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Paramus, N.J. - 3/10/2008 - NAPL, the not-for-profit management association for business excellence in the printing and graphic communications industry (www.napl.org), has announced that Mike Philie has joined the organization as a vice president and consultant in its Print Consulting Services Group.  

With more than 28 years of commercial printing industry experience helping graphic communications companies achieve and sustain profitable growth, Philie will direct sales management consulting efforts on behalf of NAPL’s growing consulting services arm. He previously was the founder and principal of The Philie Group, LLC, a Maryland-based consulting firm focused on operational and sales growth strategies for graphic communications companies, graphic services providers and printing companies. Since July 2007, Philie has also served as an associate consultant in NAPL’s Consulting Group.  

“Mike brings a great deal of real-world printing industry expertise to NAPL.  He is widely regarded for his results-oriented approach to helping companies develop operational and sales growth strategies that will allow them to succeed in today’s ultra-competitive print markets,” said Joseph P. Truncale, CAE, president and CEO of NAPL.  “His ability to help printing organizations reach the next level of growth through higher profits, developing relationships with clients, and market positioning, among other business-building strategies, will be an important component of our Consulting Group and we look forward to his contributions.”  

Philie also held several management and sales positions within the commercial printing industry prior to founding his consultancy.  He holds a bachelor of science degree in printing management from Rochester Institute of Technology.  

NAPL’s executive consultants are the industry's foremost experts on a wide range of commercial printing business management issues including strategies for growth, financial management, operations, professional and organizational development, mergers and acquisitions, sales and marketing.  Consulting Group clients benefit from the knowledge sharing and practical experience its consultants gain from working extensively with NAPL’s entire membership.  In addition to Philie, the Group is comprised of:  

Joseph P. Truncale, president and chief executive officer - strategic management and leadership development.  

Timothy Fischer, executive vice president and chief operating officer - operations, finance, information systems, and general management.  

John Hyde, vice president and senior consultant - mergers, acquisitions, and other strategic transactions.

Andrew Paparozzi, vice president and chief economist - economic, business, and graphic communications industry trends and research   

Howard Fenton, senior digital technologies/production consultant - digital technologies and workflow efficiencies.

Raymond J. Prince, vice president, senior consultant - operations management including plant assessment, operations training, and troubleshooting.  

Kathleen Appleton, associate consultant - merger and acquisition advisory services for privately held companies.  

 “Ours is a highly competitive environment, where capacity still exceeds demand, and margins remain tight.  No owner can really afford to misstep,” noted Tim Fischer, who heads the Consulting Group.  “Despite the fact that much of the industry faces this same business scenario, our consulting team, which features a breadth and depth of commercial printing experience unique to our industry, offers consulting services completely customized to a client’s own needs and objectives.”  

“Whether a client is acquiring a company for growth, trying to improve its processes, developing a business niche, or getting employees up to speed on a new technology, NAPL’s consultants work onsite and alongside company owners and senior management to help their companies compete more effectively and thrive,” Fischer added.  

Contact Mike Philie at 410-489-7188, MPhilie@napl.org.  For information about NAPL consulting services, visit www.napl.org/consulting, or contact Tim Fischer, executive vice president and CFO of NAPL, 201-523-6376, TFischer@napl.org.  

About NAPL: Chartered in 1933, NAPL, the National Association for Printing Leadership, is a not-for-profit business management association representing companies in the $120 billion graphic communications industry. NAPL’s comprehensive slate of business-building solutions provides company leaders with the management tools they need to make informed business decisions in an ever-changing market environment. The association also handles administration of NAQP, the National Association of Quick Printers, which specializes in the unique concerns of small printers nationwide, and the industry’s Research and Engineering Council, which is dedicated to manufacturing technology and productivity improvement issues. For more information on NAPL or its affiliated associations, visit www.napl.org or call (800) 642-6275. 

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