Two Philadelphia Printing Firms Merge: Smith-Edwards-Dunlap and Graphic Arts Inc.

- Two family-owned Philadelphia printing firms have merged: Smith-Edwards-Dunlap Company (SED.com, est. 1880) located in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia, and West Philadelphia's Graphic Arts Inc. (GALitho.com, est. 1928). Combined, the two venerable firms have been serving area clients for more than 214 years. Each company will continue to trade under its present name. Operations will be combined at the 120,000 square foot Smith-Edwards-Dunlap Company facility. 

Both city-based firms are owned and operated by third generation family members: the Lobel family of Smith-Edwards-Dunlap Company (SED), and the Koontz and Binder families of Graphic Arts Inc. (GA). However, the longevity doesn't end at ownership. Average employee tenure at each firm exceeds 20 years speaking to the loyalty of each firm's workforce, the firms' commitment to their clients, and their dedication to the city of Philadelphia.

In a challenging environment for the printing industry brought on by the economic downturn, trends toward alternative communication vehicles, and the general commoditization of print, SED and GA are bucking the trend in an arena where many firms either liquidate or get absorbed by large national consolidators of printing companies. Each company feels strongly about best serving their client base the old-fashioned way - personal relationships; delivery of personalized, dedicated service; and performance at the highest level of quality. This mutual culture was an important first step in their merger conversations.

Each company brings its unique qualifications to the new entity. Smith-Edwards-Dunlap Company - a sheetfed, web, and digital printing firm - offers an extensive bindery capability, robust mailing and packaging operations, and typesetting and proofreading services. Graphic Arts Inc. - a National Women's Business Enterprise and FSC-certified firm - has expertise with the demands of pharmaceutical printing, extensive HIPAA knowledge and capability, and inventory and fulfillment capacity and delivery.

Fred Binder, vice president, Graphic Arts Inc., says, "We're extremely excited about our future and what this means about the collective value we can bring to our customer base."

"The synergies of this combination of talent and equipment will result in a winning equation of 1+1=3," adds Jonathan Shapiro, president, Smith-Edwards-Dunlap Company.