Third Generation Woman-Owned Printing Company Opens Doors to Advocate for Print
This article was originally published on Women in Print.
Brooke Hamilton, CEO of NPI Corp. stands with Lisbeth Lyons, director of Women in Print.
Following in the footsteps of her grandmother, who founded what’s now known as NPI Corp in 1973 (and is still remembered respectfully as “Mrs. Conley” to long-term employees of the company) and her mother, who served as CEO before her, Brooke Hamilton is well aware of the legacy she is proud to carry on as a woman-owned business in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Her commitment to lead the growth of her company’s varied and customizable capabilities in digital printing, optically cut graphics, and laser engraving/marking is evident– as is her belief in advancing the printing and graphic communications industry overall.
Those values were on display in October as Hamilton opened the doors of her printing plant to U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (OK). Senator Mullin, who Brooke had previously met while visiting Capitol Hill as part of a PRINTING United Alliance Board of Directors delegation, toured NPI Corp and got a crash course in the operations of a local print manufacturer.
As part of his tour, Mullin was also made aware of the various career pathways available to less-represented demographics on the print shop floor, including women and beneficiaries of NPI Corp’s second chance hiring program. This program gives females with past criminal records a fair and equal opportunity at employment after having served their debts to society.
The real-life results of technical training and apprenticeship programs for all employees, including women and veterans, was important for Senator Mullin to witness at NPI Corp as he sits on the influential Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions. He has taken a keen interest in advocating for the reexamination of the Bureau of Labor Statistic’s decision to cut NAICS codes related to the printing industry; these codes are critical to funding decisions of career technical education programs at the secondary and collegiate levels.
Thanks to Hamilton, Senator Mullin was able to see first-hand that the printing industry is very much alive and well, and that its long-term viability relies in part on promoting the modern, vibrant industry as one with the potential to provide thousands of jobs to a diverse workforce.
Fittingly, the NPI Corp facility tour ended in Hamilton’s office, which is still decorated with her grandmother’s original office furniture– connecting the past, present and future of both the company and the industry. Thank you, Brooke Hamilton, for volunteering your time and opening your doors to help advocate for policies that benefit all companies in the printing industry!
Lisbeth Lyons is Vice President, Government & Political Affairs, PRINTING United Alliance, the largest, most comprehensive graphic arts trade association in the country. With more than 20 years of experience representing the voice of business on Capitol Hill, Lisbeth advocates for public policies that protect and advance the economic future of the printing and packaging industry. She oversees PRINTING United Alliance’s legislative, political, and grassroots advocacy initiatives, and has served in executive leadership of multiple successful advocacy campaigns, such as Coalition for Paper Options, Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service, and Stop Tariffs on Printers & Publishers Coalition.
Prior to representing PRINTING United Alliance, Lisbeth served in similar roles at Printing Industries of America, US Telecom, and the National Federation of Independent Business. She also spent three years as a K-12 teacher in the Chicago Public Schools system, where she was on the forefront of urban education reform in the mid-1990s.
Lisbeth is Midwestern born and bred, having grown up in the St. Louis metropolitan area and attended college at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, before starting her career in Washington, DC. She holds a B.A. in English/Sociology and a professional graduate certificate from The George Washington University School of Political Management. She lives in the historic Logan Circle neighborhood of Washington, DC.
An avid leader and learner in professional development, Lisbeth was a founding member of the Government Relations Leadership Forum, and is an active participant in organizations such as Council of Manufacturing Associations, Women in Government Relations, and National Association of Business PACs, among others. Lisbeth is often a featured speaker at premier industry conferences; she has spoken to Boards of Directors, corporate executive management teams, and state and regional trade associations across the country from coast to coast.
