Graphic Press

By Erik Cagle Senior Editor The whispers that point toward an improving economy are becoming louder and louder. And 2004—some observers are confident—will show a marked improvement in the fortunes of commercial printers across the country, ending a downward cycle that traces to the fall of 2000. Of course, anything above the 2001 and 2002 performances would constitute an improvement. Still, among the ranks of our annual Top 400, tucked in between the masses of companies that experienced flat or negative growth from the previous campaign, are some establishments that have actually soared. We've provided a capsulated look at 13 companies randomly selected from

Motheral Printing Chairman Dies FORTH WORTH, TX—Carl Motheral, 76, chairman of Motheral Printing, died of a heart attack in January. Motheral was part of the second generation to run the family-owned printing business that his father and mother, Fitzhugh and Ella Motheral, started in 1934. He joined what was then a small family business in 1950. Mr. Motheral ran the business along with his brothers Foist and Wesley, and retained the title of chairman when he retired four years ago. His son, Jim, succeeded him as president. Tom Basore to Retire From WOA ALEXANDRIA, VA—Thomas "Tom" Basore, executive director of the Web Offset Association (WOA) and

(Editor's Note: Company rankings for the current and previous years are based on figures reported in 2002. Therefore, companies that revised their 2001 revenues may have changed their 2001 ranking as compared with the ranking that appeared in last year's Printing Impressions 400. Similarly, the percentage change in sales is calculated on the most recent information provided.) 152 ('01: 142) Malloy Inc., Ann Arbor, MI Total Sales (millions): $39.60 Previous Year's (millions): $46.40 Change (%): -15 Principal Officer: William L. Upton Employees: 334 Primary Specialties: BKS 100% Web Offset Units: 7 Sheetfed Offset Units: 16 Other: 0 Ownership: Private Plants: 1 153 ('01:

Editor's note: Company rankings for the current and previous years are based on figures reported in 2001. Therefore, companies that revised their 2000 revenues may have changed their '00 ranking as compared with the ranking that appeared in last year's Printing Impressions 400. Similarly, the percentage change in sales is calculated on the most recent information provided. 2001 Ranking:Previous Year's Ranking:Company:Total Sales (millions):Previous Year's (millions):Change (%):Principal Officer:Employees:Primary Specialties: Web Offset Units:Sheetfed Offset Units:Other:Ownership:Plants: 151163Panel Prints, Old Forge, PA$44.50$40.20+11William M. Abene370SPEC 60% (35% POP; 25% Heat-transfer);PKG 25%; COM 10%; PREP 5% 01280Private2  Parent: W.M. Abene Co., Old Forge, PA  2001 Ranking:Previous Year's Ranking:Company:Total Sales (millions):Previous Year's

For John Zamora, it means being able to launch a new company with $40 million worth of new equipment. BY ERIK CAGLE John Zamora pretty much had it all, but even if he didn't, he surely had enough. At the age of 54, Zamora boasts a happy marriage and three grown children, a stable full of his precious race horses, a reputation as one of the best salesmen in the commercial printing industry and several million dollars in the bank. By most definitions, that stands as a successful career and life—the reward being countless leisure hours at the race track, travel or any

Roger Perry: Web Offset PioneerWATERLOO, WI—Roger L. Perry, 78, who transformed his father's newspaper publishing business into a bustling commercial printer of magazines, catalogs and advertising, died April 14. Mr. Perry purchased an interest in his father's firm, Perry Printing, in 1956. He updated his father's antiquated letterpress with a web offset press, a bold move at the time, but Mr. Perry saw a trend toward higher quality, larger volume and increased color reproduction capability. He sold full ownership of the company to Journal Communications in 1974, but remained there until 1990, when he retired as chairman and CEO of Perry Printing and as

If you know the name of a printing company that you think appears on the Printing Impressions 400 list, but you're not sure of its ranking, here's an easy way to locate that firm. Simply find the company in the alphabetical listings on this page. In addition to each company's name and headquarters location, a corresponding number appears indicating that firm's ranking on the Printing Impressions 400. ABS Graphics (Addison, IL) 400 Action Printing (Fond du Lac, WI) 353 Adams Business Forms (Topeka, KS) 96 AdPlex Inc. (Houston, TX) 102 Advance Business Graphics (Mira Loma, CA) 153 AFL Web Printing (Voorhees, NJ)

Editor's note: Company rankings for the current and previous years are based on figures reported in 2000. Therefore, companies that revised their 1999 revenues may have changed their '99 ranking as compared with the ranking that appeared in last year's Printing Impressions 500. Similarly, the percentage change in sales is calculated on the most recent information provided.2000 Ranking:Previous Year's Ranking:Company:Total Sales (millions):Previous Year's (millions):Change (%):Principal Officer:Employees:Primary Specialties:Web Offset Units:Sheetfed Offset Units:Other:Ownership:Plants:101103Toppan Printing Co. America*, Somerset, NJ$70.60$62.00+14Shingo Ohkado180N/A0410Private 1*Parent: Toppan Printing, Tokyo, Japan  2000 Ranking:Previous Year's Ranking:Company:Total Sales (millions):Previous Year's (millions):Change (%):Principal Officer:Employees:Primary Specialties:Web Offset Units:Sheetfed Offset Units:Other:Ownership:Plants:10296AdPlex Inc.*, Houston, TX$70.00$68.00+3Russell Anderson420ADV 74%; PREP 24%;