June 19, 2018 – The Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA) is pleased to announce James Martin has come on board as Executive Vice President, Supplier and Manufacturer Relations. In this capacity, Martin will also serve as Executive Secretary of the soon-to-be-launched Supplier and Manufacturer Advisory Council.
Martin has a long history in the printing industry including more than 20 years with Heidelberg as Senior Vice President, Marketing and Product Management; more recently, he has served as CEO of MBO America. His experience with trade shows and associations is extensive, as is his knowledge of the concerns facing suppliers across many of the markets served by SGIA, the SGIA Expo and PRINTING United, which launches in October 2019.

SGIA’s establishment of a Supplier and Manufacturer Advisory Council is an extension of its commitment to serve its more than 1,000 supplier members by defining programs, strategies and tactics that will enable them to prosper in a rapidly-changing market. The council will focus on areas including trade show strategy, research, educational programs, association policies, government affairs and advocacy, and partnerships with like-minded organizations.

SGIA President & CEO Ford Bowers said, “Suppliers and manufacturers are critical to the health of the industry, and therefore, it’s important for us to serve this community as we do the printers we serve, striving to make the printing industry as successful and vibrant as possible.”

Martin begins his official duties this week and will be forming the Supplier and Manufacturer Advisory Council in the coming months to give a strong voice to suppliers and manufacturers in the work of the association and in the ongoing development of PRINTING United as the premier industry trade show for printing in North America.