GAOnline 101 Top North American Printers: Big Printers Get Bigger
Industry revenues raise 12 percent and consolidation continues, as companies push towards globalization.
By Lisa Cross, Senior Editor -- Graphic Arts Online, 6/1/2008
Growth and consolidation were on the agenda of the largest printing operations in North America over the past year. So were sustainability, globalization, and on the horizon, inklings of increased consumer activism and worker unionizing.
The 26th annual GAM 101 listing of the largest print operations report an aggregate revenue leap of 12%, to over $56 billion, for print firms with significant operations in North America. The “significant operations” qualifier also reflects something new—that increasing numbers of the biggest printing companies operating in the U.S., are not necessarily based in North America.
The revenue figure reported by GAM 101 printers also represents, for the first time, more than one-third of the print volume reported by PIA/GATF from Dept. of Commerce data.
Some of the standouts carrying a high profile with headquarters elsewhere: VistaPrint (Bermuda), Avarto Print (Germany), De La Rue (U.K.), Brown Printing (Germany), St. Ives (U.K.), Pindar (U.K.) and Keller Crescent (Ireland). And, an increasing number of firms headquartered in the U.S. have high profile and rapidly growing operations abroad: RR Donnelley, Quad/Graphics, Scientific Games, Rock-Tenn, Avery Dennison.
Consolidation activity lead to a significant revenue jump for some firms. Big acquisition deals since last year: Valassis/Advo, Harland/Clarke American, Cenveo/ColorGraphics. EarthColor/L.P. Thebault. Consolidated Graphics/PBM Graphics and Transcontinental/PLM Group.
Investment Begets SalesTop revenue generating firms also paid attention to upgrading operations, investing $1.3 billion in capital improvements.
Overall, 2007 results were positive for GAM 101 firms, but slightly down from the prior year. Sales were up for 69% versus 73% last year. More companies, 37%, reported double-digit revenue gains this year, than last, 34%. However, most of the big sales gains were due to acquisitions.
Sales data, the factor used to rank firms, was provided by either the firms listed or culled from public sources.
A few firms responding to GAM's request for information that just missed the list and to be watched, in sales order with reported change: Schiele Group, Elk Grove, IL, $45 million, 20%; Ripon Printers, Ripon, WI, $43.8 million, -2%; Concord Litho, Concord, NH, $43.3 million, 5%; Weldon, Williams & Lick, Fort Smith, AR, $41.3 million, 2%; LAgraphico, Burbank, CA, $40.3 million, 24%; Penn Industries, Cerritos, CA, $40 million, -20%; Solar Communications, Naperville, IL, $36 million, -10%; and Bolger Vision Beyond Print, Minneapolis, MN, $31.2 million, 3%.
To view prior year GAM101 lists, please click on the year: 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003.
To be included in the 2009 GAM 101, contact Lisa Cross at lisa.cross@reedbusiness.com.
| Rank | Company (Parent), Headquarters, Products, CEO | Current $ (000) | Prior $ (000) | Change | Employees | Sales/Employee | Prod. Sites | Capital Expenditure |
