Mainebiz

V O L . X X X I N O. X X V N OV E M B E R 3 , 2 0 2 5 24 FA M I LY OW N E D B U S I N E S S F O C U S "I always had a passion for the busi- ness world, probably because I was grow- ing up around it, seeing my father and my grandfather doing what they had done up to that point," David says. "I knew I wanted to be in that environment." David went into the family business thinking maybe he'd stay a few years. "But as I got involved as a mem- ber of the family, I was given more responsibility," he says. "At the same time, my grandfather, who was still working at the time, became ill. So I felt I was needed to help with operation of the company. I think that experience made me realize I could have an impact on the business. And here I am, 22 years later." Today, Greg is sole owner and president. David is general manager, Jennifer oversees the sales team and Mike leads printing and bindery pro- duction. e company has 46 employ- ees, some with tenures of 20 years and even 40 years or more. e number has been stable over the past few years, but down from the mid- to high-50s in the early 2000s due to the adoption of automated machinery. "A lot I've known since I was in school," says Greg, referring to employ- ees. "Always employed lots of local people in the area." Different point of view As an employer, the family-owned dynamic has advantages over corporate ownership, the Nemis agree. "Family-run businesses tend to make emotional decisions about what they're doing, which I think is helpful to employ- ees," says David. "Larger corporations, especially public corporations, ultimately look at the bottom line." Health insurance is one example of how that works. "We've historically helped families with cost-sharing, especially now as it continues to become more expensive," says David. Packaging segment e future of the print industry might be uncertain, but the Nemis consider the addition of folding carton production to be a sustainable segment that they expect to grow. Not counting a spike during the pandemic related to print materials for COVID testing products, revenue is on an upward trajectory by 30% to 40% compared with pre-pandemic numbers. Growth is primarily driven by the production of folding cartons. Established in 2018, the company's packaging segment is relatively new. Customers are primarily food and beverage retailers and the human and animal medical industry, primarily in the Northeast, with some customers across the U.S. Production takes place at the com- pany's 37,500-square-foot facility in Farmington. In 2021 and 2022, invest- ment into new equipment, including die cutting and gluing machines for folding cartons, was about $3.5 mil- lion. Other new machines include ink jet web printing technology. Additional investments are under consideration, such as equipment updates for efficient mailing and ful- fillment services for companies that provide customer communications. Sustainability investments include a contract with an outside program, Green-E Energy, that sells the com- pany verified clean energy for all of its operations. Other sustainability actions include recycling, certain tech- nologies and materials to minimize waste or cut emissions and Forest Stewardship Council certification to ensure paper is sourced from responsi- bly managed forests. Succession plan e investments are part of the strat- egy leading up to a transition of own- ership. e family recently finalized a succession plan that will allow Greg to hand over the company to the third generation. e plan calls for David, Michael and Jennifer to take over on or before Dec. 31, 2030. e investments in packaging and ink jet technology in recent years were to prepare the company for the future, notes Greg. » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E EXPECT to learn at your pace Financial aid available for qualified students. at the UNIVERSITY of MAINE at PRESQUE ISLE YO U R J O U R N E Y. YO U R PAC E . affordability EXTREME UNPARALLELED EXCEPTIONAL support personal academic success coach flexibility 100% online & fully asynchronous Flat tuition rate per 8 week session— $1,800 for bachelor's, $2,450 for master's umpi.edu/yourpace | umpi-yourpace@maine.edu Looking for a degree completion program that's both affordable and designed to meet the needs of working professionals? UMPI-ad-qrtr-06-2024-v02.pdf 1 6/10/2024 11:03:55 AM APPLY BY 12/12 New Master of Science in Business degree Spring 1 Session starts 1/12/26 Member Companies *Since 2009 Impactful Programs 16 Maine Counties Served Experienced Mentors Company Success Rate INCREASING MAINE JOBS AND REVENUE Supporting Maine's Small Businesses! 28+ Years 44% Women BIPOC 5% 607+ 11 300+ 85% Owned or Operated Businesses www.mced.biz Family-run businesses tend to make emotional decisions about what they're doing, which I think is helpful to employees. — David Nemi Franklin Printing

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