Columns/Opinions

Brianna Long has been managing and directing the marketing department at Thomas Printworks for more than 20 years.  As Marketing Director, she coordinates advertising campaigns, customer promotions and store remodels. Brianna plays an instrumental role in the branding of the largest family-owned reprographics company in the nation.

Emily Fonnesbeck has been writing for more than ten years and enjoys her current position as a content writer for Ferrari Color. She lives in Idaho with her husband and children and loves doughnuts and a good book. 

Denise Gustavson is the Editorial Director and Special Projects Editor for the Printing & Packaging Group, which includes Printing Impressions, packagePRINTING, In-plant Graphics and Wide-Format Impressions magazines, among other brands. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of Wide-Format Impressions.

Jon Davis is in the marketing department at Cushing, a commercial printer and environmental branding firm in Chicago. Recently he has contributed to articles to Self Employment in the Arts, the Business Marketing Association, and Work Design Magazine. From marketing strategy to office branding and customer case studies, he writes on a variety of topics.

Ray assists association members with information on digital printing as well as digital equipment, materials, and vendor referrals. He oversees training and certification workshops at PRINTING United Alliance. Ray is project manager for both the PDAA Certification program and the PRINTING United Alliance Digital Color Professional Certification program and is an instructor for the Color Management Boot Camps as well as a G7 expert. Ray regularly contributes to the Association's Journal and won the 2016 Swormstedt Award for Best in Class writing in the Digital Printing category. Ray was inducted into the Academy of Screen and Digital Printing Technologies (ASDPT) in 2020. He also works with SkillsUSA to conduct the National Competition for Graphics Imaging Sublimation. Outside of work, Ray enjoys biking, international cuisine and spending time with his three fantastic grandkids.

Ford Bowers is the CEO of PRINTING United Alliance.

Dr. Harvey R. Levenson is Professor Emeritus and former Department Head of Graphic Communication at Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo, Calif. His research and teaching specialties are communication, intellectual property, media, printing, and technology. He is often called upon as an Expert Witness in these areas. Contact him at hlevenso@calpoly.edu

Gerry Nathe is a retired chairman and board member of Baldwin Technology. He is the current chair of the Ben Franklin Honor Society, and a member of the board of the Print & Graphics Scholarship Foundation (PGSF).

Michael Makin was appointed President and CEO of Printing Industries of America on August 1, 2002. Born and raised in Montreal, Makin attended Carleton University in Ottawa where graduated with honors with a degree in Journalism in 1986. He also holds an MBA from the University of Phoenix. After a brief stint as a reporter and public affairs officer with the Canadian government, he began his career in association management 20 years ago. Prior to joining Printing Industries of America, Makin was President of the Canadian Printing Industries Association and for almost 10 years served as an executive with the Canadian Construction Association.

Catie Duffy is in the marketing department at Cushing, a commercial printer and environmental branding firm in Chicago. With a background in corporate communication and customer service, she’s written blogs, case studies and other website content on a number of topics. Follow Cushing on social media to see how she puts these ideas into action!

Raymond J. Prince has served the industry for 60 years as a printer, student, association executive, and now as an industry advisor and consultant. Ray can be reached at: raymondjprince@aol.com

Bobby Fosson is Channel Sales Manager for North America, SAi.

Toren Prawdzik is president of Photo Evo.

Charlie Rueb is the display division manager a Rainier Industries.

Lon Winters is president of Graphic Elephants.

Ken Burns is the President/CEO of Axis Graphic Installations Inc. He is a native of Boston, MA and studied Business Management in the mid 90’s. He has consulted, developed and managed multiple Fortune 500 companies. In 2006, he approached his friend (who was a 10-year veteran graphic installer at the time) and asked him to teach him the art of installing vehicle wraps. Ken saw the value in this niche industry and had the idea of bringing his knowledge of large corporate structure to a newer industry that was mostly comprised of independent subcontractors. He started his first Axis team in South Florida in 2009 and has since developed teams in Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Beyond vehicle wraps, Ken and his teams have become proficient in all types of sign and graphic installations.

Rick Mandel is president of Mandel Graphic Solutions and member of the SGIA Digital Textile and Décor Committee.