| 1 | RR Donnelley1, Chicago, IL, COM, PUB, BK, T. Quinlan, III | 11,587,000 | 9,316,000 | 24% | 60,000 | 193,117 | 54 | 482,000,000 |
| 2 | Quebecor World1, Montreal, QC, PUB, J. Mallette | 5,700,000 | 6,100,000 | -7% | 29,000 | 196,552 | 120 | N/A |
| 3 | Transcontinental Inc.1, Montreal, QB, COM, L. Desjardins* | 2,339,599 | 2,295,446 | 2% | 15,000 | 155,973 | 67 | N/A |
| 4 | Valassis1, Livonia, MI, INS, A. Schultz | 2,242,171 | 1,043,491 | 115% | 7,500 | 298,956 | 3 | 38,300,000 |
| 5 | Quad/Graphics, Sussex, WI, CAT, PUB, J. Quadracci | 2,050,000 | 2,020,000 | 1% | 12,000 | 170,833 | 16 | 130,000,000 |
| 6 | Cenveo Inc.1, Stamford, CT, COM, R. Burton, Sr. | 2,046,716 | 1,511,224 | 35% | 10,000 | 204,672 | 80 | 31,538,000 |
| 7 | FedEx Kinko's Office and Print Services, Inc.1, COM, SPC, Dallas, TX, B. Philips | 2,040,000 | 2,090,000 | -2% | 22,000 | 92,727 | 1,900 | N/A |
| 8 | American Greetings1, Cleveland, OH, SPC, Z. Weiss | 1,776,500 | 1,794,300 | -1% | 8,800 | 201,875 | 6 | 56,600,000 |
| 9 | Deluxe Corp.1, St. Paul, MN, SPC, L. Schram | 1,606,367 | 1,639,654 | -2% | 7,991 | 201,022 | 23 | N/A |
| 10 | Rock-Tenn Company1, Norcross, GA, SPC, J. Rubright | 1,566,700 | 1,501,000 | 4% | 9,300 | 168,462 | 56 | N/A |
| 11 | Vertis Communications (Verits Holdings), Baltimore, MD, INS, DM, M.DuBose | 1,400,000 | 1,500,000 | -7% | 5,800 | 241,379 | 38 | N/A |
| 12 | Visant Corporation1, Armonk, NY, BK, DM, SPC, M. Reisch | 1,270,200 | 1,186,600 | 7% | 5,691 | 233,195 | 30 | 51,900,000 |
| 13 | Avery Dennison1, Pasadena, CA, SPC, D. Scarborough | 1,176,600 | 671,100 | 3% | 7,087 | 166,022 | 8 | N/A |
| 14 | Harland Clarke1 (M&F WorldWide Corp.), San Antonio, TX, SPC, C. Dawson | 1,104,500 | 623,900 | 77% | 6,200 | 178,145 | 16 | N/A |
| 15 | Consolidated Graphics1, Houston, TX, COM, J. Davis | 1,100,000 | 1,000,000 | 10% | 6,000 | 183,333 | 70 | 42,314,000 |
| 16 | Chesapeake Corporation1, New York, NY, SPC, A. Kohut | 1,059,600 | 995,400 | 6% | 5,427 | 195,246 | 46 | 35,800,000 |
| 17 | Scientific Games1, New York, NY, SPC, L. Weil | 1,046,700 | 897,200 | 17% | 6,000 | 174,450 | 8 | 34,700,000 |
| 18 | Merrill Corporation, St. Paul, MN, COM, FIN, J. Castro | 1,000,000 | 1,000,000 | 0% | 6,000 | 166,667 | 8 | N/A |
| 19 | Standard Register1, Dayton, OH, BF, DS, PM, D. Rediker | 865,432 | 894,291 | -3% | 3,400 | 254,539 | 12 | N/A |
| 20 | Bowne & Co.1, New York, NY, FIN, D. Shea | 850,671 | 833,734 | 2% | 3,600 | 236,298 | 11 | N/A |
| 21 | De La Rue1, Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK. SPC, L. Quinn** | 809,315 | 702,205 | 15% | 6,000 | 134,886 | 18 | N/A |
| 22 | Ennis, Inc.1, Midlothian, TX, BF, K. Walters | 610,610 | 584,713 | 4% | 6,200 | 98,485 | 30 | N/A |
| 23 | Schawk, Inc.1, Chicago, IL, COM, SPC, D. Schawk | 544,400 | 546,100 | 0% | 3,600 | 151,222 | 153 | N/A |
| 24 | The Sheridan Group, Hunt Valley, MD, PUB, J. Saxton | 465,700 | 337,500 | 38% | 2,700 | 172,481 | 10 | N/A |
| 25 | American Color Graphics, Brentwood, TN, INS, K. Dekam | 424,000 | 445,000 | -5% | 2,080 | 203,846 | 8 | N/A |
