2025 Innovator of the Year: FSSI Turns Vision Into Transformation

Editor's Note: Innovation takes many forms. Whether by leveraging new technology, building smart investment plans, initiating strategic acquisitions, placing a focus on workforce practices, or refining processes, industry leaders set themselves apart as true innovators.

Each year, we ask printing industry experts and consultants to nominate the print service providers they believe embody the term “innovation.” Our five Printing Impressions' 2025 Innovators of the Year are recognized for pushing boundaries and shaping the future of the field. It’s our hope that their approaches and philosophies may spark ideas to help other businesses reach new heights.

The summary of FSSI that follows shares what makes this company innovative, interesting, and exceptional.

What began as a one-man operation in the trunk of a Ford Granada has evolved into a 350-employee powerhouse spanning four states. The transformation of FSSI from Jon Dietz’s entrepreneurial gamble in 1980 to today's industry leader tells a story of innovation, risk-taking, and strategic vision that extends far beyond traditional print and mail services.

The Early Hustle

In those formative years, Dietz crisscrossed Los Angeles with tapes from local businesses, recognizing an untapped opportunity in the credit union sector.

“He saw these institutions needed sophisticated customer communication services, professional print and mail solutions, right when variable printing and polished statements were emerging,” recalls his wife Jennifer, who joined the adventure full-time in 1989 and now serves as CEO.

That willingness to bet everything on an unproven concept paid off spectacularly. Today, FSSI operates from a 167,000-sq.-ft. headquarters in Santa Ana, California, with additional facilities in Coppell, Texas; Orlando, Florida; and Lincoln, Rhode Island.

FSSI has “cracked the code” in terms of production and automation in its facilities. | Credit: FSSI

The Automation Advantage

What sets FSSI apart isn’t just growth — and they have averaged double digit annual revenue growth the past 10 years — it’s the sophisticated automation infrastructure built from scratch. These proprietary systems handle complex, customized client requirements while maintaining mass production efficiency.

Consider one client’s challenge: processing data with 20 distinct output requirements spanning standard mail, FedEx, UPS, and DHL for international deliveries. FSSI’s automated systems seamlessly accommodate these specifications, generating appropriate output files, managing logistics, and providing detailed disposition reports, all while maintaining rigorous quality standards.

“We’ve created hardened yet flexible processes that allow us to serve diverse clients of all sizes while remaining highly customizable,” Jennifer Dietz explains.

The company’s client-facing tools exemplify this approach. letterStreamOne enables customers to manage Word-based letter templates through a portal interface. When data arrives, the system merges information to create personalized communications with dynamic content capabilities that go far beyond simple mail merge functions.

Pat McGrew, manging director of McGrewGroup and the industry expert behind FSSI’s nomination, says the company has “cracked the code” of production and automation.

“FSSI [has always been] smart about how they approached everything, and over the years they realized that to crack the code they were going to have to do more than just do the same thing every day, over and over again,” she says. “They kept their thumb on the pulse of what was changing.”

Shared Success Through Ownership

Perhaps FSSI’s most innovative move came in 2021 with the implementation of an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Rather than pursuing traditional merger and acquisition routes, Jennifer and Jon Dietz chose to sell the company to their employees.

“We wanted to reward the people who truly deserved it, employees who had invested years of their lives, energy, and dedication into building this company,” Jennifer Dietz says. “It felt like the most fulfilling way to share FSSI’s success.”

The ESOP allows employees to build retirement wealth beyond their 401(k) contributions at zero personal cost. Initial skepticism quickly transformed into enthusiasm.

“Some employees asked, ‘Why give [it] to us instead of to your daughters?’” Jennifer Dietz recalls with a laugh. “I told them, ‘Do you see them working here? You’ve worked so hard – you’ve earned it.’”

The ownership transition delivered results: 15% increased efficiency, elevated morale, and enhanced productivity. The psychological shift proved just as powerful: employees began thinking and acting like owners because they are.

“I hear people saying, ‘We need to handle this right because we own the company and want it to succeed,’” Jennifer Dietz notes.

Cultivating Culture and Talent

Innovation isn’t just about technology; it’s about having a fully-aligned team that understands and communicates core values. Jennifer Dietz has created a management team that stays focused on FSSI’s goals and mission. The Executive Team sets corporate goals used to establish department, team, and individual objectives throughout the company.

“At FSSI, our core values are used daily in decision making: Passion for Service, Extraordinary Effort, Custom Care, Unwavering Integrity, and Open-Ended Creativity,” Jennifer Dietz says. These values are communicated year-round through all-employee meetings, newsletters, and posters.

While FSSI doesn’t have a formal internship program, the company has become a magnet for emerging professionals. The workspace buzzes with young employees collaborating and generating ideas. This demographic shift reflects just how much FSSI’s core values resonate with today’s workers, who are seeking purpose-driven careers.

“You might assume print and mail is mundane or dying, but that’s not our reality,” Jennifer Dietz observes. “Our employees see genuine purpose in their work.”

Blueprint for Innovation

FSSI’s recent acquisition of Cathedral Corporation’s Business Services Division represents a move to become a national presence. The deal brought Florida and Rhode Island locations, creating extensive geographic coverage.

FSSI’s journey from car trunk startup to bi-coastal nationwide operation offers lessons that transcend the printing and mailing industry. The combination of proprietary automation, employee ownership, values-driven culture, and strategic expansion creates a framework other businesses can study and adapt.

In an era of rapid technological change and workforce evolution, FSSI proves companies can reinvent themselves through innovation, strategic risk-taking, and investment in human capital. The company isn’t just processing communications, it’s demonstrating how businesses can thrive by embracing change while staying true to foundational principles.