Ron Gilboa is a director of InfoTrends’ Functional Printing and Packaging, and is responsible for conducting graphic communications market research, market forecasting, custom consulting projects, strategy and planning engagements, and creating editorial content for product and market analysis reports. Gilboa has been involved in the graphic arts and publishing industries since 1980. He rejoined InfoTrends in 2013 after the better part of a decade with Eastman Kodak, where he served in executive marketing roles in the Commercial Imaging group. Gilboa's roles at Kodak included vice president of marketing at Kodak’s Production Inkjet group, director of worldwide current marketing and operation, and director of worldwide communications. In these roles Gilboa managed a cross functional team responsible for overall go-to-market including strategy development, marketing operations, and in market execution across the individual regional strategic product groups. Prior to Kodak, he held senior positions as director of the Print On Demand and Publishing Service at InfoTrends (formerly CAP Ventures) and product management at Scitex Corp. Gilboa brings skills and experience in key print industries such as commercial, publishing, packaging, transaction, enterprise, as well as direct customer knowledge in vertical markets. Contact him at (781) 616-2108.

Lisa Cross is the principal analyst of NAPCO Research (a unit of NAPCO Media) where she conducts market research and analysis on emerging trends and changing dynamics in the commercial, in-plant and packaging industries, and the market forces that are driving those changes. With decades of experience covering the graphic arts and marketing industries, Cross has authored thousands of articles on a variety of topics, including technology trends,  business strategy, sales, marketing and legislation.

Mark Michelson is the Editor-in-Chief of Printing Impressions. Serving in this role since 1985, Michelson is an award-winning journalist and member of several industry honor societies. Reader feedback is always encouraged. Email mmichelson@napco.com

Jim Raffel is a color management consultant who also serves as CEO of ColorCasters, LLC and ColorMetrix Technologies LLC. As a veteran of the printing industry and a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology’s acclaimed printing management program, in 1995 he formed ColorMetrix to bring an idea he had to make color measurement and evaluation easier by creating easy-to-use software solutions. Today as a certified G7 expert and color management professional, his consulting practice focuses on dye sublimation and flat-bed UV inkjet printing. This work keeps him on the road many weeks each year working with end users and manufacturers to improve their color management processes. He has also been authorized by SGIA to conduct their color management boot camps; in both open venues for anyone to attend and in closed venues for clients and their staff.

Gary A. Jones is the director of environmental, health and safety (EHS) affairs at PRINTING United Alliance in Fairfax, VA. His primary responsibility is to monitor and analyze EHS regulatory activities at all domestic and some international government levels. He provides representation on behalf of the printing and specialty graphic imaging industry.  In doing so, Mr. Jones works closely with the federal and state-level Environmental Protection Agencies (EPA), Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA), Department of Transportation (DOT), and other agencies.  He also provides membership assistance on EHS compliance and sustainability programs through a variety of approaches including responding to inquiries, presentations, writing, and consulting services.

Mr. Jones is also supporting PRINTING United Alliance’s efforts for the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP). SGP is dedicated to assisting printing operations respond to the customer demand for sustainable printing.

He holds a BS in biology from LaRoche College and an MS in chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh.

Régis Thienard is an inkjet expert.

Shelby Sapusek is a color management consultant who also serves as CMO of ColorCasters LLC. She grew up in the newspaper industry; working primarily in graphic design and prepress. In her editor capacity, she was responsible for the print and color quality of several newspapers around the country. In 2011, after 17 years in the newspaper industry, she joined fellow instructor Jim Raffel in his company ColorMetrix, and later co-founded ColorCasters. Today, she works with graphic designers, end users, and manufacturers in the print industry to improve their color management skills.

Mike Ruff has more than 40 years of experience in the graphic arts industry and is currently the owner of Mike Ruff Consulting. He is a certified G7 expert instructor and a certified G7 process control and conformance expert. Contact him at mruff@mikeruffconsulting.com

A.J. Titus is President of Signarama, a member of United Franchise Group (UFG), comprised of nine brands and 1,600 franchise owners in 80 countries. He sits on multiple boards, including the Rinker School of Business and the Titus Center for Franchising. He was also recognized in South Florida Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” in 2018.

