Talking Shop
1. ENNIS INC.
Midlothian, Texas
www.ennis.com
Ennis Inc. chairman, president and CEO Keith Walters is known for his bold business moves, and this year he didn't disappoint. But would Walters' moxie pay off for the Midlothian, Texas-based supplier or draw criticism from the industry?
From a financial standpoint, the reward came in a $16 million-plus revenue increase compared to 2012 figures. With reported annual sales climbing to $535.5 million, Ennis retained the No. 1 spot on Print+Promo's Top 50 Suppliers list, while placing second on Promo Marketing's Top 50 Promotional Products Suppliers list (published in July 2013). Walters was unable to determine a single reason for success, and instead pointed to overcoming historically high cotton costs in the apparel sector and integrating Printegra and PrintXcel into the Ennis organization. However, he admitted the latter didn't come without challenges.