Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 23 N OV E M B E R 3 , 2 0 2 5 F O C U S FA M I LY OW N E D B U S I N E S S A lthough Franklin Printing started in the late 1960s as a newspaper publisher, it was the ability to diversify and adopt evolving technologies that allowed the Farmington company to thrive. As the third generation prepares for ownership, "We set the stage for what we currently think is the right thing to be doing, going forward," says David Nemi, the company's general manager and grandson of the founder. ere are advantages for a family- owned business as its role evolves with the times. at includes its ability to consider how decisions affect the entire company. "We tend to evaluate things from multiple angles, and it's not always about the dollars," says Nemi. Industry decline Printing in the U.S. is a $76.8 billion industry, according to a market research report by ibisworld.com. at represents "a considerable and steady decline as digital products and services continue to displace printed materials," the report says. Printing technology has advanced, but "demand for traditional print has plummeted, leaving printers with excess capacity and intensifying price pressures." e decline is projected to continue over the next five years as digi- tization threatens industry growth. Adapting to change e development of new revenue streams and adoption of automated pro- cesses are considered critical to adapting to changing dynamics, says a market report by smithers.com. at's long been the outlook at Franklin Printing, where diversifica- tion and investment into technology have been part of the vision almost from the start. In the late 1960s, Joseph C. Nemi, a publishing veteran, acquired two newspapers — the Livermore Falls Advertiser and the Franklin Journal — and founded Nemi Publishing Inc. Initially printed in separate loca- tions, he consolidated operations in 1971, establishing a modest facility. He pioneered the use of offset printing in Maine, according to the company, and diversified into commercial printing. In 1986, he sold the newspaper divi- sion and the company concentrated on commercial printing. Over the years, continuous invest- ment in technology fueled the company's growth. Most recently, that's included pivotal moves into digital printing in 2008 and folding cartons in 2018. No-brainer Joe's sons, Greg and Dick, started as teenagers in the 1970s. Greg recalls going with his father to cover local events for the newspapers. "My first job was to help him in the darkroom developing film," he says. He pretty much knew he wanted to go into the family business and started full-time in 1976, working in production. Dick, who served as vice president and was with the company for 44 years, recently retired. e third generation also started as teenagers, working summers. Dick's son Mike recalls his father advising him to explore other career possibilities before deciding on the family business. So he pursued firefighting for a while, then got a degree in aviation management. But he always wanted to return. "I started here in 2011," Mike says. "I listened to my father — I tried dif- ferent things, which brought another perspective. You work as a team, espe- cially in production, which is some- thing I took from firefighting." Greg's daughter Jennifer worked for a decade after college at family-owned construction firms in Massachusetts and Vermont. She returned in 2015 to work for her family's firm. "I learned a lot by working for family businesses," she says. "I thought, 'Why am I working for another family when could be working for my own family?' And I wanted to be back in Maine closer to family, so it was a no-brainer. I had worked in the business in high school and college, so I understood the dynamics of working in production and finishing and doing a little bit of office work." Long-time employees Greg's son David, the oldest of the third generation, graduated in 2003 from Babson College, a Massachusetts school with an entrepreneurship focus. C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » 2014 –2025 2025_1022_MEBiz_v3a_alt option_BPTW.indd 1 2025_1022_MEBiz_v3a_alt option_BPTW.indd 1 10/23/25 4:12 PM 10/23/25 4:12 PM We tend to evaluate things from multiple angles, and it's not always about the dollars. — David Nemi Franklin Printing

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