Kerri's goal is to help people connect deeper with themselves, their community, other individuals, and the world around them. As a transformational coach, she works with companies to create cultures of human greatness and connectivity. She works with individuals who are looking to play a bigger game, and supports her community by offering various workshops and programs.

Kerri launched The Red Baron Group in 2018 and has spent the past year enrolled in an ICF accredited transformational coaching program, Coachville. She is an affiliated partner with Everything DiSC® and The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team® as well as a Higher Ground Leadership® partner. The 35 years she spent in business management and operations as well as her own transformational journey gives her a unique perspective and many personal experiences to draw from. She is a firm believer that strategy, leadership, culture, processes and people must be in careful balance in order for change to be sustainable.

Heather Nortz is the Sustainability Programs Coordinator for PRINTING United Alliance. Her primary responsibilities consist of running both the Sustainable Business Recognition and Safety Recognition Award Programs. She also contributes to industry specific research on matters of sustainability trends and environmental safety and health regulations. She regularly publishes articles and blog posts on these topics and consistently updates the PRINTING United Alliance website with advocacy related content. Nortz recently graduated from George Mason University with her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and a concentration in Human and Ecosystems Response to Climate Change.

Brad Haupt is the Regional Sales Manager for Drytac.

Johnny Shell is the Vice President of Print Technology & Training for SGIA. In this role, he is responsible for developing educational opportunities and industry-focused products and services for the advancement of the printing industry. Johnny is a printing professional and recognized industry expert with 30+ years’ of experience in apparel, graphics, commercial, and industrial printing applications. Shell conducts numerous workshops annually and his articles appear regularly in top industry publications.

Joey Heiob is a Technical Specialist at Avery Dennison Graphics Solutions.

Joseph P. Truncale, Ph.D., CAE, is the Founder and Principal of Alexander Joseph Associates, a privately held consultancy specializing in executive business advisory services with clients throughout the graphic communications industry.

Joe spent 30 years with NAPL, including 11 years as President and CEO. He is an adjunct professor at NYU teaching graduate courses in Executive Leadership; Financial Management and Analysis; Finance for Marketing Decisions; and Leadership: The C Suite Perspective. He may be reached at Joe@ajstrategy.com. Phone or text: (201) 394-8160.

Dan Reid is part of the first group of experts to teach and qualify shops for the G7 Master Printer Program. Dan has helped numerous grand format shops achieve the benefits of the G7 calibration process since being certified as a G7 Certified Expert in 2006. Dan provides SGIA Digital Color Professional classes nationally.

Ben Starr is a Color Management and Workflow Expert, with a BS in Printing Management from Western Michigan University. For over 10 years he has provided color and workflow installation and training services for many leading creative agencies, pre-media, and print production facilities. Ben has also had several opportunities to work in color management research and development, and some of the findings from this research has been published in various industry publications. Additionally, Ben's research has yielded new efficiencies at the companies he's worked for. Ben has also spent several years leading pre-media departments for traditional and digital print.

Ronen Samuel has held the position of CEO at Kornit since August 2018. Prior to joining Kornit, Ronen held several leadership positions at HP over 18 years, including VP and General Manager of the HP Indigo and WebWide presses business across EMEA. He holds a BA Business Administration, LL.B. Law and an MBA from Northwestern University / Kellogg School of Management. Prior to his professional business career Ronen served as a pilot in the Israel Air Force.

David Wilaj reports on economic and industry trends which aim to help printers navigate an ever-changing business environment

He joins the Printing United Alliance research team after beginning his career at Printing Industries of America where he analyzed, reported and spoke on key trends in commercial print and aided in the revitalization of the historic Performance Ratios program.

Robert Zoch is the Global Content Manager at Kornit Digital.

Andrew D. Paparozzi joined PRINTING United Alliance as Chief Economist in 2018. He analyzes and reports on economic, technological, social and demographic trends that will define the printing industry’s future. His most important responsibility, however, is being an observer of the industry by listening to the issues and concerns of company owners, executives and managers.Previously, he worked 31 years at the National Association for Printing Leadership. He has also taught mathematics, statistics and economics at various colleges.Andrew holds a Bachelor’s degree in economics f rom Boston College and a Master’s degree in economics — with concentrations in econometrics and public finance — from Columbia University.

