Stouse LLC

The sum of a trademark equals a whole lot more than just its legal implications. By today’s standards, it’s what makes someone or something unique. Think golden arches, the swoosh or the doughboy. The corresponding brands shouldn’t be too far behind. In the case of commercial printing, such talk of “differentiation” has grown proportionately with each new-and-shiny improvement in technology. As in-house production becomes more a reality than ever before, print brokers have been looking for a way to diversify their offerings to maintain brand equity in a turbulent business environment. In growing numbers, manufacturers have been adding promotional products to their lines

1 Ennis Headquarters: Midlothian, Texas Annual Sales $(000): 584,713 Principal Officer(s): Keith Walters, Chairman, President, CEO Employees: 6,200 Locations: 44 2 Champion Industries Headquarters: Huntington, W. Va. Annual Sales $(000): 145,188 Principal Officer(s): Marshall T. Reynolds, CEO Employees: 740 Locations: 22 3 Western States Envelope & Label Headquarters: Butler, Wis. Annual Sales $(000): 117,900 Principal Officer(s): Mark S. Lemberger, President Employees: 731 Locations: 5 4 Printegra Headquarters: Peachtree City, Ga. Annual

Rank: 1 Company: Ennis, Midlothian, Texas Sales $(000): 559,397 Principal Officer(s): Keith Walters, Chairman, CEO, President Employees: 6,200 Locations: 42 (*Does not include sales figures for Block Graphics, acquired 08/09/06.) Rank: 2 Company: Champion Industries, Huntington, W. Va. Sales $(000): 135,000 Principal Officer(s): Marshall T. Reynolds, CEO Employees: 768 Locations: 22 Rank: 3 Company: Western States Envelope & Label, Butler, Wis. Sales $(000): 111,000 Principal Officer(s): Mark S. Lemberger, President, CEO Employees: 733 Locations: 5 Rank: 4 Company: Printegra, Peachtree City, Ga. Sales $(000): 87,706 Principal Officer(s): Casey Campbell, President, CEO Employees: 822 Locations: 14 Rank: 5 Company: PrintXcel, Montrose,

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

Headquartered in New Century, Kan., Stouse offers a unique product that distributors can offer to customers who are in need of a simple, yet effective mailer solution. Screen-printed postcard decals are available in five different materials—white or yellow vinyl, clear polyester (with face or back adhesive) and white or clear static cling. The backing sheet is printed in black and is formatted like a postcard. The overall size is 6x35⁄8˝, and the product may be designed with a single or multi-decal face. Custom shapes are also available.

More than just window dressing, dynamic packaging concepts are heating up static cling sales. Static clings have long been prized for their effectiveness as point-of-purchase aids, particularly by those in the retail, automotive and fast-food industries. But if distributors want to increase sales of static cling products, they would do well to employee the old sizzling steak concept. For as Mike Stoeck, director of marketing and customer service for New Century, Kansas-based Stouse, pointed out, "Aside from the actual print job, there isn't much that can be done to alter static clings, but there are some exciting new vehicles for marketing the products

Meeting rough applications is as smooth as silk for screenprinted labels By Maggie DeWitt A rubber squeegee pushes UV-cured ink through a fine mesh screen mounted onto a steel frame, laying down thick layers of color. The result is the toughest label on the market. And while some newer printing processes are starting to encroach on traditional silkscreen territory, none of the contenders can take a licking and keep on sticking quite like screenprinted labels. "Flexo and digitally-printed labels look and feel almost exactly like screenprinted labels," said Mike Evans, marketing manager for Lancer Label, Omaha, Neb. The difference, he added, is in screenprinted labels' incredible

Don't gloss over the importance of these strong sellers By Carol Katarsky Laminated labels continue to play a big role in distributors' sales. Chemical-, water- and wear-resistant, the applications for these labels are obvious—but durability isn't the only attraction the products offer. "Lamination can also be used to achieve a high gloss, which can enhance the appearance of simple items, such as business cards," noted Michael Stoeck, product marketing manager at New Century, Kansas-based Stouse. "Laminating the label lends a premium look, as compared to plain-paper labels with varnish," agreed Lynn Zima, sales and marketing supervisor, Atlas Tag & Label, Neenah, Wis. She noted that laminated labels are