NPC, Inc.Claysburg, PA, M. Barnhart | 48,000 | 50,000 | -4% | 450 | 106,667 | 1 | 3,000,000 |
| 96 | GeographicsAtlanta, GA, COM, N. Hagan | 47,500 | 47,914 | -1% | 200 | 237,500 | 1 | 4,000,000 |
| 97 | Hickory Printing GroupConover, NC, COM, G. Glisan | 47,000 | 48,600 | -3% | 271 | 173,432 | 3 | 1,000,000 |
| 98 | Sprint PressFt. Worth, TX, COM, CAT, B. Williams | 45,776 | 37,696 | 21% | 200 | 228,880 | 2 | 7,000,000 |
| 99 | Suttle-Straus (Telephone & Data) Waunakee, WI, COM, J. Berthelsen | 44,048 | 41,975 | 5% | 210 | 209,752 | 1 | 2,500,000 |
| 100 | GLS CompaniesBrooklyn Park, MN, COM, G. Garner | 44,000 | 37,500 | 17% | 385 | 114,286 | 3 | 4,300,000 |
| 101 | McArdle Printing Upper Marlboro, MD, COM, L. Arsenault | 44,000 | 39,000 | 13% | 220 | 200,000 | 1 | N/A |
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