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Hooray for Manufacturers!

I worked for two years in publishing before my first trip to a printing plant. My co-workers and I finally took a field trip to the facility where our magazine was printed. I don’t know why, but I expected the presses to look like photocopiers. You can imagine my surprise at walking past machines that stretched the length of a city block. Pressmen moved rolls of paper larger than hay bales around on forklifts. I played it cool, of course, but inside I was overwhelmed.

Since then, I’ve visited numerous plants and seen lots of different printing and finishing equipment. I’m not overwhelmed anymore, but I still get excited when paper literally turns into magazines, books, forms, marketing collateral and so on, before my very eyes. The manufacturing process simply fascinates me. Visiting plants is also a reminder that this industry is based on manufacturing processes. Sales are important. Distribution is critical. But manufacturers provide the products that get sold and distributed. They often lead the industry with new applications and cutting-edge technology.

In recognition of manufacturers’ roles, this issue of Print Solutions focuses loosely on their accomplishments. It starts with our annual manufacturer rankings on page 18. We list the top manufacturers in the industry by annual sales, and then by product categories. It should come as no surprise that Ennis Inc. tops the list once again. The Midlothian, Texas-based manufacturer continues to grow primarily through acquisition. Its nationwide system of plants serves almost every niche in the industry.

Other features look at various manufacturers and the innovative steps they’re taking to stay competitive. We survey the evolution of RFID applications beginning on page 46. The market for these products continues to grow, but some applications play out better than others in the marketplace.

Growll.com, an online print provider that caters to resellers only, is profiled on page 58. This manufacturer’s decision to cut out end users was pragmatic—it turns out that resellers make better customers. We also cover a manufacturer of short-run, custom-printed carpets used for marketing campaigns and trade show booths, beginning on page 66.

To complete our coverage, we dedicated the back page to Roger Wehrli, vice president of manufacturer FormStore Incorporated. Wehrli recently was elected as an enshrinee in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. You can read about his honor on page 112.

Andy Brown
Managing Editor
abrown@PSDA.org