LENEXA, Kansas, December 10, 2007-xpedx has named veteran executive John Torrey vice president and general manager for xpedx Printing Technologies, the exclusive, full-line marketer and distributor of Ryobi-branded printing presses in the U.S.
With a 25-year career focused exclusively on serving U.S. printers, Torrey will lead xpedx Printing Technologies for xpedx, one of the largest business-to-business distribution companies in North America and an important supplier to the printing industry.
 "We're going to crystallize the business advantages of Ryobi offset printing equipment and print technologies-showing how Ryobi meets the specific needs of printing companies and how xpedx and Ryobi deliver printers an exceptional return on investment," Torrey said.
"When U.S. printers buy a Ryobi press, they have access to the resources of xpedx, whether it's printing paper, pre-press and post-press supplies and equipment, facility supplies, distribution and logistics," Torrey added.  "They have access to graphics experts and operations consultants across our company as well as the resources of our industry partners throughout North America and worldwide."
Torrey will oversee all aspects of business strategy, including operations, sales and marketing at xpedx Printing Technologies.  He will work closely with printers nationwide and oversee the dealer network that sells and services Ryobi presses.  He will report to xpedx executive vice president Tom Weisenbach.
"John brings a high level of integrity, energy and strategic agility to this key position," Weisenbach said.  "He knows the printing and graphics businesses, and with his strong background in sales and management, I'm confident the xpedx Printing Technologies team and its network of dealers will continue to provide excellent service to customers."
Torrey affirmed the strategy of using independent dealers as well as xpedx divisions to sell and service Ryobi presses.  The network offers unequalled service and response time to Ryobi printers across the U.S.
Torrey's appointment follows the recent opening of the new Ryobi Demonstration and Learning Center at the xpedx Printing Technologies headquarters in metropolitan Kansas City.  The center, the first of its kind in the U.S. for xpedx and Ryobi, opened October 2007 to showcase the newest generation of 6- and 8-up Ryobi presses, state-of-the-art printing capabilities and print technology in a production environment.
xpedx, an International Paper company, has distributed Ryobi presses in the U.S. for more than 30 years through its national dealer network.  The relationship between xpedx and Ryobi was established to bring printers the business advantages of getting their printing equipment and paper from a single source.
Before assuming the xpedx Printing Technologies post, Torrey served as general manager of the Hayward-based xpedx Northern California Division.  Under his tenure, the division became one of the company's highest performing when measured by sales growth, revenue and volume.
Torrey has also held various senior sales and business unit management positions at xpedx.  He won many top annual sales and management awards over his career and helped integrate two large acquisitions by xpedx in the highly competitive California market.
Before joining xpedx, Torrey worked in sales and sales management for national and regional printing paper merchants including Butler Paper.  He also served printers and large corporate print customers as head of Western U.S. sales for the former Great Northern Nekoosa Paper Corp. in the 1980s.
Torrey, a Maryland native, earned a BA in economics from Bucknell University in Pennsylvania in 1982.