The Vomela Companies Acquires Elk Grove Graphics to Bolster Commercial Printing

Michael Stanley

St. Paul, Minn.-based The Vomela Companies, a full-service, specialty graphics provider of promotional, store décor, event, fleet, commercial and transportation graphics, has announced the acquisition of Elk Grove Graphics, which is based in Elk Grove Village, Ill. The acquired business will continue to operate under the name “Elk Grove Graphics” and will operate as a division of C2 Imaging LLC, a unit of The Vomela Companies.

Elk Grove Graphics specializes in short-run, data-driven marketing communications using an HP Indigo 7600 and an Indigo 3050 digital press, as well as five half-size Heidelberg and Shinohara sheetfed offset presses with up to six-color capabilities. Examples of its strong focus on acquisition and retainment programs for its clientele include student recruitments for colleges, donor solicitations for nonprofits and membership renewals for associations, among other similar types of targeted campaigns that incorporate variable data printing.

Michael Stanley, who served as president and an owner of Elk Grove Graphics, will continue to lead the acquired business as division president.

“Elk Grove Graphics could not have found a better home — the intimate operational model that our customers experience is very similar to The Vomela Companies' approach to business," Stanley says, noting that he anticipates cross-selling opportunities given Vomela's nationwide network which includes more than 125 direct salespeople.

Tim Wieland, executive VP of Vomela, also sees this latest acquisition as being a good fit in his company's attempt to diversify. “With a sophisticated and agile approach, the Elk Grove Graphics team implements HIPPA compliant and Soc II Type I certified campaigns in the healthcare, pharmaceutical and association/nonprofit industries. This partnership gives us a strong Midwest presence for certified commercial print services, which will provide many of our existing divisions added value in their customer relationships.”

Tim Wieland

Wieland notes that Vomela is looking to expand its commercial printing footprint via M&A even further, and recognizes that competing in the commercial printing market typically requires a regional manufacturing presence. "We're always looking for opportunities that make sense ... well-run companies with good people for us to diversify even further." He was especially impressed with Elk Grove Graphics' "tremendous work culture," including its distinction of being named a PIA Best Workplace in the Americas recipient for several years.

According to Wieland, Vomela has acquired more than a dozen companies in the decade he has worked there. Among them, Vomela purchased Newingon, Va.-based commercial shop Master Print in 2014, which houses 40˝, up to five-color sheetfed offset printing, digital printing and Didde web offset capabilities.

The Vomela Companies was ranked No. 22 on the most recent 2016 Printing Impressions 400 and is projecting 2017 revenues of $250 million. It employs more than 1,100 people within 20 cities in the United States and Canada. Elk Grove Graphics was ranked at No. 352, reporting annual sales of $11.2 million and 45 employees.

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