Former Printing Impressions Magazine President Ray Monaco Passes at Age 82

I'm sad to report that just this week Printing Impressions learned of the passing of its former magazine president, Raymond G. Monaco, who died Nov. 9, 2016, at age 82. Sadly, Ray's only child, a daughter, preceded him in death, but he remained very close to his two grandchildren.

During my 36+ years with NAPCO Media (North American Publishing Co.), I have had the pleasure to work side-by-side with several great publishers, including Ray, Frank Veverka, John Connor and Carl Lock -  visionary and charismatic sales and marketing trade magazine publishing pros who, unfortunately, have all since passed away. Here's a post that I wrote when Ray retired in 2009 after 40 years of service to the publication:

After 40 Years, Ray Monaco Makes Last Impression

Before retiring, Ray Monaco was honored at a company party to celebrate his 40 years of service.

So many once-great companies have come and gone during the past four decades, the victims of technological upheaval as the printing industry morphed from letterpress to lithography, single to multicolor presses, sheetfed to web and, most recently, the onslaught of digital output devices. But during that time there was always one figure - though diminutive in stature - who stood tall helping steer Printing Impressions to the pole position as the graphic arts industry's leading trade publication. That person is Ray Monaco, magazine president, who's hanging up his rate card after an astounding 40 years of service.

"When I joined Printing Impressions in 1969 after a stint at Miehle-Goss-Dexter, I was the youngest salesperson in the magazine publishing field," Monaco recalls. "Not only that, but I was representing the youngest publication in the industry, which was competing against a dozen well-established magazines that had all been around for 50+ years." He had the good fortune of two strong mentors who taught him the ropes of publishing a magazine and of selling advertising.

Monaco credits Irvin Borowsky, North American Publishing Co.'s (NAPCO Media) chairman and founder, and former Printing Impressions publisher Frank Veverka for schooling him about the publishing world and salesmanship. "Frank always stressed that you're not just selling advertising, you're building working relationships with companies. And the more successful they become, the more they will rely on you to become an integral part of their marketing objectives."

During those 40 years, there has also been a lifetime's worth of fond memories. Working out of NAPCO's suburban Chicago sales office, Monaco recalls when the charismatic and highly driven Borowsky would fly in from Philadelphia to make multiple sales calls on key Midwestern accounts. 
"I was so nervous, to make sure everything went very smoothly, I'd do dry runs ahead of time so that I didn't get lost or make any wrong turns. And, once we arrived at our appointments, I became an observer and paid attention to what 'the master' was presenting. Many times I would comment to Irv after our call, 'Well, if nothing else, you sure sold me.' "