SBF

Manufacturers and distributors report on what's working, what's changing and what's in store for the future. End-users continue to demand the best for the least, as fast as possible, driving distributors and manufacturers to draw on their creativity and problem-solving skills to make it happen. Meanwhile, dynamics within the independent channel, as well as within the ranks of the major directs, are shifting, creating both opportunities to be explored and obstacles to be surmounted. Several manufacturers and distributors spoke with BFL&S about their products and services, relationships within the supply chain, the impact of the major directs and their outlook for the future.

Printegra, Peachtree City, Ga., recently signed a letter of agreement to acquire the repeat files (artwork and dockets) and customer list of Space Business Forms (SBF), Lodi, Calif. All negatives and artwork will be retained by Printegra's Livermore, Calif., plant. "Printegra will do everything possible to meet or exceed SBF's customers' expectations," said Casey Campbell, president. "We are confident that SBF's customers will see enhanced product capabilities, technology initiatives and services resulting from this acquisition." Printegra is a manufacturer of short-run business printing sold through distributors. The company has more than 700 employees, 10 manufacturing locations in the United

An in-depth discussion of benefit options for sales reps. When BFL&S caught up with Chip Grayson, president of Systems Business Forms (SBF) in Savannah, Ga., he had just returned from 10 days at St. Simons Island off of Georgia's coast. "I'm as brown as a biscuit," said Grayson. "It feels good." However, Grayson isn't the type of leader who only looks out for himself. He understands that his sales team sometimes needs, well, a day at the beach. This is where SBF's flex-time benefit kicks in. "I am not the kind of guy who gets upset and yells or demands anything,"

BFL&S talks to distributors about being compensated for their contributions to the value chain. Forget religion and politics. Money is the subject for stirring things up, especially when salesmanship is the source of that money. Consider the reader response to Editorial Director Bill Drennan's editorial in the April issue of BFL&S, which looked at Landy Chase's views on the questionable contributions of seasoned sales professionals. Comments ranged from relief that it was being addressed to outrage that it was even an issue. This is proof that sales is an elusive and hard-to-define craft. Not surprisingly, deciding how to compensate for the skill

Despite a softening economy, the retail market keeps moving along. What goes up must come down. It's a law of gravity—and economics. But even in a sluggish economy some markets manage to stay afloat and help buoy sinking consumer confidence, and one of the best is the retail market. Scott Mollahan, sales executive, Applied Graphics, San Rafael, Calif., has been designing retail print work for the wine industry for seven years. Although he admitted that business slipped a little bit last year, over the long haul, he said, it's remained pretty solid. "One of the great things about the retail market is that it

Although often time-consuming and sometimes difficult, government accounts can be well worth the extra effort. By Janet R. Gross Government and paperwork. The two seem to go hand in hand—and someone has to supply all those forms and documents. Although many government jobs must be bid, making account loyalty uncertain, such customers are still courted by some distributors. Reno, Nevada-based Intraform services Nevada's workmens compensation department. According to President Doug Clary, the state's threshold for competitive bids is $12,000. "That's a pretty good printing order," Clary noted. "There's a lot of printing under that amount." Department heads want to avoid the state's cumbersome purchasing process when they can, Clary