WAKE FOREST N.C. - Southern Lithoplate, Inc., a leading manufacturer of digital printing plates and associated solutions, is pleased to announce that Gary Blakeley has become part of the Southern Lithoplate team as Director of Global Service and Technical Support.

Blakeley is responsible for new business development in the Southern Lithoplate technical support group and global service group. In addition, he will strengthen existing partnerships with Southern Lithoplate Strategic Alliance members and cultivate new vendor relationships. He also will collaborate with national account managers on prospect development.

Blakeley’s considerable talents complement the resources at Southern Lithoplate and bring a new depth and perspective to the company’s newspaper and commercial clients. Blakeley is widely recognized for his diverse expertise in the graphic communications industry. In a career spanning 30 years, he has provided leadership and expert consulting in a wide range of areas, including information technology, prepress production, operations, purchasing and safety.

Before joining Southern Lithoplate, Blakeley served as General Manager of Olive Software, Inc., a company that specializes in digital publishing and archiving solutions. Prior to that, he held the positions of Senior Director of Purchasing/Production and Chief Safety Officer at Freedom Communications, Inc. Earlier, he was Vice President of Operations at The Gazette newspaper in Colorado Springs, CO.

“I look forward to taking on a direct role in such a terrific organization,” Blakeley said of his new appointment. “Southern Lithoplate is incredibly responsive to the product needs of its many customers. The company has a great reputation within the industry for integrity and ethical business practices.”

E.A. “Trip” Casson, Southern Lithoplate Chairman & CEO, commented, “Gary has proven strategic and tactical expertise that is a great addition to my executive leadership team. We welcome him as he will complement & catalyze both our planning and implementation within each of our customermarket segments.”