Despite a tumultuous start to 2020, Gilson posted the most significant 1st quarter sales in their 72-year history. Sales are up 8% over the same time period last year—a rarity in the printing and graphic arts industry. Some of the world’s largest commercial print operations have experienced significant declines in recent years, forcing long-time industry players to entertain sell-offs and mergers to offset the decline in the overall market.

Despite the year’s many challenges, Gilson has not only weathered the storm but thrived in the face of it. Gilson finished out the 2019 fiscal year in May down 5% in sales from the prior year, ending a five-year growth trend. With just three months left in the fiscal year, Gilson was on track to have their best sales year yet, until COVID-19 showed up.

But the downward trend did not last long.

“June, July, and August are historically challenging months for us as a business,” said Jim Vosburgh, CFO. “Between vacations and a general slow-down in our strongest market sectors, we typically see our lower sales volumes during those summer months. To see a sizable increase this early in the new fiscal year is encouraging.”

Gilson’s leadership team excels at making smart investments and calculated risks, putting the company in prime position for growth when the conditions are right. Many of their most lucrative business decisions have come about when faced with national economic hardship, thanks to the fiscally responsible leadership of second-generation owner Dave Gilson.

“Before joining the family business in 1974, I spent a couple of years in the banking industry,” said Gilson. He went on to speak about his father, Lars, who founded the company in 1948, “It was always my father’s goal to seek out a competitive advantage that could help our customers and grow the business, but also to do so in a way that made financial sense.

“I’ve tried to run the business with the same proactive approach to growth by consistently investing profits back into the business,” said Gilson. “That’s how we’ve been able to keep expanding and growing right alongside our customers for so many years.”

Dave Oswald, President of Gilson, shared his perspective on the current pandemic. “We spent the first few months really sinking our teeth into refining our processes and revamping what we knew to be successful and then adapting it to what we needed for this new selling environment. I’m incredibly proud of our entire team, from the sales staff staying connected with customers and prospects remotely, to the production team making the best out of their new working conditions,” said Oswald. “We are coming out of one of the most difficult business scenarios we’ve ever faced and come out stronger than ever before.”

Gilson has remained in operation during the pandemic as an essential supplier in support of its grocery, pharmaceutical, and military contracts. By requiring those who could do their jobs remotely to work from home, and by following the CDC and OSHA requirements for work-safe conditions such as daily temperature checks and social distancing, Gilson has been able to continue operations.

Gilson offers marketing solutions such as print, design, and fulfillment to Fortune 1000 customers across the country. They celebrated their 70th year in 2018 and remains a privately held, family-owned business.

You might be missing out on large format printing opportunities that could take your business, marketing, and promotions to new heights–and sizes! Most people think of paper when they talk about printing, but large format printers open the doors to new ideas and substrates to solve creative problems for your retail displays, branded materials, or installations. You can create stunning logos on the side of vans, print textured brick on walls or floors, and more!

Large Format Printing Applications

There are lots of applications and possibilities when it comes to large format printing. Here are four examples that are just the tip of the iceberg.

Vehicle Graphics

Why settle for a normal paint job on your company van or car when you can show off your brand in style? The ability to print any image or color for vehicles with large format printing technology opens up a new road for your marketing and branding. Don’t settle on a simple door magnet for your logo when you can bring something special to your vehicle with printed graphics.

 

 

Wall Graphics

Creating stunning art to showcase your product, decorate your office, or promote your products has never been easier. You can create custom graphics with bold and stunning designs for product displays, welcome signage for customers and clients, or details and promotions for installations. All you need to do is use a large format printer to bring it to life. Why settle for a simple framed picture or poster when your entire wall can be the frame?

 

 

Direct-to-Substrate

Do you want a trade show booth created completely out of honeycomb core substrate? The old way of printing would’ve needed to print and then mount the designs on the boards, but now printing technology lets us print directly on substrates. That means that you can get stunning trade show booth designs, beautiful signage, or other printed materials without the added step. This gives you a clean design, a bold look, and more options for your projects.

 

Unique Textures and Patterns

Do you need to make your hallway look like a path of stones? Want to put your logo or message on the pavement outside for an event? With large format printing, that’s completely possible! For example, check out the textured stone pattern below. This was printed directly on a substrate and looks fantastic. Imagine using this same technique on a floor or wall for your next installation or retail display.

 

 

Whether you’re looking to show off your brand or create stunning pieces for events, retail, or manufacturing, large format is your new go-to for getting your message into the world. Want to get started on your next large format project? Contact us to set up a meeting and we can help you bring your dream to life. Dream big, print larger–with Gilson!

You’ve got raw data, but you need a way to present it and unlock its potential to grow your business. With so many options, it can be hard to know where to start. That’s where Gilson Graphics and our Composition Department can help. Gilson can convert your raw data into the optimum format to fit your business.

Watch this video for more information about Gilson’s Composition Department or read more below!

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