| 26 | American Reprographics Company 1, Walnut Creek, CA, SPC, K. Suriyakumar | 415,960 | 443,864 | -6% | 5,100 | 81,561 | 307 | N/A |
| 27 | Brown Printing Co., Waseca, MN, PUB, V. Petersen | 415,000 | 400,000 | 4% | 2,600 | 159,615 | 3 | N/A |
| 28 | Allegra Network, Northville, MI, COM, C. Gerhardt | 371,000 | 369,000 | 1% | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 29 | Fort Dearborn Company, Elk Grove Village, IL, SPC, M. Anderson | 340,000 | 190,000 | 79% | 1,350 | 251,852 | 10 | N/A |
| 30 | WS Packaging Group, Inc., Alogma, WI, SPC, T. Fulwiler | 339,367 | 313,905 | 8% | 1,913 | 177,400 | 18 | 12,000,000 |
| 31 | EarthColor, Parsippany, NJ, COM, R. Kashan | 330,000 | 233,000 | 42% | 900 | 366,667 | 8 | 15,000,000 |
| 32 | Avarto Print (Bertelsmann), New York, NY, BK, D. Liess | 329,000 | 314,000 | 5% | 2,100 | 156,667 | 7 | N/A |
| 33 | SGS International1, Lousville, KY, SPC, H. Baughman | 308,800 | 276,300 | 12% | 1,273 | 242,577 | N/A | N/A |
| 34 | St. Joseph Communications, Concord, ON, COM, T. Gagliano* | 307,729 | 286,675 | 7% | 1,800 | 170,961 | 2 | 14,000,000 |
| 35 | Courier Corporation1, North Chelmsford, MA, BK, J. Conway | 294,600 | 269,100 | 9% | 1,830 | 160,984 | 6 | 26,400,000 |
| 36 | Arandell Corporation, Menomonee Falls, WI, CAT, D. Treis | 287,000 | 281,431 | 2% | 843 | 340,451 | 1 | N/A |
| 37 | Matthews Brand Solutions (Matthews Int. Corp.)1, Pittsburgh, PA, SPC, L. Keeley, Jr. | 283,663 | 270,961 | 5% | 2,600 | 109,101 | 37 | N/A |
| 38 | IWCO Direct, Chanhassen, MN, DM, J. Andersen | 280,000 | 265,000 | 6% | 1,950 | 143,590 | 5 | 27,600,000 |
| 39 | Trend Offset Printing Services, Inc., Los Alamitos, CA, PUB, W. Dow | 275,000 | 275,000 | 0% | 1,000 | 275,000 | 3 | 14,500,000 |
| 40 | VistaPrint Limited1, Hamilton, Bermuda, COM, R. Keane | 255,900 | 152,100 | 68% | 1,200 | 213,250 | 2 | N/A |
| 41 | Publishers Press, Shepherdsville, KY, PUB, N. Simon | 230,000 | 205,000 | 12% | 1,800 | 127,778 | 2 | 18,000,000 |
| 42 | J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc., Neenah, WI, PUB, R. Keller | 216,579 | 205,156 | 6% | 1,300 | 166,599 | 1 | 12,552,849 |
| 43 | Gannett Offset1 (Gannett Co.), Springfield, VA, PUB, D. Washburn | 215,796 | 226,238 | -5% | 1,202 | 179,531 | 5 | 8,100,000 |
| 44 | Multi-Color Corporation1, Sharonville, OH, SPC, F. Gerace | 210,000 | 192,500 | 9% | 650 | 323,077 | 14 | 2,683,000 |
| 45 | Ivy Hill1, (Cinram), New York, NY, SPC, A. Kern | 207,500 | 224,500 | -8% | 500 | 415,000 | 2 | 5,000,000 |
| 46 | Vmark, Inc., Hillside, IL, COM, BF, FIN, SPC, P. Veluchamy | 200,000 | 200,000 | 0% | 1,500 | 133,333 | 9 | N/A |
| 47 | Command Web Offset (Mac Naughton Lithograph), Secaucus, NJ, COM, A. Merson | 168,000 | 168,000 | 0% | 670 | 250,746 | 5 | N/A |
| 48 | Japs-Olson Company, St. Louis Park, MN, COM, M. Beddor | 153,082 | 141,024 | 9% | 656 | 233,357 | 1 | N/A |
| 49 | Candian Bank Note Company1, Ottawa, ON, SPC, R. Arends* | 152,912 | 144,782 | 6% | 1,000 | 152,912 | 10 | N/A |
| 50 | The Matlet Group, Pawtucket, RI, COM, G. Stiffler | 148,500 | 142,000 | 5% | 630 | 235,714 | 5 | 2,000,000 |
