The board of directors of Idealliance and the board of trustees of Epicomm have voted to recommend the merger of the two industry associations to their respective memberships. The boards approved the merger in separate meetings and both associations will now present the merger proposal to a vote of their memberships according to the regulations of their respective bylaws. Voting is expected to be completed by the end of February.
If both memberships approve, the associations plan to complete their merger on 1 July 2016. In the interim, the organizations’ staffs, boards, and volunteer committees will work to ensure a smooth and productive combining of their organizations and member services. “Our board enthusiastically supports and recommends this merger to our members,” says Epicomm chairman, Tim Johnson and chief executive officer, Impact, Minneapolis, Minnesota. “We believe that by combining the strategic planning and management expertise of Epicomm and the industry-standard technical and workflow expertise of Idealliance we will create an organization that will be equipped to serve the business development needs of our members in a comprehensive and highly effective manner.”
“In wholeheartedly supporting and recommending this merger, our board has reviewed the many ways in which Idealliance and Epicomm complement each other and can enhance each other’s offering to members,” says Idealliance board chair Marriott Winchester, executive vice president, SGS International, Louisville, Kentucky. “Adding the strategic and economic focus of Epicomm with the processes of innovation of Idealliance offers a powerful combination of benefits for all who support the graphic communications supply chain.”
If the merger is approved, honouring the brand equity and name recognition of its 50 years of serving the graphic communications industry, the combined organization will retain the name, Idealliance. The new association will be headquartered in the current Epicomm headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. Idealliance is also currently headquartered in that city.
Johnson will be chairman of the new organization and Idealliance vice chairman of the board. Dick Ryan, vice president of sales and marketing, Publishers Press, Shepherdsville, Kentucky, will be vice chairman. Idealliance president and chief executive officer, David Steinhardt, will serve as president and chief executive officer of the new association and Epicomm president and chief executive officer Ken Garner as executive vice president.
Combining the distinctive competences of Idealliance and Epicomm, the new association will serve companies across the total graphic communications supply chain, providing products and services in six primary categories – best practices and specifications, strategy and consulting, advocacy and standards, certification and training, education and events, and research and resources. Of the two associations’ more than 3,000 members, only 129 companies or less than a 4% overlap hold dual memberships.
