PRESS
RELEASES
RECORD-BREAKING 1998 NAGASA
ANNUAL MEETING FOCUSES ON
THE EVOLVING CUSTOMER
Washington, DC, March 1998 -- NAGASA, the North American Graphic Arts Suppliers Association, has announced the results of its 1998 annual meeting. Held in La Jolla, California, from February 21-24, the meeting attracted 367 participants -- the largest attendance ever at a NAGASA meeting, said David J. Steinhardt, NAGASA president. Forum 98, as themeeting was called, included 81 first-time attendees. Overall, the attendees represented 71 dealer and VAR firms, 15 distributors, and 91 manufacturers. Other firms represented included converters, manufacturers' representatives, publishers and associations. The graphic arts dealers and VARs present represented more than $4 billion in sales.The meeting was chaired by four industry executives: Julius Hjulian, President and CEO, Texas Type Company, San Antonio, TX; James Keefe, Jr., Treasurer, Pre-Press Plus Printing Machinery Company, Amhurst, NH; William Rychel, President, Tekgraf Inc, Vernon Hills, IL; and Joe Thornhill, President, Taylor Impression, Memphis, TN.
The theme of the meeting was The Evolving Customer...New Channel Opportunities. Each of the three days of the meeting was devoted to a different aspect of the graphic arts distribution business.
- Dealer/reseller-manufacturer relationships were explored during the first day, with spirited exchanges among conference attendees.
- The needs of prepublishing and printing companies were the subject of the second day’s events, with emphasis on how these customers are served by graphic arts distribution.
- Actual end users from corporate and commercial printers, publishers
and advertising agencies addressed the attendees on the third day, to
discuss the future role of distribution.
Brian H. Kroot of Northeastern Graphics Supply, incoming NAGASA chair, commented: "The success of this -- the sixth annual meeting since NAGASA was formed -- is evident in the record-breaking attendance and the enthusiastic response to the issues addressed. The continued success of NAGASA programs demonstrate the determination of dealers, VARs and manufacturers to partner with and provide printers, trade services and emerging imaging companies with the supplies and equipment they need to remain competitive in today’s digital world."
NAGASA will hold its 1999 Annual Meeting April 25-27 in Phoenix, Arizona.
NAGASA -- the North American Graphic Arts Suppliers Association -- is
the largest trade association in the world representing the distribution
channel in the graphic arts, printing and imaging industry. The NAGASA
network of dealers, resellers, and VARs sells more than $4.5 billion of
traditional and digital equipment and supplies within the total $6 billion
industry channel. Representing more than 400 manufacturing, distribution
and related firms, NAGASA is dedicated to developing a sound and growing
business environment for its membership and advancing a
channel of value added, quality products and services for channel customers.
Additional Photos Available Upon Request