Michelle Johnson, Director of Worldwide Marketing at SAi can be reached at michellej@thinksai.com

Silas Amos is the founder of Silas Amos Ltd. Design Thought.

Pat McGrew, M-EDP, CMP is the Director and Evangelist for the Production Workflow Service at InfoTrends. As an analyst and industry educator, McGrew works with InfoTrends customers and its clients to promote workflow effectiveness. She also has a background in data-driven customer communication, and production printing with offset, inkjet, and toner. Co-author of eight industry books, editor of "A Guide to the Electronic Document Body of Knowledge," and regular writer in the industry trade press, McGrew won the 2014 #GirlsWhoPrint Girlie Award for her dedication to education and communication in the industry, and the 2016 Brian Platte Lifetime Achievement Award from Xplor International. Find Pat on Twitter as @PatMcGrew and LinkedIn.

Kevin Roland is InkSoft’s Education Manager.

Sarit Tichon is the Senior VP, Worldwide Sales for SAi.

Hadar Peled Vaissman is an independent international Art Director who helps brands to improve their communication mainly through customization, personalization and individualization. She believes that these will elevate a company’s relevance in a digital world.

Gilbert Espinosa is the Territory Manager for the West Coast Region at Drytac.

Stephen Buchanan is a Business Development Manager at Kao Collins.

Adrian Cook is the Marketing Manager for 3M.

Jerry Hill is the Vice President; New Business Development at Drytac.

Nathan Safran is Vice President, Research for NAPCO Media. Nathan is a former Forrester Research Analyst with deep experience designing custom research solutions that solve client business problems. Nathan works with the subject matter experts across NAPCO’s brands to design research solutions that leverage NAPCO’s engage audiences and provides deep insight. Nathan is a frequent speaker at industry events and his research has been cited in the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, and Fortune Magazine.

Adriane Harrison is Vice President, Human Relations Consulting at PRINTING United Alliance. Adriane assists members with a wide variety of HR matters involving statutes, regulations, policies, procedures, culture, and staffing, as well as the gamut of day-to-day HR issues.  In addition, she supports professional development by conducting webinars, participating in panel discussions, and speaking at industry events on human resources issues. Currently, Adriane is the Chairperson of the Graphic Communications Workforce Coalition, a member of the Women in Print Alliance, and a founder of the Women’s Print Mentoring Network.

Adriane received a journalism degree from the University of Illinois and a law degree from DePaul University in Chicago. As an attorney, Adriane practiced in both the public and private sectors. Her work was in the areas of Constitutional, commercial, securities, and criminal law. Adriane and her family live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

George Sotter is the President of Safety Direct America.

Lisbeth Lyons is Vice President, Government & Political Affairs, PRINTING United Alliance, the largest, most comprehensive graphic arts trade association in the country. With more than 20 years of experience representing the voice of business on Capitol Hill, Lisbeth advocates for public policies that protect and advance the economic future of the printing and packaging industry. She oversees PRINTING United Alliance’s legislative, political, and grassroots advocacy initiatives, and has served in executive leadership of multiple successful advocacy campaigns, such as Coalition for Paper Options, Coalition for a 21^st Century Postal Service, and Stop Tariffs on Printers & Publishers Coalition.

Prior to representing PRINTING United Alliance, Lisbeth served in similar roles at Printing Industries of America, US Telecom, and the National Federation of Independent Business. She also spent three years as a K-12 teacher in the Chicago Public Schools system, where she was on the forefront of urban education reform in the mid-1990s.

Lisbeth is Midwestern born and bred, having grown up in the St. Louis metropolitan area and attended college at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, before starting her career in Washington, DC. She holds a B.A. in English/Sociology and a professional graduate certificate from The George Washington University School of Political Management. She lives in the historic Logan Circle neighborhood of Washington, DC.

