All Service Graphics Acquired by Superior Press

Commercial printing company Superior Press, Orlando, FL, has acquired Melbourne, FL-based All Service Graphics, Inc. Graphic Arts Advisors, LLC (GAA), Mountain Lakes, NJ, an M&A advisory and consulting firm focused exclusively on the printing, packaging, mailing, marketing production services, and related graphic communications industries, represented All Service Graphics in the transaction. GAA Managing Director Mitch Evans served as lead advisor on the engagement.

The acquisition is a reverse tuck-in in which Superior Press operations will move to All Service Graphics’ Melbourne facility. Both the Superior Press and the All Service Graphics names are being retained post-acquisition, providing customers of both organizations a seamless experience of uninterrupted service.

“The agreement fulfilled the wishes of both the buyer and the seller,” noted Mark Hahn, GAA Senior Managing Director. “Our client owns the facility in which All Service Graphics operates and was seeking a buyer who would occupy the building, acquire the equipment, and continue to serve its customers. The lease on the buyer’s facility was due to expire. Moving into a larger facility with equipment that aligned with his operations was an ideal situation for him.”

“Having a good company that would buy our business ‘as is, ‘where is,’ was very important for us,” said Don Gust, All Service Graphics co-owner. “We were seeking continuation of employment for our staff, some of whom have been with us for 30 years, a tenant for our buildings, and someone who would uphold the company’s commitment to quality, ethics, and providing a great customer experience. Superior Press checked all of those boxes.”

It was also a good fit for Superior Press. Mark Peeples, Managing Partner and owner of Superior, noted that All Service Graphics’ equipment base was one of several synergies he saw between the two companies. “I had to decide whether to invest the funds it would take to move all my equipment into a new facility in the Orlando region when our lease expires this June or to grow through acquisition. Because All Service Graphics’ equipment base was very similar to ours, I knew it would be a smooth transition,” he said. “Also, our customers will benefit from All Service Graphic’s somewhat larger press and their customers will benefit from the expanded mailing services we offer.”

In addition, the facility, which had been operating on a single shift, will now run a second and, ultimately, a third shift, enabling the operation to efficiently serve both companies’ customer bases and accommodate future growth.

All Service Graphics is located in Brevard County, home to the John F. Kennedy Space Center, a main National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) field center. The company serves many of the aerospace, technology, and manufacturing businesses that support the space program, as well as municipalities, nonprofits, and companies in hospitality, healthcare, and other industries. Superior has a large presence in automotive direct mail, serving numerous auto dealerships through their marketing agencies, as well as companies in the hospitality and other sectors. Both printing firms have longstanding clients that they have served for decades.

As it has for virtually all businesses, the Covid-19 pandemic presented a number of challenges for All Service Graphics as it sought a buyer. GAA, however, was able to help co-owner Gust navigate through the process, resulting in a transaction that benefited both buyer and seller. “GAA’s expertise in printing industry M&A and Mitch Evans’ knowledge of the Florida market was extremely helpful,” said Gust, who had engaged GAA to do broad outreach for prospective buyers.

“We had to go back out to market for our client after the initial buyer backed out of the deal when the pandemic broke out,” recalls GAA’s Evans. “As it turned out, the result was better for all involved and met the strategic objectives of both companies.”

Source: Graphic Arts Advisors