Acquisitions Expand Vomela’s Capacity for Fleet Graphics and Soft Signage

The Vomela Companies, a national visual-communications company based in St. Paul, Minnesota, is expanding through acquisitions. The company has already acquired two companies in 2022.

In January, Vomela acquired Gillespie Graphics in Wilsonville, OR to expand Vomela’s reach on the West Coast. A long-time producer of decals and adhesive graphics, Gillespie is now part of The Vomela Transportation Group, which designs, produces, and installs graphics on vehicle fleets.

In October, Vomela acquired Visual Impact in Blaine, MN. This deal enables Vomela to produce graphics for Visual Impact clients in the out-of-home advertising, retailing, hospitality, and event graphics markets.

Because soft signage and SEG framing systems are in high demand in all these markets, Vomela has invested in equipment to expand its capacity to produce high-quality fabric graphics.

At PRINTING United Expo, Vomela purchased an EFI FabriVu 340i+ soft signage printer with inline fixation. The new 3.2m printer will join 12 other large pieces of printing and finishing devices and 8 sewing machines installed in the 40,000 sq. ft. facility in Maplewood, MN that Visual Impact is moving to by the end of November.

Two other FabriVu printers are already operating at Vomela’s Fusion Imaging facility in Kaysville, Utah and the Vomela West facility in Santa Fe Springs, CA. Using EFI FabriVu printers at all three sites makes it easier to ensure the color consistency that brand marketers expect.

“Soft signage is a growing category for our company,” said Mark Auth, Vomela’s CEO and President.

At Fusion Imaging, the demand for soft signage has surged as the demand for event graphics rebounded in a big way in 2022.

Along with the post-COVID uptick in sales, Vomela Senior VP and General Manager Kerry James expects the two acquisitions to result in approximately 25% growth in Vomela sales.

Vomela, which is No. 3 on the 2021 Wide-Format Impressions list of Top 100 wide-format graphics companies in the U.S., plans to announce a third acquisition later this year.

Growth by acquisition has long been a key part of Vomela’s success. What started out as a small manufacturing shop in St. Paul, MN in 1947 is now a $340 million visual communications powerhouse that employs 1300 people and operates out of 21 locations in the U.S. and Canada.

Vomela provides brand clients with specialized graphic solutions, creative services, engineering, prototyping, installation and more. Vomela’s Commercial Print Division produces highly personalized multi-channel marketing campaigns for financial institutions.

The company’s acquisition strategy is straightforward, said James: “We are a leader in the markets that we are in. We seek fundamentally sound companies that can produce products are in demand. Most of the businesses we are buying are private, and trust Vomela to do right by their employees and customers.”

He said the acquisition of Visual Impact came about through relationships. “It’s how we source most of our acquisitions. We have relationships in the industry that go back decades.”

Today, Vomela is well-equipped to produce almost any type a print a client might require.

“We help brands make a statement — at any scale and on any surface through transportation graphics, point-of-purchase marketing and design, events and exhibits, store décor, collateral and more,” explains Teri Mascotti, Director of Brand Marketing for The Vomela Companies.  For more information about Vomela, visit vomela.com