An avid leader and learner in professional development, Lisbeth was a founding member of the Government Relations Leadership Forum, and is an active participant in organizations such as Council of Manufacturing Associations, Women in Government Relations, and National Association of Business PACs, among others. Lisbeth is often a featured speaker at premier industry conferences; she has spoken to Boards of Directors, corporate executive management teams, and state and regional trade associations across the country from coast to coast.

James Andres is the Content Manager for S&S Activewear. Contact: jandres@ssactivewear.com.

Fabián Ruiz is a Chemical Engineer with a Master´s Degree in Printing Technology from RIT. He has been involved in teaching and education for the printing trade for more than 30 years, through GATF, PIA, and recently with PRINTING United Alliance. His activities also brought him to the Presidency of the Colombian Printing Association (Andigraf) in 2015.

Hsing Wei is the Director, Product UX & Design at Intersection.

Jay Roberts is a product manager at Roland DGA.

John Freismuth is a leader in the print industry. As the president of Empire Screen Printing, John was recognized by Wisconsin Family Business of the Year with the “I Am Not Afraid” award. John has a passion for innovation which leads to technology and process improvements that continuously redefine the screen-print industry.

Matt Swain is a recognized Customer Communications industry thought leader.  From delivering keynotes around the world to defining best practices, hundreds of well-known companies have relied on Matt’s expertise and research for their current and future omni-channel communication initiatives.

As Managing Director and Practice Lead for Broadridge Communications Consulting, Matt brings invaluable market research and consulting expertise to clients relative to benchmarking, customer experience optimization, and digital transformation.

Prior to joining Broadridge, Matt spent more than a decade at Keypoint Intelligence – InfoTrends where he was a member of the senior management team with global responsibility for Business Development and Customer Communications advisory services. Matt is a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology and holds a Master’s degree in Print Media.

Mark Hinder is responsible for Business Development EMEA in the Graphic Communications Group at Ricoh Europe.

Gareth Newman, Academy Manager, Drytac, has more than six years’ experience in the industry. He is an experienced sign-maker, having worked in the sign industry since he was a teenager.

Toni McQuilken is the senior editor for the printing and packaging group.

Piet De Pauw is the Head of Marketing at Enfocus.

Sander Sondaal, Director, Commercial Print Sales, Graphic Communications Group Ricoh Europe

In 2001, Roger Gimbel founded Gimbel & Associates, an international consulting firm providing business and market development services, skills training, and expert public speaking in the graphic communications and digital solutions industry. The mission of Gimbel & Associates is to help clients identify new business opportunities and implement leading-edge solutions using expertise in organizational development, technology selection, implementation, and work processes.

Roger oversees a team of Consultants with expertise in sales training, workflow analysis, MicroModeling, multichannel marketing, marketing plans, transactional printing, trans-promotional applications and creative strategies for mergers and acquisitions, business development workshops and seminars.

Mark Jenkins, managing director of Pioneer Balloon Co., has been involved in the promotional products industry for more than three decades. He has led the national sales and marketing efforts of three different suppliers. Jenkins is a road warrior, traveling nationally an average of 36 weeks per year, visiting distributors and participating in trade shows, sales meetings and industry events. A former PPAI board member and chair, he has been active in volunteering, bringing his industry knowledge, perspective and leadership to the table. Visit his website here.

Mike Philie leverages his 28 years of direct industry experience in sales, sales management and executive leadership to share what’s working for companies today and how to safely transform your business. Since 2007, he has been providing consulting services to privately held printing and mailing companies across North America.

Mike provides strategy and insight to owners and CEOs in the graphic communications industry by providing direct and realistic assessments, not being afraid to voice the unpopular opinion, and helping leaders navigate change through a common sense and practical approach.

Many printing companies are frustrated how hard it is to engage buyers in today’s world. That’s where Matthew Parker can help. He is a gamekeeper turned poacher. Parker has bought print for more than 20 years and received over 1,400 print sales pitches. He now uses his buyer’s point of view to give practical advice to printers. He helps them engage with prospects and customers to create profitable relationships.

Download his free e-book, "Ten Common Print Selling Errors And What To Do About Them" and check out his recently launched book, "How To Succeed At Print Sales: Setting targets, planning the right activities and making sure goals are met." 

