DAY ACQUISITION OF NDI STRENGTHENS END-USER
PARTNERSHIPS
DAYTON, Ohio March 5, 2004 - For nearly 60 years, successful
companies in the printing industry have partnered with Day
International, Inc.--the Dayton based manufacturer of pressroom
consumable products--to gain a competitive advantage. Day
International has diligently worked to earn its reputation as a
technology leader and trustworthy business partner, and its recent
acquisition of Network Distribution International (NDI) builds upon
this legacy, while establishing a new standard in collaboration.
NDI IS A GREAT FIT
"Day International has always been committed to getting closer to
our customers. The NDI acquisition allows us to gain more insight
into customer needs and better serve them," says Dennis Wolters, Day
International president and chief executive officer. "We hope to
utilize this insight in our R&D efforts so that we can continue
to give printers innovative products to help them be more productive.
We believe our distribution partners will find that Day is a stronger
business partner who can provide more competitive products."
"We've built our business by offering great service to printers,"
according to Scott Morrison, who was NDI co-chairman with Glenn
Hicks. "Day's philosophy of supporting customers through innovative
technology and superior service is a great fit with ours." In the
extremely competitive and rapidly evolving printing world, Day's
forward-thinking collaborative strategy is leveraging the NDI
acquisition into new business opportunities for Day distributors and
end-user customers.
Previously, a privately held company based in Rockland,
Massachusetts, NDI is the nation's leading converter of offset
printing blankets and a distributor of pressroom consumable products.
With facilities located in six key geographic regions of the United
States, NDI offers an extensive line of offset printing blankets that
includes products manufactured by Day International, Reeves, Duco
International and Fujikura. As a key criterion of Day's acquisition,
NDI will continue to sell product lines produced by other
manufacturers.
CUSTOMER FOCUSED
"By combining the NDI sales and distribution system with Day
products, technical support and knowledgeable sales representatives,
we're now better aligned with the needs of printers. At the end of
the day, the acquisition of Network Distribution International takes
us back to our fundamental principles regarding customers and
partnerships," Wolters says. "Customers are the focus of all we do.
We will always strive to meet or exceed their expectations.
Partnerships will be fiercely protected, and our partnerships with
dealers, distributors, end-users and suppliers will continue to be
mutually beneficial."
Indeed, the two companies' lines are complementary. Day's
engineered consumable products of offset printing blankets, sleeves
and pressroom chemistry and flexographic products will enable NDI to
offer customers a broad product range with printing solutions for
virtually every printing application.
"We acquired NDI, but we certainly did not absorb them. We fully
intend for NDI to remain a viable, stand-alone business that operates
in very much the same fashion as in the past." Wolters adds,
"Bringing NDI under the Day umbrella is not solely about getting into
the distribution business or changing Day's selling approach.
Rather, our goal is to increase customer value by strengthening our
partnerships at the end-user level."
BETTER COMMUNICATION
"As a manufacturer, one of our challenges has been staying close
enough to our customers-listening to their concerns and better
understanding their needs. NDI greatly enhances our ability to do
just that," says Steve Noe, Day International senior vice president.
"We want to find new and better ways to help printers reduce costs,
improve print quality and improve efficiency. Being able to share the
combined knowledge and experience of Day and NDI allows us to achieve
that goal."
Day International is unwaveringly committed to its dual
distribution partners and believes the NDI acquisition will allow Day
International to reach more customers, and develop a more balanced
perspective of customer needs and emerging market trends. This
perspective will allow Day International to stay ahead of the curve
on market trends and enable it to strengthen R&D efforts, further
benefiting both printers and distribution partners.
"It's important to remember that the NDI acquisition represents
only one component of our overall channel strategy," Noe says. "Our
other converters represent another key component. They're valued
business partners and we intend to create new and unique ways of
working more closely with them to build upon these
relationships."
BETTER DISTRIBUTION MEANS BETTER SERVICE
Wolters believes it's important to be up front about concerns
that the NDI acquisition may threaten other Day distributors,
suppliers or end-user customers. "Adding NDI to the Day International
family does not mean we want to sell direct," Wolters says. "On the
contrary, we strongly believe all our distribution partners provide
added value to the printer that Day--a manufacturer--does not
provide. High quality, responsive service can only come from the
close proximity our distributors enjoy. Trust only comes from
long-standing business relationships, ease and the convenience of
being able to buy a wide range of products from a single supplier.
These are just a few examples of the value that our distributors
add."
ABOUT DAY INTERNATIONAL
Founded in Dayton, Ohio in 1905, Day International operates
production, sales and distribution centers in North America, Latin
America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Its brands include dayGraphica
printing blankets and sleeves, david M printing blankets, Varn
pressroom chemicals, Day-Corr die-cutting mats, Day-Flo pre-inked
rolls, Rotec flexographic sleeves, and DAYtex and Accotex cots and
aprons for the textile market. For more information about Day
International, Inc., visit www.dayintl.com or call 800.877.8187. For
more information about Network Distribution International, visitm
www.ndiww.com or call 800.525.6510.