Print Solutions Magazine, April 2002 -- 433

Toasting the Top 100

In this issue, Print Solutions presents its fifth annual Top 100 Manufacturers list. The main ranking is based on fiscal year 2001 sales, but we also provide lists of the fastest-growing manufacturers, the firms generating the highest sales per employee, regional rankings and the top sellers in five product categories. As we crunched the numbers and compared them with statistics from previous years, bad news and good news emerged.

The bad news is no surprise: The demand for traditional forms continues to decline. Printers have faced a stagnant economy for more than a year. Many Top 100 companies reported sales losses in fiscal 2001. From that standpoint, the industry's glass appears half-empty. What a year.

The good news is encouraging: Despite economic troubles, manufacturers are making the most of their resources. Among the top 10 manufacturers in the Highest Sales Per Employee category, average sales per employee rose 8 percent last year. In the past five years, it has risen 15.7 percent.

A handful of the manufacturers on the Top 100 list achieved dramatic growth. The fastest-growing company on the list, Team Concept Printing & Thermography in Carol Stream, Ill., increased its sales by a whopping 62.5 percent by offering cut sheets, envelopes, labels and tags, and commercial printing.

Commercial printing helped other manufacturers succeed as well. The top 10 commercial printing manufacturers experienced an average growth rate of 14 percent, compared with a 1.5 percent growth rate among Top 100 companies overall. (To read about distributors' roles in the commercial printing market, turn to "A Team Sport" on page 34.)

When the going got tough, most manufacturers delivered their best. They cut back on expenses and adopted new products and technologies. To them, the industry's glass appears half-full. What a year!

Of course, manufacturers don't make the Top 100 list without indispensable help from distributors. I invite you to explore three profiles of successful distributorships in this month's issue. In our Adding Value profile (page 12), The Venture Corporation shares details about customized services it offered a manufacturing firm facing label problems. Turn to our Spotlight profile (page 20) to learn how Xtension Technologies Inc. makes a splash with MICR printing solutions. And read about Mentzer Printing Ink's creative Valentine's Day marketing stunt in our Off Hours profile (page 124).

This issue also includes "A Niche Worth Hanging Onto," (page 82) an introduction to selling tags that includes distributors' success stories and useful tips, and "Using a Fleet of Products," (page 26) which provides insight into the buying decisions of end user Bruins Pro Shop in Boston.

In fiscal 2001, it's clear that manufacturers, distributors and suppliers pulled together and worked as a team. Whether you think the industry's glass is half-empty or half-full, it's a glass worth raising. Cheers to you!

Rita Tiefert

Assistant Editor

Editor in Chief

Peter L. Colaianni, CAE

Vice President, Publications & New Media

Brad Holt

Managing Editor

Darin Painter

Assistant Editors

Kara S. Carpenter

Rita Tiefert

Circulation Manager

Diane Saunders

Art Director/Production Manager

Roxanne Rash

Contributing Editors

Mark J. Trumper

J. Buster Weinzierl, CDC

Publications Committee

Gary W. Nelson, Chairperson

Allen Conway

Ric Fisher

Ginger Garrett

Dennis King

Kevin Lombardo

Marvin A. Makofsky, CFC

Markus Marfurt

Dominic Mencarini

Donald D. Patteson, Jr.

Nick Nesci, CFC

Jeffrey P. Townsend, CFC

Mark Trumper

Advertising Sales

Jack Burris

The Townsend Group Inc.

4920 Elm St., Ste. 325

Bethesda, MD 20814

Phone: (301) 215-6710

Fax: (301) 215-7704

jburris@townsend-group.com

Print Solutions Online

Print Solutions, the only industry magazine to win awards for writing and design excellence, is available online at www.printsolutionsmag.com. The site includes daily news, a comprehensive archive of Print Solutions articles, a complete media kit, links to industry companies and other features not included in the magazine.

Print Solutions is the official publication of the Print Services & Distribution Association (PSDA), the Association for Business Printing Independents. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcome. Please address all submissions to: The Editor, Print Solutions Magazine, 433 E. Monroe Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301-1693. Phone (703) 836-6232, fax (703) 549-4966. You can reach us via email at bholt@printsolutionsmag.com Visit our World Wide Web site at www.printsolutionsmag.com.
Volume 40, Number 2, April 2002. Print Solutions (USPS 205-400, ISSN 1535-9727) is published monthly by DMIA, 433 E. Monroe Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301-1693, (703) 836-6232.

Subscriptions: $29/year for DMIA members included in dues, $49 for non-members (plus postage for Canada and foreign). Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, VA, and additional mailing offices.

Postmaster: Send address changes to Print Solutions, 433 E. Monroe Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301-1693.

Statements of fact and opinion are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply approval on the part of the Publications Committee, Officers or Membership of DMIA.

Printed in the USA.

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