COMPANYHISTORIES
SIC 2750

Commercial Printing, Not Elsewhere Classified

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

15companies1887–1986founding years15still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedGolden Belt Manufacturing Co.
1887
FoundedWorld Color Press Inc.
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedBowne & Co., Inc.
1909
FoundedWestern Publishing Group, Inc.
1910
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedDeluxe Corporation
1920
FoundedJohn H. Harland Company
1923
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedVolt Information Sciences Inc.
1957
FoundedDuplex Products Inc.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedGraphic Industries Inc.FoundedKinko's Inc.
1970
FoundedNorwood Promotional Products, Inc.
1973
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedSmurfit-Stone Container Corporation
1983
FoundedCadmus Communications Corporation
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedAxel Springer Verlag AG
1985
FoundedThe Score Board, Inc.
1986
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Golden Belt Manufacturing Co. →
Active · founded 1887
Golden Belt Manufacturing Co.
World Color Press Inc. →
Active · founded 1903
World Color Press Inc.
Bowne & Co., Inc. →
Active · founded 1909
The world's largest financial printer and one of the oldest companies in the United States, Bowne & Co., Inc.
Western Publishing Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1910
Western Publishing Group, Inc.
Deluxe Corporation →
Active · founded 1920
A shining example of a company built upon the right idea at the right time, Deluxe Corporation is the largest supplier…
John H. Harland Company →
Active · founded 1923
John H.
Volt Information Sciences Inc. →
Active · founded 1957
Volt Information Sciences Inc.
Duplex Products Inc. →
Active · founded 1958
Duplex Products Inc.
Graphic Industries Inc. →
Active · founded 1970
One of the ten highest-volume commercial printing operations in the United States, Graphic Industries was founded in…
Kinko's Inc. →
Active · founded 1970
Kinko's Inc.
Norwood Promotional Products, Inc. →
Active · founded 1973
Norwood Promotional Products, Inc.
Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation →
Active · founded 1983
Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation is the world's largest manufacturer of paperboard and paper-based packaging…
Cadmus Communications Corporation →
Active · founded 1984
Cadmus Communications Corporation was named after the Greek mythological figure who founded Thebes and introduced the…
Axel Springer Verlag AG →
Active · founded 1985 · Germany
Over the course of its more than 50 years in business, Axel Springer Verlag AG has evolved from a publisher of local…
The Score Board, Inc. →
Active · founded 1986
The largest distributor of sports memorabilia in the United States, The Score Board, Inc.
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