Partnership underscores combined organizations’ respective strengths to elevate supply chain capabilities and even more educational resources, access, and support to members
Fairfax, Va. — PRINTING United Alliance, the most comprehensive member-based printing and graphic arts association in North America; Brand Chain, the essential community for the brand solutions supply chain; and the Print Education & Research Foundation (PERF), an organization dedicated to providing research and education for the printing industry; announce their respective Boards have signaled their intent to effect a merger of the three entities. This strategic alliance will bring together these esteemed organizations with likeminded missions, united in the commitment to advancing the printing industry through collaboration, education, and innovation. The target date for the merger is April 1, 2024.
Brand Chain has long been recognized for its commitment to providing members with access to premier education and supply chain partnerships. “With a rich legacy in print, Brand Chain is excited to join forces with PRINTING United Alliance and sees this merger as an opportunity to further empower distributors and elevate industry standards,” says Matt Bruno, executive director, Brand Chain. “Together with the Alliance, Brand Chain aims to develop a stronger supply chain ecosystem, enabling members to expand their capabilities and forge even more meaningful partnerships.”
The Alliance shares Brand Chain and PERF's vision for advancing the printing industry through collaboration and innovation. The merger will enable the organizations to leverage their respective strengths, resources, and expertise to better serve their members and drive positive change within the industry.
"We are thrilled to welcome Brand Chain and PERF to the PRINTING United Alliance family," says Ford Bowers, CEO, PRINTING United Alliance. "This merger represents a significant milestone in our collective efforts to strengthen the printing industry's product life cycle and chain of value. By combining our strengths and resources, we can create new opportunities for growth, innovation, and success for all members."
The Print Education & Research Foundation
The Print Education & Research Foundation (PERF) is organized exclusively for research and educational purposes, including establishing educational programs for individuals interested in printing education and research. PERF supports Brand Chain in providing valuable education, programs, and resources for its members.
“The synonymous missions of PRINTING United Alliance, Brand Chain, and PERF make this partnership not only highly anticipated, but exciting to see just how well we can even better serve the marketplace," says Nathan Goldberg, CEO of Specialized, and Chairman of PERF. "By uniting all resources, we are able to accelerate the growth of education in print for distribution and wholesale."
The merger between PRINTING United Alliance, Brand Chain, and PERF highlights the shared commitment to advancing the printing and graphic arts industry through collaboration, education, and advocacy. Together, the organizations are poised to make a lasting impact on the industry and empower members to thrive in an ever-evolving marketplace.
Join the Growing Alliance
For more information about joining the Alliance and how to take advantage of its growing portfolio of programs, resources, services, and events; visit www.printing.org/membership.
About Brand Chain
Brand Chain is the essential community for the brand solutions supply chain. We serve the distributors who recommend, source and execute brand solutions for their clients and the suppliers who partner with them to deliver at the highest level. Brand Chain provides the supply-chain relationships, education, resources, and tools to fuel the growth and enable the long-term success of our member companies.
About PERF
The Print Education & Research Foundation (PERF) provides research and education for the business document and related communications segment of the printing industry. Every year, the PERF Board of Trustees looks to identify and undertake projects to move the print industry forward and with PERF’s support, Brand Chain is able to provide valuable education, programs, and resources for all our members.
PRINTING United Alliance is the most comprehensive member-based printing and graphic arts association in North America, comprised of the industry’s vast communities. The Alliance serves industry professionals across market segments with preeminent education and training through iLEARNING+, workshops, events, research, government and legislative representation, safety, and environmental sustainability guidance, as well as resources from our leading media brands – Printing Impressions, Packaging Impressions, Wide-format Impressions, In-plant Impressions, Apparelist, and Print+Promo Marketing. A division of PRINTING United Alliance, Idealliance is a global leader in standards training and certification for printing and graphic arts operations across the entire industry supply chain.
PRINTING United Alliance also produces the PRINTING United Expo, the most influential days in printing. The expansive display of technology and supplies, education, programming, and services are showcased to the industry at large, and represents all market segments in one easily accessed place.