| 51 | Champion Industries Inc.1, Huntington, WV, COM, BF, M. Reynolds | 145,642 | 145,188 | 0% | 890 | 163,643 | 14 | N/A |
| 52 | Sandy Alexander, Inc.,(Mickelberry) Clifton, NJ, COM, M. Graff | 145,000 | 142,000 | 2% | 305 | 475,410 | 4 | 2,000,000 |
| 53 | Imagine! Print Solutions, Minneapolis, MN, COM, R. Lothenbach | 130,700 | 109,500 | 19% | 550 | 237,636 | 1 | 6,300,000 |
| 54 | DG3-Diversified Global Graphics Group, Jersey City, NJ, COM, M. Cunnigham | 129,000 | 135,000 | -4% | 675 | 191,111 | 7 | 7,000,000 |
| 55 | Lithographix, Hawthorne, CA, COM, H. Zebrack | 125,000 | 130,000 | -4% | 350 | 357,143 | 1 | 1,500,000 |
| 56 | St. Ives Inc. US Division1, Hollywood, FL, COM, W. Angstrom | 117,029 | 117,095 | 0% | 572 | 204,596 | 2 | N/A |
| 57 | Creel Printing Company, Las Vegas, NV, PUB, A. Creel | 117,000 | 113,000 | 4% | 475 | 246,316 | 2 | N/A |
| 58 | Imprimerie Solisco Inc., Scott, QB, PUB, J. Gregoire* | 93,902 | 92,128 | 2% | 380 | 247,111 | 3 | 4,000,000 |
| 59 | MPI Label Systems (Miller Studio, Inc.), Sebring, OH, SPC, R. Kocher | 92,000 | 90,000 | 2% | 503 | 182,903 | 8 | 1,500,000 |
| 60 | Hammer Packaging, Rochester, NY, SPC, J. Hammer | 89,000 | 86,000 | 3% | 390 | 228,205 | 3 | 5,000,000 |
| 61 | IntegraColor, Mesquite, TX, COM, L. King | 88,100 | 96,300 | -9% | 539 | 163,451 | 4 | 2,500,000 |
| 62 | Webcrafters, Inc., Madison, WI, BK, J. Garner | 87,000 | 71,000 | 23% | 650 | 133,846 | 2 | N/A |
| 63 | Henry Wurst Inc., North Kansas City, MO, COM, M. Wurst | 86,000 | 85,000 | 1% | 536 | 160,448 | 4 | 7,200,000 |
| 64 | Keller-Crescent (Clondalkin), Evansville, IN, SPC, W. Mitchell | 84,719 | 88,930 | -5% | 563 | 150,478 | 6 | 1,769,000 |
| 65 | Smyth Companies, Inc., Minneapolis, MN, SPC, J. Hickey | 82,500 | 82,000 | 1% | 400 | 206,250 | 3 | 8,000,000 |
| 66 | Williamson Printing Corp., Dallas, TX, COM, J. Williamson | 81,000 | 80,000 | 1% | 350 | 231,429 | 3 | 12,000,000 |
| 67 | Edwards Brothers, Inc., Ann Arbor, MI, BK, J. Edwards | 80,000 | 78,000 | 3% | 650 | 123,077 | 7 | 6,000,000 |
| 68 | Continental Web, Itasca, IL, CAT, K. Field, Sr. | 80,000 | 80,000 | 0% | 400 | 200,000 | 1 | 25,000,000 |
| 69 | Pictorial Offset Corporation, Carlstadt, NJ, COM, D. Samuels | 79,800 | 83,400 | -4% | 280 | 285,000 | 1 | N/A |
| 70 | Friesens Corp., Altona, MB, BK, C. Friesen* | 79,485 | 80,492 | -1% | 500 | 158,970 | 4 | N/A |
| 71 | Maple-Vail Book Mfg. Group, (Maple Press) York, PA, BK, J. Wisotzkey | 78,000 | 81,000 | -4% | 810 | 96,296 | 5 | N/A |
| 72 | National Print Group, Inc., Chattanooga, TN, SPC, P. Harris | 76,000 | 68,000 | 12% | 415 | 183,133 | 3 | 4,000,000 |
| 73 | Southwest Offset Printing, Gardena, CA, PUB, G. McDonald | 75,000 | 72,900 | 3% | 550 | 136,364 | 2 | 10,500,000 |
| 74 | Tanaseybert LLC, New York, NY, COM, E. Bernstein | 75,000 | 75,000 | 0% | 320 | 234,375 | 2 | N/A |
| 75 | National Graphics, N. Branford, CT, COM, N. Napoli | 73,700 | 72,000 | 2% | 380 | 193,947 | 3 | N/A |
| 76 | Publication Printers Corp., Denver, CO, PUB, G. Rosenberg | 72,900 | 65,000 | 12% | 320 | 227,813 | 1 | N/A |
