Graphic Arts Marketing Information Service (GAMIS) has been consolidated with the Market Research Committee of NPES The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies to form a new organization that will unify market research efforts for the entire graphic arts industry.              The Print Industries Market Information and Research Organization, PRIMIR (pronounced premier), is based at NPES headquarters in Reston, Virginia and receives staffing, administrative, marketing and financial support from the Association. NPES Vice President William K. Kip Smythe will serve as president of the new organization, and former GAMIS Executive Director Jackie Bland will serve as managing director/secretary. A chairman and vice chairman will be elected at the organization’s meeting March 13-15 in Jacksonville, Florida.               Announcement of the name followed the meeting of a task force of representatives from both organizations in early February. The task force will serve as PRIMIR’s executive committee for the remainder of the year. Members of the executive committee are Michael Aumann, Vice President of Sales, Streamfeeder, LLC; Birgit Backofen-Rothaker, Director, Business Development and OEM Relationship Manager, Flint Ink; Jacques Denault, Marketing Communications Manager, Transcontinental Printing; Christina Echevarria, Manager of Marketing Information, Goss International Americas, Inc.; Robert H. Feldberg, Vice President, Marketing, Konica Minolta Graphic Imaging; Eric Frank, Vice President, Marketing, KBA-North America; John Kalkowski, Marketing Manager, Sun Chemical Corporation; Edwin C. Masten, Manager, Strategic Planning, International Paper; Elinor Midlik, President, Prime UV Systems; Jill Roth, Director of Brand Development, Primedia Business; Steve Skal, Director of New Business Development, RohmNova; Mike Troy, National Business Manager, Consumable Products, Enovation Graphic Systems, and Mark Vanover, Director of Marketing, Esko-Graphics Inc.              PRIMIR will launch a new web site in the near future at www.primir.org, and will continue to offer for sale the studies previously completed by both the NPES Market Research Committee and GAMIS.              "With the merger of these two well respected research programs, the industry can expect more and better studies tracking the critical trends impacting the industry, distributed to more companies at a lower cost," said NPES President Regis J. Delmontagne. "In this era of consolidation, it only makes sense to reduce duplication of effort and streamline the market research process for our members and the industry at large. Concentrating industry research activities in PRIMIR will mean better use of resources in general, including not only financial support but also major allocations of volunteer labor on the part of industry professionals who serve on committees and study steering groups," Delmontagne said.              The annual PRIMIR dues structure adopted by the Executive Committee ranges from a high of $8,100 for companies with annual sales of more than $250 million to a low of $416 for companies with less than $2.5 million in sales. NPES members choosing to join PRIMIR will receive a 50 percent discount on their dues. As they did through the Association’s Market Research program, NPES members will continue to receive three to four studies each year at no cost as part of their membership benefits through the financial support the Association is providing to PRIMIR.