Calibrated Forms

The printed products industry mirrored the economy with a slight drop in revenue. Although revenue for the Top 100 Manufacturers and Suppliers declined by 2 percent, or $900,000 to $4.87 billion this year, it is still quite a bit higher than the $4.38 billion reported two years ago. The total number of employees reported by the Top 100 decreased by 283 to 30,662 this year. The total number of locations decreased dramatically to 369 from last year's 423. Productivity, as measured by sales per employee, dropped a bit this year to $158,805 from the $160,123 reported last year. However, sales per location jumped to $13.2 million from

Acquisitions and consolidations make a shaky year in the print industry remain profitable. Transcontinental Printing Once again Transcontinental Printing, Warminster, Pa., has achieved the top ranking on the BFL&S Top 100 Manufacturers list. Reporting $2 billion in development within the United States for its latest fiscal year completed—$200 million more than last year's figures—the company thrives on nothing less than offering the best. According to Tracy Dennis, director of business, this year the best has meant concentrating on strategic relocation maneuvers and internal growth. "We've undergone consolidation, as well as staff, procedural, manufacturing and program changes that all contribute to Transcontinental's continued success," said

Large Distributors: Differentiate To Succeed Collateral printing and value-added services top the list of large distributorsÍ survival tools By Misty Byers In a highly-competitive industry one thing is certain„you canÍt survive if you arenÍt willing to differentiate yourself from your competitors. Successful large distributorships are meeting this challenge by increasing services and extending their product bases. Wauwatosa, Wisconsin-based Teuteberg is doing more commercial printing and ña lot more value-added services such as fulfillment and database managementî than five years ago, said Matt Teuteberg, executive vice president. ñInstead of just having forms in a clientÍs pick-and-pack program, we might include all of their literature,

Manufacturers continue to shift toward cut sheets and finishing services By Barbara A. Bucci Plain vanilla products continue to disappear from the forms industry's product menus. In order to stay competitive, manufacturers are introducing new products within their area of expertise. Obviously, diversification follows market demand. As end-users demand shorter runs, printed cut sheets, variable imaging, document management and finishing services, manufacturers must deliver. Responses from the Business Forms, Labels & Systems' exclusive state of the industry survey revealed how manufacturers have responded to market changes. Equipment Leads the Way In order to diversify, manufacturers have purchased new equipment or enhancements to existing machinery--notably rotary and sheetfed presses. Of the respondents,

Top 20 Independent Manufacturers 1998 Rank Company Sales ($000) 1997 Rank Sales ($000) Principal Officer Employees Locations Year Founded 1 CST/Star Forms $255,000 1 235,800 William O. Nahikian, CEO 535 9 1969 2 Ennis Busines Forms $154,348 3 153,726 Keith Walters, CEO/COB 1,408 15 1909 3 *Poser $121,750 4 100,000 Dennis M. Grasso 940 15 1949 4 *TRANSKRIT $101,000 5 95,000 Jack Resnick 1,028 8 1938 5 GBF Graphics $82,700 6 87,400 Richard S. Kunz 500 6 1951 6 Adams Business Forms $65,000 9 60,000 Joe Bauman 350 3 1889 7 Datagraphics $60,473 10 58,354 John Staniforth 350 3 1889 8 * Label Art $52,203 - 58,392 Thomas Cobery 426 4 1963 9 Discount Labels $53,971 - $55,945 Allen C. Conway Sr. 665 1 1964 10 DSFI Distributor's Stock $53,000 8 $62,000 Malcolm Geffen 185 4 1979 11 Continuous Forms and Checks $48,500 13 49,910 Bob Lenox 435 10 1982 12 Calibrated Forms $46,175 16 45,152 Bill Amyx 320 1 1985 13 Northstar Computer Forms $43,000 15 46,200 Kenneth Overstreet 500 6 1962 14 Sovereign Business Forms $39,204 36 23,606 Donald D. Patteson 421 8 1962 15 Wright Business Graphics $38,813 20 37,507 Jim Wright 275 6 1971 16 Rittenhouse Label Media $38,236 - $38,000 Tom Pagel 125 3 1915 17 ELT $38,000 - 16,800 Tim Wright 150 25 1987 18 United Computer Supplies $37,500 18 $38,700 Jack Zimmerman 128 3 1984 19 Data Label $36,383 22 36,131 Geroge Snyder 180 5 1980 20 Highland Computer Forms $36,151 21 36,290 Philip D. Wilson 108 4 1979 For a complete list of the "Top 100 Independent Manufacturers," read the Oct. 20 issue of Business Forms, Labels & Systems. Subscribe by clicking on the "How to Subscribe" link below.