Some Love, Some Hate PIA, NAPL Merger Idea —Michelson

Finally, and perhaps most disconcerting of all, is that—in an industry yearning for ways printers can reinvent themselves to keep print part of the modern media mix and create new value-added services—the majority of printers don't belong to either association. 
The PIA claims that there are 36,000+ printing establishments; NAPL has nearly 3,000 members and PIA has roughly 10,000 members through its 27 affiliate chapters. That means almost two-thirds of printers don't value membership in either group. The value proposition that a vibrant association provides, including legislative lobbying, industry standards and research, expert consulting, group insurance, economic forecasting and more, is critical to our future. Piecing together the most viable components from PIA and NAPL, and developing what's still missing to attract more industry involvement, would show that 1+1 can = 3.