Independence Press — Dedicated to Growth

IN THE ever-growing world of printing, industrial parks have become the ideal location for a company looking to grow its business—offering the conveniences of space, easy access to major highways, postal distribution centers and carefully manicured landscapes.

In contrast, trying to run a manufacturing plant amidst alleyways and docks, one-way streets, vertical facilities and sprawling neighborhoods with limited parking, can pose a tremendous challenge and make or break a company.

As direct mail printing became a growing niche for Philadelphia-based Independence Press, Tony Adamucci, second-generation owner and president, and Tony’s son/managing partner, Marc Adamucci, knew that their Philadelphia location was no longer an ideal fit for the growing company. Aside from direct mail, Independence Press produces annual reports, brochures, catalogs, posters and point-of-purchase offerings, along with CME material, monographs and product inserts for the pharmaceutical industry.

“We were located in a residential area in Center City Philadelphia with narrow streets and, as the neighborhood started to gentrify, it interfered with the growth we were trying to achieve,” explains Tony Adamucci.

Part of the company’s progression plan was to sell the Philadelphia facility—where they occupied four floors in an eight-story building—and move into a one-story building with an open floor plan for a better workflow.

In December 2005, the company moved into a 45,000-square-foot plant in an industrial park across the Delaware River in Thorofare, NJ. Not only has the new facility allowed the printer to achieve its goal of operating on one floor, but it also offers the convenience of eight loading docks, 50 parking spaces, seamless workflow, and improved office and customer space. “We did not realize the daily challenges we faced operating in the old facility until we moved here,” Marc Adamucci explains.

Of course, moving always comes with its own challenges. One of the taller tasks was maintaining a workflow while operating out of two buildings during the relocation.