The Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA) and Printing Industries of America (PIA) have announced that, as of May 1, 2020, the two organizations have become one.
While hitherto SGIA serves the graphics, industrial and apparel decorator segments; the old PIA primarily serves the commercial printing segment. With their merger, both of their members will have access to services across many channels.
Thus, both SGIA and PIA are now together committed to serving the graphic arts community with preeminent research, education, training, events, legislative support, government affairs, health and safety, and other key industry services.
Both merged May 1st 2020 and the combined company name is PRINTING United Alliance. While Ford Bowers is elevated to President and CEO of the combined organization, Michael Makin, current President and CEO of Printing Industries of America, will become an Executive Vice President of the unified organization.
PRINTING United Alliance Board of Directors
The new PRINTING United Alliance Board of Directors reflects combined leadership from the previous SGIA and PIA Board of Directors, which is comprised of the following industry executives: Chairman of the Board Scott Crosby, Transcontinental Holland & Crosby; First Vice Chair Paul Cousineau, Dow Jones and Company, Inc.; Second Vice Chair Christopher Bernat, Vapor Apparel/Source Substrates LLC; Third Vice Chair Michael Marcian, Corporate Communications Group; Treasurer Dean DeMarco, IDL Worldwide; Secretary Brooke Hamilton, NPI; Immediate Past Chair Thomas Cooper III, WestRock; Chair of Chairmen’s Advisory Council Edward Cook, Jr., ECI Screen Print Inc.; and Associate Vice Chair Scott Schinlever, Gerber Technology.
Directors at large include: Brian Adam, Olympus Group; Nick Buettner, American Cut and Sew; Roger Chamberlain, The Cincinnati Insurance Company; Kristen Danson, MitoGraphics Inc.; Chris Feryn, Premier Press; Kevin Gazdag, KG Graphics Décor; Bryan Hall, Graphic Visual Solutions; Lane Hickey-Wiggins, Douglass Screen Printers Inc. dba DPRINT; Brian Hite, Image Options; Michael Magerl, Trabon Group; Brent Moncrief, FUJIFILM; Joseph Olivo, Perfect Communications; Edward Pidcock, Chillybears; Heather Poulin, Ricoh USA; Timothy Saur, Durst Imaging Technology US LLC; Elaine Scrima, GSP Companies; Michael Wagner, Butler Technologies Inc.; and Joseph Lyman, President, Great Lakes Graphics Association, serving as Affiliate manager.
“PRINTING United Alliance is a reflection of the invaluable partnerships and industry convergence that has evolved over time,” says Ford Bowers, President and CEO, PRINTING United Alliance. “The organization name seemed an obvious choice to many as our North Star points to the industry continuing to come together and strengthening to ensure future growth and longevity.”
PRINTING United Alliance brings together two long-standing printing organizations to better serve all communities within the printing industry. “In this time of consolidation, printer members and the supplier community at large are looking for a unified solution to the challenges they face in this era of rapid change,” says Scott Crosby, Chairman of the Board and Transcontinental Holland & Crosby Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “The new Association will become the place to find answers for everything related to printing. It is a great honor and privilege for me to serve the industry as we look forward to a new beginning.”
“The industry is going through great change right now, so the timing for these two like-minded organizations to come together dovetails nicely,” says Paul Cousineau, First Vice Chair, PRINTING United Alliance and Dow Jones and Company Inc. Vice President of Prepress Operations, Continuous Improvement and IT Ops Support. “I am honored to be a part of something so significant and impactful. I’ve enjoyed the process working with the board in getting to this point and look forward to the future.”
It should be noted that the new association will be collaborating with industry stakeholders to produce shows such as PRINTING United scheduled for 21st to 23rd October 2020, SGIA and NAPCO Media Conference to mention just a few.
For more information about becoming a member of PRINTING United Alliance, visit www.sgia.org or www.printing.org
