PRINTING United Alliance, a member-based printing and graphic arts association, announced the appointment of its 2021-22 Suppliers and Manufacturers Council. Appointed annually, this exemplary group of industry leaders advises the association on issues and trends related to the future success of the printing industry at large and represents a cross-section of all market segments. More information about the SMC and other PRINTING United Alliance advisory groups can be found at sgia.org/about/volunteer-leadership/advisory-council.
The 2021-22 SMC is led by chairperson Carleen Gray, CEO, Stahls’, and vice chair Michael Brice, VP, sales & business development, INX International Ink Co. Andrew Oransky, president and CEO, Roland DGA, assumes the role of past chairman.
“The SMC is a group of industry leaders which represent the diverse segments in the printing industry with a shared mission of sharing business challenges and suggestions for improvement, growth expectations, and moving the industry forward,” says Gray (pictured left). “Given the financial impact the current global supply chain and logistics constraints are having on all of us, communication and data are critical for making good business decisions. I find the opinions and experiences shared in the SMC meetings, combined with the economic and industry data provided by PRINTING United Alliance are helpful insights for our own business planning at Stahls’.”
“The supplier community is a vital part of the printing industry,” says Oransky (pictured right). “Over the last two years, the SMC has endeavored to make sure that PRINTING United Alliance offers a platform for suppliers to communicate with and provide value to member organizations throughout the year. We’ve tackled topics ranging from workforce development and training, to segmentation, and how the printing industry can present a unified face to the public. Of course, the impact of the COVID pandemic on printers has been a constant threat over the past 18 months. I’ve been honored to lead the committee and look forward to its continued contributions to PRINTING United Alliance’s mission.”
The complete roster of PRINTING United Alliance SMC members for 2021-22 is as follows:
Carleen Gray, Stahls’ – Chair
Michael Brice, INX International Ink Co. – Vice Chair
Andrew Oransky, Roland DGA – Past Chair
Kimberly Daugherty, Advanced Color Solutions
Eric Crocker, Delta Apparel
Larry Moore, Esko
Scott Fisher, Fisher Textiles
Felix Mueller, Heidelberg
Kay Fernandez, Konica Minolta
Ken Keyte, MBO America
Ken VanHorn, Mimaki
Roger Serrette, Ricoh USA
Mark Bailey, SanMar Corporation
Ken Ingram, SCREEN Americas
Eric Tischer, Serge Ferrari
Donna Covannon, Xeikon
Leadership Looking Ahead
The SMC provides PRINTING United Alliance supplier and manufacturer members an opportunity for focused peer-to-peer interaction and a chance to participate in selected areas, including event participation, industry research, training, and industry legislation.
With this mission, SMC members are weighing in with their enthusiasm on the year ahead.
Brice says, “Being in the printing industry for over 36 years and having served on multiple boards, I am greatly looking forward to the opportunities and work ahead with this diverse and accomplished group of professionals. We are collectively committed to keeping the industry strong and healthy, as printing is a vital industry in our country. It is imperative that we work together as convergence and diversification flourishes. I am honored to serve on the board and jointly driving the organization’s and industry’s needs and plans for growth and making that a sustainable effort.”
“The SMC is the most prestigious supplier group in the printing industry, and I feel privileged and honored to have been selected to serve alongside this talented group of industry professionals and represent all that MBO and Komori have to offer,” adds Keyte. “We have grown immensely as a company these past couple of years, so I am eager to bring my perspective to the board and get started on planning new ideas for the year ahead.”
Bailey shares, “As decoration becomes the new form of personalized expression in the trending digital age, it is more important than ever that Apparel Manufacturers, Decorators, Equipment and consumable suppliers come together. My hope is that my team, experience, network, SanMar and our approach to the marketplace can help bring us all closer together. Every decision we make has cause and effect on customers that we all share. My hope is together we make it the best possible experience for them and their end users.”
“I am proud to represent Xeikon and our diverse market segments in this important industry advisory group. I look forward to bringing my extensive knowledge as well as our customer input, feedback and trends, to this highly intuitive group,” says Covannon. “Collectively, we will best identify areas of opportunity for today and for the future longevity of our industry.”
For more information about the PRINTING United Alliance SMC, visit sgia.org.
PRINTING United Alliance Announces 2021 Student Scholarship Program Recipients
PRINTING United Alliance announced the recipients of its 2021 Student Scholarship Program. The annual scholarship program, supported by generous donations from endowment investors and industry leaders through the PRINTING United Alliance Foundation, provides financial support to students planning a future in the printing and graphic arts industry.
The PRINTING United Alliance Scholarship Program grants a total of $50,000 in educational assistance to graphic communications students around the world for the 2021-22 academic year. Students receiving the scholarship are enrolled to attend a PRINTING United Alliance Educational Member college or university full time (12 or more credits) for the Fall 2021 semester, and are committed to pursuing a career in graphic communications, printing technology, or printing management. Recipients must also have maintained a cumulative 3.0 grade point average or higher on a 4.0 scale.
“We are enthusiastic in the interest we receive for the PRINTING United Alliance Scholarship Program from students around the world year over year,” says Ford Bowers (pictured left), CEO, PRINTING United Alliance. “In a time when industry fortitude is most important, the continued desire for students in printing and graphic arts to study the latest technology and innovations is a healthy sign for the future generation of this industry. We congratulate those who have worked hard diligently to be selected for this scholarship.”
The 2021-22 PRINTING United Alliance Scholarship Program recipients are:
Emily McSwain, Cal Poly State University
Kimberly Chin, Cal Poly State University
Lauren Mindolovich, Cal Poly State University
Mallory Browne, Cal Poly State University
Owen Christensen, Cal Poly State University
Christina Kouzi, Central Piedmont Community College
Caroline Keller, Clemson University
Cassandra Nicholl, Clemson University
Lauren Toler, Clemson University
Andrew Friedman, Ferris State
Abigail Rodriguez-Colón, Georgia Southern University
Laura Cirstea, Stuttgart Media University (Germany)
Haliah Offutt, Illinois State University
Kalani Ferguson, Illinois State University
Nazli Altay, Marmara University (Turkey)
Kowshik Saha, North Carolina State University
Kaylee Long, Pittsburgh State University
Anastasia Partserniak, Ryerson University
Georgia Graham, Ryerson University
Jasmine Dawdy, Ryerson University
Lara Capistrano, Ryerson University
Lorena Florea, Ryerson University
Marwa Bandakji, Ryerson University
Nancy Ly, Ryerson University
Samir Macklai, Ryerson University
For more information about the PRINTING United Alliance Student Scholarship and other awards programs, and how to apply, visit sgia.org/programs.
PRINTING United Alliance is the the most comprehensive member-based printing and graphic arts association in the United States, comprised of the vast communities which it represents. The Alliance serves industry professionals across market segments with preeminent education, training, workshops, events, research, government and legislative representation, safety, and environmental sustainability guidance, as well as resources from the leading media company in the industry – NAPCO Media. Now a division of PRINTING United Alliance, Idealliance is the global leader in standards training and certification for printing and graphic arts operations across the entire industry supply chain. PRINTING United Alliance also produces the PRINTING United Expo, the most influential days in printing. The expansive display of technology and supplies, education, programming, and services are showcased to the industry at large, and represents all market segments in one easily accessed place. For more info, visit www.printing.org.
