02.22.16
The members of Idealliance and Epicomm have voted overwhelmingly to approve the joining of their two industry associations, setting the stage for completion of the merger by July 1. Members who took part in separate virtual meetings this week offered their support of the merger, some two weeks after the Idealliance Board of Directors and Epicomm Board of Trustees announced their approval of the plan.
“We are very gratified that our respective memberships agree wholeheartedly with our Boards and numerous industry observers that this merger will be highly beneficial to both associations’ members and to the industry at large,” said David J. Steinhardt, Idealliance president and CEO, who will serve in the same capacity in the new organization.
“The extremely positive response to this merger makes it clear that this new association is expected to return—and we know it will return—major dividends in terms of delivering enhanced member services and serving as a strong new voice in support of industry growth,” says Epicomm board chairman Tim Johnson, CEO, Impact, Minneapolis, MN, who will serve as chairman of the new organization.
The merged organization will retain the name Idealliance and be headquartered in the current Epicomm headquarters at 1800 Diagonal Road, Suite 320, in Alexandria, VA. It will have more than 3,000 members, with about half coming from Epicomm and half from Idealliance. Fewer than 130 companies have dual memberships.
“Over the next four months, our two staffs will come together to coordinate and recalibrate our combined benefits and create a seamless resource that provides a comprehensive spectrum of benefits for all our members,” said Ken Garner, president and CEO of Epicomm, who will serve as EVP of the new association.
Epicomm, the Association for Leaders in Print, Mail, Fulfillment, and Marketing Services, was formed in 2014 through the merger of three long-standing graphic communications industry trade associations: the Association of Marketing Service Providers (AMSP, founded in 1920), the National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL, founded in 1933), and the National Association of Quick Printers (NAQP, founded in 1975). Epicomm members include companies offering printing, mailing, marketing, and fulfillment services, as well as industry vendors and educators.
“We are very gratified that our respective memberships agree wholeheartedly with our Boards and numerous industry observers that this merger will be highly beneficial to both associations’ members and to the industry at large,” said David J. Steinhardt, Idealliance president and CEO, who will serve in the same capacity in the new organization.
“The extremely positive response to this merger makes it clear that this new association is expected to return—and we know it will return—major dividends in terms of delivering enhanced member services and serving as a strong new voice in support of industry growth,” says Epicomm board chairman Tim Johnson, CEO, Impact, Minneapolis, MN, who will serve as chairman of the new organization.
The merged organization will retain the name Idealliance and be headquartered in the current Epicomm headquarters at 1800 Diagonal Road, Suite 320, in Alexandria, VA. It will have more than 3,000 members, with about half coming from Epicomm and half from Idealliance. Fewer than 130 companies have dual memberships.
“Over the next four months, our two staffs will come together to coordinate and recalibrate our combined benefits and create a seamless resource that provides a comprehensive spectrum of benefits for all our members,” said Ken Garner, president and CEO of Epicomm, who will serve as EVP of the new association.
Epicomm, the Association for Leaders in Print, Mail, Fulfillment, and Marketing Services, was formed in 2014 through the merger of three long-standing graphic communications industry trade associations: the Association of Marketing Service Providers (AMSP, founded in 1920), the National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL, founded in 1933), and the National Association of Quick Printers (NAQP, founded in 1975). Epicomm members include companies offering printing, mailing, marketing, and fulfillment services, as well as industry vendors and educators.