Calibrated Forms

Sign of the Times
November 1, 2008

Sheryl Crow penned a song about it. Think back to 2002 when VH1 played music videos for at least a few hours of the day and terrestrial radio had yet to take a backseat to satellite. It was impossible to escape the infectious—like it or not—groove of “A Change will do you Good.” From a lyrical standpoint, Crow got us to focus on change—regardless of whether it was subconscious or active. Most recently, we’ve seen the act of change manifest itself in the U.S. economy. And as a result of the last eight years, President-Elect Barack Obama ran a successful campaign with a

BIG in Baltimore
September 1, 2008

A little change never hurt anyone. With that in mind, this year’s big show promises a change of pace, a change of scenery and a change in demand. The newly revamped PSDA (formerly DMIA) will host its annual Print Solutions Conference and Exposition on Oct. 23-25 at the Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore. This year’s featured general session keynote speaker will be Charlie Pesko, founder and president of InfoTrends, a leading market research and consulting firm in the digital imaging and document solutions industries. Technological advances and refined marketing strategies are just some of the issues gaining momentum in a slowing economy. To encourage print

Ennis Reports on Admore’s Achievements and Calibrated’s Capabilities
June 3, 2008

Headquartered in Midlothian, Texas, Ennis—together with its subsidiaries—operates in two business segments: the Print Segment and the Apparel Segment. The company released the following updates regarding two divisions within its Print Segment. Admore (www.admoreonline.com), Macomb, Mich., was recognized at “The Gallery of Superb Printing and The Detroit Club of Printing House Craftsmen” Awards Dinner on April 15. “The Gallery of Superb Printing” awards program is held annually to recognize deserving companies for outstanding workmanship in the printing industry. Admore—a leading producer of folders, binders, portfolios and other presentation products—was honored for its achievements in a wide range of categories, receiving four awards. The

It’s Show Time!
September 1, 2006

DMIA’s annual Print Solutions conference and exposition will be held Oct. 3-5 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill. The conference will provide three days of educational sessions, including a presentation by this year’s keynote speaker, Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House and co-author of “Contract with America.” Join Gingrich as he analyzes the current political climate in Washington, DC, and educates attendees on effective leadership. This year’s conference will feature equipment demonstrations, offering distributors better insight into how various applications are produced. In addition, exchange centers will be located on the show floor with more than 34 hours of

American Solutions for Business Holds Summer Conference
October 5, 2004

"Celebrate Victories" was the theme for the 2004 Summer Conference held by American Solutions for Business (ASB), Glenwood, Minn. More than 330 sales associates from across the United States attend the four-day event at Cragun's Resort near Brainerd, Minn. In addition to seminars and workshops, 210 vendors participated in a vendor show on the last day of the conference. At the awards banquet, Founder and President Larry Zavadil named sales representative Jim Klempka of Sioux Falls, S.D. as this year's recipient of the President's Award. The honor is given each year to an individual who shows dedication to the ideals and principles of ASB, and

Continuous Forms Provide Continuous Profits
July 1, 2004

The trick is to identify key markets and then add value through service and related products. It may have seen its heyday come and go but, according to many, continuous product is still a viable profit center for distributors. The key is in paying attention to where and how it's used. For most manufacturers, sales volume on continuous is stagnant or suffering a slight decline, but they say that's no reason to write off this traditional product. "Our overall sales are solid for the past three years, though the percentage of continuous in our sales volume is down, but it's still a majority of

This Is a Job for a Unit Set
October 1, 2003

For applications involving remote data collection or multi-copy documents in the field, nothing beats a unit set. Technology tends to hog the spotlight these days, particularly when efficient workflow solutions with respect to data collection are at issue. However, Richard Miller, sales manager for Calibrated Forms, Columbus, Kan., pointed out that there is one good old-fashioned business form that has yet to be effectively replaced. "Unit sets prevail in any remote data recording situation where there is no other efficient means for accumulating and duplicating information," Miller said. For example, route drivers and technicians in the field use unit sets for documenting information

The Industry Turns in the Right Direction
October 1, 2003

Despite a tight year, future indications look hopeful for printed products. Transcontinental is no longer reporting its sales in the independent segment of the printed products industry. The company's departure cuts the Top 100 revenue figures almost in half. Removing Transcontinental's sales of $2 billion from last year's numbers shows a drop in Top 100 sales of three percent or $90 million to $2.78 billion. But, Transcontinental is not the only change in this year's Top 100 Manufacturers list. Calibrated Forms is now part of Ennis Business Forms, propelling Ennis to the top of the charts with sales of $240.8 million, just ahead

The Only Constant
October 1, 2003

To no one's surprise, the makeup of the industry continues to change. Crabar bought GBF Graphics, Inc. Ennis bought Calibrated Forms. Large companies are acquiring large companies. And, this trend will probably continue, as large companies with cash to spend look for ways to keep growing. Large printed products manufacturers will continue to acquire companies with compatible product lines to improve economies of scale. They will also diversify into other fields. Another way to improve economies of scale is to band together into buying groups. UnigraphicsUSA (see accompanying article on page 8) consists of nine industry suppliers that want to improve bargaining power for raw

Preserving Profitability in a Challenging Ecomony
October 1, 2003

Quality, service and sound strategic planning put these suppliers on top. Rising from third place in last year's BFL&S Top 100 Manufacturers list, Ennis Business Forms, DeSoto, Texas, has achieved top honors this year. The successful company reported $240.8 million in sales for the latest fiscal year completed. When asked about the company's formula for success, Keith Walters, president and CEO, said that a combination of tried-and-true principles coupled with new ideas and acquisitions have proven to be the winning ticket. "Ennis continues to concentrate on basics, including customer service, cost control and e-commerce developments," Walters said. He also identified the integration of