| 77 | Unimac Graphics, Carlstadt, NJ, COM, G. Amann | 72,000 | 72,000 | 0% | 225 | 320,000 | 1 | N/A |
| 78 | American Spirit Graphics Corp., Minneapolis, MN, COM, D. Carlson | 70,000 | 65,000 | 8% | 315 | 222,222 | 4 | 2,500,000 |
| 79 | Bert-Co. Industries, Inc., Cerritos, CA, SPC, N. George | 70,000 | 70,000 | 0% | 285 | 245,614 | 2 | 1,000,000 |
| 80 | The John Roberts Co., Minneapolis, MN, COM, M. Keene | 68,953 | 61,620 | 12% | 330 | 208,948 | 1 | 5,000,000 |
| 81 | Times Printing Co., Random Lake, WI, COM, J. Scholler | 68,100 | 65,655 | 4% | 450 | 151,333 | 1 | 3,000,000 |
| 82 | E&D Web, Incorporated, Cicero, IL, COM, C. Love | 68,000 | 56,000 | 21% | 350 | 194,286 | 2 | N/A |
| 83 | Graphic Press LLC, Los Angeles, CA, COM, R. Ginsberg | 66,000 | 65,000 | 2% | 220 | 300,000 | 1 | N/A |
| 84 | GLS Companies, Minneapolis, MN, COM, G. Garner | 65,000 | 44,000 | 48% | 390 | 166,667 | 3 | 5,400,000 |
| 85 | Pratt Corporation, Indianapolis, IN, SPC, D. Pratt | 64,508 | 58,469 | 10% | 279 | 231,211 | 1 | N/A |
| 86 | Worzalla, Stevens Point, WI, BK, C. Nason | 63,615 | 57,350 | 11% | 360 | 176,708 | 1 | 4,000,000 |
| 87 | Specialty Print Communications, Niles, IL, COM, P. LeFebvre | 62,300 | 58,444 | 7% | 250 | 249,200 | 1 | 4,000,000 |
| 88 | Pindar Graphics,1 Chicago, IL, COM, A. Dalton** | 61,483 | 63,873 | -4% | 422 | 145,694 | 2 | N/A |
| 89 | Webcom Inc., Toronto, ON, BK, M. Collinge* | 60,383 | 53,218 | 13% | 275 | 219,575 | 1 | N/A |
| 90 | Lane Press, So. Burlington, VT, PUB, P. Drumheller | 60,000 | 58,000 | 3% | 275 | 218,182 | 1 | N/A |
| 91 | 4over, Inc., Glendale, CA, COM, Z. Megerdichian | 59,300 | 42,000 | 42% | 295 | 201,017 | 2 | N/A |
| 92 | Universal Printing, St. Louis, MO, COM, R. Ebel | 56,000 | 58,000 | -3% | 250 | 224,000 | 2 | N/A |
| 93 | Flower City Printing Inc., Rochester, NY, SPC, W. Scheible | 55,042 | 40,489 | 36% | 302 | 182,258 | 3 | 1,966,000 |
| 94 | Brown Industries, Inc., Dalton, GA, SPC, K. Whitworth | 53,300 | 52,000 | 2% | 700 | 76,143 | 7 | 4,000,000 |
| 95 | Lake County Press, Inc., Waukegan, IL, COM, R. Johnson | 51,502 | 50,239 | 3% | 250 | 206,008 | 3 | 5,000,000 |
| 96 | The EPI Companies, Marietta, GA, COM, B. Blair | 50,000 | 53,000 | -6% | 150 | 333,333 | 1 | 4,200,000 |
| 97 | NPC, Inc., Claysburg, PA, COM, M. Barnhart | 49,500 | 46,900 | 6% | 448 | 110,491 | 1 | 3,500,000 |
| 98 | Primary Color Systems, Costa Mesa, CA, COM, D. Hirt | 48,900 | 48,750 | 0% | 290 | 168,621 | 2 | 8,460,000 |
| 99 | Hickory Printing Group, Inc., Conover, NC, COM, G. Glisan | 48,000 | 47,000 | 2% | 247 | 194,332 | 3 | 3,840,000 |
| 100 | Suttle-Straus Inc.(Telephone & Data Systems), Waunakee, WI, COM, J. Berthelsen | 47,553 | 44,048 | 8% | 275 | 172,920 | 1 | 1,600,000 |
| 101 | Malloy Incorporated, Ann Arbor, MI, BK, W. Upton | 46,000 | 42,800 | 7% | 305 | 150,820 | 1 | 1,500,000 |
| Footnotes: ¹ Publicly Held; N/A–not available, *Converted from Canadian Dollars, **Converted from British Pounds Sterling. Abbreviations: BK-Books, BUS-Business Forms, CAT-Catalogs, COM-Commercial, DM-Direct Mail, INS-Inserts, PUB-Publications, SPC-Specialty |
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