Printing Impressions 300 Fast-Track Firm: Wallace Graphics Transforms into One-Stop Shop

The printing businesses recognized as Fast-Track Firms on the newly published, 2023 Printing Impressions 300 (click here to access the complete PI 300 list) of the largest printers in the U.S. and Canada, as ranked by annual sales, are not all the same. They serve different constituencies in different ways. What joins them is not necessarily what they do and how they do it, but instead their commitment to growth, to expansion, to customer service, and to exemplary sales performance.

Read below why Printing Impressions recognized Wallace Graphics as a Fast-Track Firm.

Wallace Graphics | Duluth, Georgia

Most Recent Fiscal Year Sales: $34.1 million
Previous Fiscal Year Sales: $19.7 million
Percentage Change: 73%

According to Jonathan Wallace (right) — shown standing with Wallace Graphics co-owner Jake Wallace — “Print is alive and well. People are finding ways to use it differently.” | Credit: Wallace Graphics

Describing Wallace Graphics as a general commercial printer, CEO Jonathan Wallace enumerates the spaces the company serves: offset and digital printing, mailing services, wide-format printing, and even apparel and promotional products. “We’re developing into a one-stop shop,” he says, illustrating the company’s ongoing transformation. Wallace Graphics has experienced much of its strong sales growth through acquisition, he says, instead of organic growth.

This is not to say that acquisition was the only factor at play. Wallace says the company invested in a Heidelberg Speedmaster CX 102 sheetfed offset press in 2019, and has continued to invest in bindery and wide-format technologies. The company launched its wide-format presence with the purchase of a small company primarily focused on “high-end museum-style prints.” He says that while that acquisition “fit in well with what we were doing,” Wallace Graphics later invested in additional wide-format equipment to gain needed capacity. The core people from that acquired business are still on staff.

Last June, it acquired The Corporate Shop in Duluth, Georgia, to expand Wallace Graphics’ presence in the promotional products space. The acquisition included an 18,000-sq.-ft. facility, which includes a showroom and dedicated custom branded apparel production space.

Like many printers today, Wallace Graphics is working to maximize efficiency throughout the operation, and has assembled an internal development team to focus on that area. Currently, Wallace reports, that team is focused on “tying all existing software together,” putting together digital storefronts for customers, and determining how that service can deliver the most value. Automation efforts have been helpful in reducing process touches: “We have automated several processes and shaved hundreds of hours off of production.”

Asked what has helped deliver strong performance to the company, Wallace says being a one-stop shop allows Wallace Graphics to maintain a more targeted sales approach — offering greater product choice to customers. For example, the move into wide-format output has been supplemented by offering other products, particularly apparel and promotional products, both of which add to the company’s ability to cross-sell.

Finally, he says strong internal efforts in employee engagement — including a results-focused channel for employee feedback — have improved employee satisfaction and eliminated roadblocks.

Looking forward, Wallace reveals the company is installing an HP PageWide Advantage 2200 inkjet web press. In so doing, production will be simplified and the company will be able to achieve greater profitability per employee. Combined with the addition of finishing technologies, it will simplify bindery and kitting processes. For the longer term, he says that while the company remains committed to offset printing and the efficiencies offset has for longer, static runs, it will continue to embrace inkjet adoption. Further, he sees continued consolidation in the general commercial space, so gaining market share will become increasingly important.

The company has also developed an innovative dimensional printing technique, called Wallace Simulations, which is being launched through a targeted marketing campaign.

About the state of the printing industry in general, Wallace believes “print is alive and well. People are finding ways to use it differently.” The question, he adds, is, “How do we make that most effective?”