Printing Arts America Adds Three More

WESTPORT, CT—Growing from an ambitious idea into a coast-to-coast printing network, consisting of nine companies with projected revenues in excess of $180 million, is no small accomplishment.

But Terry Tevis, president and CEO of Printing Arts America (PAA), moved a step closer to realizing that goal by acquiring George Lithograph in San Francisco, Bay State Press in Framingham, MA, and Tarrant/ Dallas Printing with plants in Dallas and Euless, TX.

"We've made nine major acquisitions in 10 months," notes Tevis, "and the addition of these three outstanding organizations changes both the face and the structure of our organization. Printing Arts America now extends the breadth of the country and we have the capacity and technology to provide clients the full range of digital, sheetfed and web printing through the medium of our 'Hub and Satellite' growth and production strategy."

The CEOs of each of the new companies will remain at their respective companies.

Bill Sloan, president of George Lithograph, notes, "Access to a national platform was one of the keys to this strategic merger. We can now service our customers' database, digital and offset growth for distribution back to Silicon Valley or for national distribution. Additionally, as the San Francisco hub, we get the benefit of acquisition capital to further support satellite purchases similar to Abbey Press in Oakland and other companies in Northern California."

Across the country, Ed Gillooly from Bay State Press has expressed satisfaction about corporate purchasing leverage to reduce costs and linking up with S&S Graphics in Laurel, MD, to improve his service offering.

"By linking to Printing Arts America's digital network, we have the possibility of meeting some of the web needs in Boston by outputting files to S&S and then returning the printed product to our customer. We satisfy our client plus help improve asset utilization for the organization at the same time."

In Dallas, Bill Lee has already begun work with PAA's other Texas acquisition, Jolley Printing. "Frank Jolley and I are currently addressing customer needs, equipment loading, sharing PSI files and best practices for our move into CTP. Additionally, we welcome Terry's background in direct mail, as that part of our Dallas business has demonstrated tremendous potential. With two half-webs and a Didde web, our platform may fit some of the needs of the other Printing Arts America companies," Lee says.

Tevis contends the reasons for the company's quick growth are clear. "We've developed a package of financial and business incentives that clearly marks us as an industry leader. We've grown quickly and expect to add a significant number of new companies to our network very shortly. I'm looking forward to 1999."

Backed by the resources of Wall Street's Kohlberg & Company, PAA has been acquiring printing companies with minimum annual sales of $10 million. Printing Arts America currently employs 1,350.