Kristen Dettoni is the founder and CEO of Design Pool LLC, the only pattern library created exclusively for interior designers. Since 1996, Kristen has worked for mills throughout North America, designing fabrics for automobiles, furniture, and home furnishings. She developed the first sustainable upholstery fabric for office interiors, the first sustainable upholstery fabric for automotive interiors, and was awarded a patent for automotive suspension seating. Kristen believes strongly in the power of good design to transform our environments and experiences.

Tim Greene is a Research Director within IDC's Hardcopy Solutions group. Greene is responsible for coverage of the large format printing, 3D printing, and digital signage markets. 

Jeff Snyder is the founder and chief inspiration officer at Inspira Marketing Group, an experiential marketing agency. 

Sabine Slaughter is a renowned international editor, consultant, and journalist who for decades has monitored the transformation in the printing industry. She works in close relationship with printer manufacturers, brand owners, and PSPs and has written thousands of articles, stories, related analyses in various trade magazines inspiring the entire industry.

Philip Beyer, founder/president of Ebiz Products LLC and founder of Beyer Printing Inc. in Nashville Tenn., is a chronic entrepreneur, business systems analyst and consultant. Author of "System Busters: How to Stop Them in Your Business" and recipient of an InterTech Technology Award for the design and development of System100 business process management software. Beyer speaks to business owners across the country on how to bring lean, sustainable order to their businesses. Contact him at (615) 425-2652.

Glen is the Technical Sales Manager of Industrial for Drytac North America. He holds over 20 years exceeding sales quotas, training, and supporting teams, driving growth and profitability for organizations specializing in the value-added, non-commodity type of sales applications. 

Michael Morano is the North American Sales Support Specialist at Drytac. 

Luis Arana is an account executive for B-Flex America, an Italian heat transfer vinyl manufacturer. A creative at heart, Arana strives to inform his clients and readers about best practices in the garment decoration industry through his LinkedIn account and collaborations with industry platforms.

Phil Webster is the head of Industrial Sales, EMEA at Drytac. 

Dan Gillespie began his professional career in the newspaper industry, where he honed his skills and became proficient in desktop publishing, scanning, and color separation/reproduction for cold-set web printing.  He then went to work for a national graphic arts reseller, GE Richards Graphic Supplies, as an application specialist - training clients in graphics related software. In 1999 he started ColorGeek Inc., solving color workflow problems for photographers, printers, publishers, and converters. In 2010 I went to work for Color Management Distribution where he was the Director of Technical Services until November, 2018 when he became the Director of Technical Services for Alder Technology.

Dennis Leblanc is the Territory Sales Manager for the Greater Toronto Area at Drytac.

Arthur Stephens lives to write about all types of commercial graphics printing, from traditional store signage and neon to modern LED technology and vehicle wraps. He has been awarded numerous grants to study the emergence of the modern consumer marketing model from the perspective of local and regional business advertising. 

Linda Bishop is the founder and president of Thought Transformation, a national sales and marketing consulting group helping printers and other companies achieve top-line growth through a combination of strategies, tools, training and tactics.

Her expertise includes all aspects of outbound selling and account acquisition, account retention and development, solution selling, marketing, and aligning sales processes with marketing strategies.

Before starting Thought Transformation in 2004, Linda sold commercial printing for seventeen years, working as a commission salesperson for the Atlanta division of RR Donnelley Company. She was one of the top performers in the Atlanta marketplace and had annual sales exceeding $9 million.   

Linda has a BS degree in accounting from Purdue University and an MBA in marketing from Georgia State. She has written several books on sales topics, speaks nationally on sales, marketing and customer service, and has published many articles.

Dan Gershenson is Chief Marketing Officer with ER2 Image Group. 

For more than 30 years, Chicagoland-based ER2 Image Group has been producing captivating wide-format graphics in extraordinary environments to transform Fortune 500 brands across the nation. The company’s groundbreaking work frequently finds a home in iconic buildings, stadiums, corporate headquarters and virtually any place that demands people experience design at a much larger level. To view ER2’s most powerful finished projects, head to ER2Image.com.