Offset printing and mailing company Dual Print & Mail in Cheektowaga, New York, has merged with Pittsburgh-based Knepper Press, which offers offset and digital printing, mailing, and warehousing and fulfillment. The transaction achieves strategic objectives for both companies while strengthening their value to customers.
With the merger, Knepper Press, which has the largest share of the printing market in the Pittsburgh area, gains entry into a contiguous geographic area in western New York.
“To stay strong in today’s shrinking printing market, you have to increase your share of a smaller pie. Merging with Dual Print & Mail puts us in a solid position to do that,” Knepper Press co-owner Ted Ford said in a statement.
Knepper Press and Dual Print & Mail will continue to operate as two companies in terms of customer service, sales, and billing.
In addition, Knepper Press recently acquired the book of business of the commercial printing division of The Buffalo News. Having a facility in the greater Buffalo area strengthens the firm’s ability to service that customer base.
New Jersey’s Graphic Arts Advisors LLC, a strategic financial advisory and consulting firm represented Dual Print & Mail in the transaction. GAA Director Mitch Evans served as lead advisor, with GAA Managing Director Mark Hahn providing support.
“The merger of Dual Print & Mail with Knepper Press is a great example of a transaction that accomplishes the goals of two successful and growing companies,” Hahn said. “Compu-Mail, the former owner of Dual Print & Mail, will continue to use the sheetfed and web offset printing capabilities of Dual as a valued supplier. Knepper Press gains a second robust manufacturing platform in upstate New York.”
“The owners of both companies knew each other and respected each other’s firms. Also, both printers had a similar equipment profile, so there was an added level of comfort there,” Evans said. “Based on that, Knepper was the preferred buyer and made an offer in a reasonable timeframe, so GAA did not need to launch a broad outreach process for Dual Print & Mail. However, we discreetly contacted several potential buyers and prepared a comprehensive and professional marketing packet so we would be ready to go to the larger market if and when we had to.”
