Dave Savastano, Editor01.23.15
For any family-owned business, reaching 60 years is a remarkable achievement. As industries change, companies have to change along with their customers or perish. For Grand Rapids Printing Ink, changes come in many forms, from adding new product lines to expanding operations into new regions through acquisitions.
“If you’re not changing and evolving, you’re dying,” said GRPI president John Toigo.
Started by Roger Funghi, Toigo’s great uncle, in October 1954, GRPI began manufacturing inks in the basement of a building in downtown Grand Rapids. In 1962, Bob Toigo moved to Grand Rapids from Connecticut, and a second generation began assuming a key role in the family business. Bob Toigo continued the company’s success and acquired majority ownership of GRPI in 1995, retiring in 2002 and turning over the company to the third generation of family ownership, led by John Toigo.
Toigo, who had joined the company full-time in 1993, has overseen tremendous growth, partly driven by the need to develop beyond the company’s core sheetfed ink market.
“While the industry was stable and growing for most of those 60 years, the last 10 years or so have seen quite a few changes and challenges,” Toigo noted. “In these last 10 years, through good fortune and hard work, GRPI has grown consistently both organically and through acquisition.”
GRPI has been active in acquiring family-owned sheetfed ink manufacturers in the Midwest, including Miller-Cooper Ink and Columbus Printing Ink in Columbus, OH.
“In 2002, GRPI had one location, our headquarters in Grand Rapids MI,” Toigo added. “Since 2005, GRPI has opened new branches and/or acquired companies to grow our presence in new markets to cover the entire Midwest. GRPI now has full blending branches in Grand Rapids, Detroit, Chicago; Columbus, Kansas City and a sales office in St. Louis. In 2015 there’s a possibility of adding one or two additional branches to our footprint.”
Toigo noted that GRPI has always been diverse and highly knowledgeable in different product segments, including inks, blankets, coatings and chemistry, but developing new markets is critical to continued success.
“The sheetfed market has consistently contracted and will continue to do so as we move forward,” Toigo said. “In recent years we’ve turned our attention to UV and especially the LED markets. We started working with inkjet inks two years ago, and in 2015, we’ll be devoting considerable time and energy to another segment in the industry. We’re well rounded with our offerings and well positioned for continued growth moving forward. Technology will be a heavy focus in 2015 as well.”
Toigo said that in order to stay relevant and/or even stay in business in this climate, companies need to embrace change.
“GRPI has been successful with this in some areas, and are working on bringing those areas up to speed that were not where they needed to be,” he added. “My goal is to always get better. GRPI is relentless in the pursuit of making sure our customers get the best products, service and technical support available.
“Today, GRPI has five branches,” Toigo added. “We’re selling product into more than 20 states and have global partners from Europe to Asia. Annual sales are more than five times what they were in 2001. I’m very proud of everyone in our organization and what this company has accomplished. Employees, customers and suppliers have all played a part in GRPI’s success. Our continued success will come about the same way today as in the early years of GRPI; it will be earned through good old fashioned hard work.”
“If you’re not changing and evolving, you’re dying,” said GRPI president John Toigo.
Started by Roger Funghi, Toigo’s great uncle, in October 1954, GRPI began manufacturing inks in the basement of a building in downtown Grand Rapids. In 1962, Bob Toigo moved to Grand Rapids from Connecticut, and a second generation began assuming a key role in the family business. Bob Toigo continued the company’s success and acquired majority ownership of GRPI in 1995, retiring in 2002 and turning over the company to the third generation of family ownership, led by John Toigo.
Toigo, who had joined the company full-time in 1993, has overseen tremendous growth, partly driven by the need to develop beyond the company’s core sheetfed ink market.
“While the industry was stable and growing for most of those 60 years, the last 10 years or so have seen quite a few changes and challenges,” Toigo noted. “In these last 10 years, through good fortune and hard work, GRPI has grown consistently both organically and through acquisition.”
GRPI has been active in acquiring family-owned sheetfed ink manufacturers in the Midwest, including Miller-Cooper Ink and Columbus Printing Ink in Columbus, OH.
“In 2002, GRPI had one location, our headquarters in Grand Rapids MI,” Toigo added. “Since 2005, GRPI has opened new branches and/or acquired companies to grow our presence in new markets to cover the entire Midwest. GRPI now has full blending branches in Grand Rapids, Detroit, Chicago; Columbus, Kansas City and a sales office in St. Louis. In 2015 there’s a possibility of adding one or two additional branches to our footprint.”
Toigo noted that GRPI has always been diverse and highly knowledgeable in different product segments, including inks, blankets, coatings and chemistry, but developing new markets is critical to continued success.
“The sheetfed market has consistently contracted and will continue to do so as we move forward,” Toigo said. “In recent years we’ve turned our attention to UV and especially the LED markets. We started working with inkjet inks two years ago, and in 2015, we’ll be devoting considerable time and energy to another segment in the industry. We’re well rounded with our offerings and well positioned for continued growth moving forward. Technology will be a heavy focus in 2015 as well.”
Toigo said that in order to stay relevant and/or even stay in business in this climate, companies need to embrace change.
“GRPI has been successful with this in some areas, and are working on bringing those areas up to speed that were not where they needed to be,” he added. “My goal is to always get better. GRPI is relentless in the pursuit of making sure our customers get the best products, service and technical support available.
“Today, GRPI has five branches,” Toigo added. “We’re selling product into more than 20 states and have global partners from Europe to Asia. Annual sales are more than five times what they were in 2001. I’m very proud of everyone in our organization and what this company has accomplished. Employees, customers and suppliers have all played a part in GRPI’s success. Our continued success will come about the same way today as in the early years of GRPI; it will be earned through good old fashioned hard work.”