Merged SGIA and PIA associations become PRINTING United Alliance

The Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA) and Printing Industries of America (PIA), which merged May 1, 2020, announced the new combined organization name: PRINTING United Alliance (PRUA). PRINTING United Alliance also announces its official board of directors as a merged entity.

“PRINTING United Alliance is a reflection of the invaluable partnerships and industry convergence that has evolved over time,” says Ford Bowers, President and CEO, PRINTING United Alliance. “The organization name seemed an obvious choice to many as our North Star points to the industry continuing to come together and strengthening to ensure future growth and longevity.”

PRINTING United Alliance brings together two long-standing printing organizations to better serve all communities within the printing industry.

“In this time of consolidation, printer members and the supplier community at large are looking for a unified solution to the challenges they face in this era of rapid change,” says Scott Crosby, Chairman of the Board and Transcontinental Holland & Crosby Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “The new Association will become the place to find answers for everything related to printing. It is a great honor and privilege for me to serve the industry as we look forward to a new beginning.”

PRINTING United Alliance Board of Directors

The new PRINTING United Alliance board of directors reflects combined leadership from the previous SGIA and PIA boards of directors, and compromises the following industry executives:

Chairman of the Board Scott Crosby, Transcontinental Holland & Crosby;

First Vice Chair Paul Cousineau, Dow Jones and Company, Inc.;

Second Vice Chair Christopher Bernat, Vapor Apparel/Source Substrates LLC;

Third Vice Chair Michael Marcian, Corporate Communications Group;

Treasurer Dean DeMarco, IDL Worldwide; Secretary Brooke Hamilton, NPI;

Immediate Past Chair Thomas Cooper III, WestRock;

Chair of Chairmen’s Advisory Council Edward Cook, Jr., ECI Screen Print Inc.;

Associate Vice Chair Scott Schinlever, Gerber Technology;

and Ex Officio Ford Bowers, President and CEO, PRINTING United Alliance.

Directors at large include:

Brian Adam, Olympus Group;

Nick Buettner, American Cut and Sew;

Roger Chamberlain, The Cincinnati Insurance Company;

Kristen Danson, MitoGraphics Inc.;

Chris Feryn, Premier Press;

Kevin Gazdag, KG Graphics Décor;

Bryan Hall, Graphic Visual Solutions;

Lane Hickey-Wiggins, Douglass Screen Printers Inc. dba DPRINT;

Brian Hite, Image Options;

Michael Magerl, Trabon Group;

Brent Moncrief, FUJIFILM;

Joseph Olivo, Perfect Communications;

Edward Pidcock, Chillybears;

Heather Poulin, Ricoh USA;

Timothy Saur, Durst Imaging Technology US LLC;

Elaine Scrima, GSP Companies;

Michael Wagner, Butler Technologies Inc.;

and Joseph Lyman, President, Great Lakes Graphics Association, serving as an Affiliate manager.

“The industry is going through great change right now, so the timing for these two like-minded organizations to come together dovetails nicely,” says Paul Cousineau, First Vice Chair, PRINTING United Alliance and Dow Jones and Company Inc. Vice President of Prepress Operations, Continuous Improvement and IT Ops Support. “I am honored to be a part of something so significant and impactful. I’ve enjoyed the process working with the board in getting to this point and look forward to the future.”