Privately held Cedar Graphics, located in Hiawatha, Iowa, will generate $22 million in revenue this year, making it one of the top commercial printers in the U.S. and among the largest sheetfed printers in the Midwest. The company has pursued a strategy of growth through acquisition, beginning with the purchase of Laurance Press Co. in 1979, Stamats Communications’ in-plant printing operation in 1991, and the assets of Wagner’s Printers, its main competitor, in 1996. Along the way, the company aggressively sought to become an early adopter of new and innovative technologies. Cedar Graphics was among the first in the state of Iowa to move into 4/4 perfecting in 1996, as well as the first printer in Iowa to switch from film to computer-to-plate in 1998. The company recently logged another “first” when it installed a pair of KBA Rapida 105 presses: a 10-color perfector with in-line coater, extension and roll-to-sheet feeder, the first of its kind in the United States, and a six-color plus coater equipped to print on non-paper substrates using UV drying and coating, marking both Cedar Graphics’ first foray into high-quality UV printing and the first UV installation in the state.

WhatTheyThink spoke with Hassan K. Igram, President and CEO of Cedar Graphics, to plumb the secrets of his company’s success.

WTT: Tell us about Cedar Graphics’ growth strategy since you became President and CEO in 1989.