Specialized Printed Forms

Ennis, Midlothian, Texas, acquired 100 percent of the stock of Specialized Printed Forms (SPF), a privately held company headquartered in Caledonia, N.Y. The acquisition involves the purchase of all of SPF’s outstanding stock from Robert McAleavey, president, and CEO of SPF, as well as the associated land and buildings from a partnership that leases the facility to SPF. The acquisition will add additional short-run print products, long-run (jumbo rolls) products and solutions as well as, integrated labels and form/label combinations sold through the indirect sales (distributorship) marketplace. The transaction is expected to be accretive to Ennis’ earnings in the first full year of

Ennis, Midlothian, Texas, acquired 100 percent of the stock of Specialized Printed Forms (SPF), a privately held company headquartered in Caledonia, N.Y. The acquisition involves the purchase of all of SPF's outstanding stock from Robert McAleavey, president and CEO of SPF, as well as the associated land and buildings from a partnership that leases the facility to SPF. The acquisition will provide additional short-run print products, long-run (jumbo rolls) products and solutions, as well as integrated labels and form/label combinations sold through the indirect sales (distributorship) marketplace. The transaction is expected to be accretive to Ennis' earnings in the first full year of operations,

Knowledgeable suppliers offer tips on securing lucrative selling opportunities. It's no secret that some changes within the major directs are creating all sorts of lucrative selling opportunities for the independent supply channel. What some distributors may not realize, however, is that many of them exist in serving federal, state and local governments' printing needs. For Steve Buggy, vice president of Phoenix-based B&D Litho, and Bob McAleavey, president of Specialized Printed Forms, Caledonia, N.Y., government projects represent a steady workflow that promises future growth. "At most government levels, the majors have traditionally had fairly decent success with large contracts. But, that's changing as

Distributors can prosper by pushing the envelope on mailers. After making a few initial phone calls to inquire about the state of affairs for mailer products within the forms industry today, it was clear that manufacturers have mixed feelings on the issue. Some simply reported such an insignificant sale of mailers—due to too much competition and changing technology—that they preferred to not report on them at all. But, others have found a way to prosper via the mailer. The prospering is true, despite the drastic decline of installed impact printers over the past several years, which has significantly reduced demand for continuous custom products—namely

Distributors can add to the bottom line through books, booklets and brochures. Books and booklets come in all shapes and sizes and can be used for many an application. From coupon, ticket and receipt books to manifold, sales and voucher books, these tried-and-true products have provided a steady stream of sales to many distributors for many years. In fact, Bob McAleavey, president of Specialized Printed Forms, Caledonia, N.Y., reported that his company has been selling books for approximately 40 years. He sells stitched books, folded books, books with return envelopes and cards in them, foil-stamped books, books containing security features and, more recently, personalized

Traditional and contemporary form designs are still driving business operations. Mark H. Clabaugh, vice president of sales and marketing for Atlanta-based PrintSouth, and Bob McAleavey, president of Specialized Printed Forms, Caledonia, N.Y., both agreed that forms products remain profitable for manufacturers and distributors alike. "Forms are still selling," said Clabaugh. "Just as we used to joke that checks were the fastest-growing dying business in the industry, end-users will continue to need printed forms for quite some time." "True, the pie is shrinking at a rate of 2 percent a year," noted McAleavey, "but it's a pretty big pie. Forms are a $3 billion-a-year industry.

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

One manufacturer discusses how distributors can succeed in this growing market niche. Topping the conversations of many independent distributors these days is commercial print. Noted as a market niche with ever increasing opportunities, more distributors are seeking ways to find out how to better sell this product to their advantage. Offering some advice on this matter is Robert McAleavey, president and owner of Specialized Printed Forms, a manufacturer based in Caledonia, N.Y. Reporting an estimated $1 million in commercial print sales, McAleavey said business for this product continues to grow, since opportunities are available just about anywhere. "For instance, any market that

Help clients save money and improve efficiency with mailer products. Communication is the key. And the key to communication is being understood. If your customers can't understand you or don't want to take the time to hack their way through the dense forest of information you've sent them, then your words are falling on deaf ears. But fear not, intrepid distributors, your savior is here—mailers. That's right, mailers. Mailers can help end-users communicate more quickly and clearly, recoup receivables faster and save money. Best of all, most of the concept work has already been done. "Mailers are a good product to offer because

When marketing business forms, working smarter—not harder— is a valuable philosophy By Sharon R. Cole Marketing products need not be a one-man show for distributors trying to propel sales. Manufacturers offer techniques that make the marketing game a win-win situation for everyone involved and, according to Bob McAleavey, general manager, Specialized Printed Forms, Caledonia, N.Y., most manufacturers prefer to help distributors. "It's a two-way street in this business. If a distributor is trying to increase sales on a product that we're manufacturing, then sign me up!" said McAleavey. Conducting joint sales calls, working the trade show circuit and printing direct mail campaigns are a few ways Specialized Printed Forms