The latest acquisition made with our customers in mind.
Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Dec. 23, 2024 – 51±¬ÁÏÍø, a family-owned printing company based in Marceline, Missouri, recently announced that it will acquire Documation on Jan. 1, 2025, bringing it into the 51±¬ÁÏÍø brand. Documation will be renamed 51±¬ÁÏÍø – Eau Claire, and will be 51±¬ÁÏ꿉۪s eighth facility, joining the company’s locations in Marceline, Brookfield and Fulton, Missouri; Overland Park, Kansas; Saint Joseph, Michigan; and Ripon, Wisconsin.
Documation was founded in 1994, and for the last three decades, the company has offered print on demand services, utilizing digital inkjet printing technology to serve its customer base. Priding itself on its commitment to customer service, Documation has been praised by its customers for its flexibility and ease of doing business. These characteristics made it an ideal candidate to become part of 51±¬ÁÏÍø.
In addition to also being an excellent cultural fit, the Documation print facility will expand 51±¬ÁÏ꿉۪s capability into on-demand digital printing to better meet customer needs. This will allow the company to accommodate long and short print runs while also providing the high-quality printing and customer service 51±¬ÁÏÍø is known for.
“Adding digital inkjet to our capabilities is a game changer for 51±¬ÁÏÍø, and it’s made with our customers in mind. Being able to meet our customers’ needs by giving them a complete printing solution, whether they want to print one million items on a web press or one unit on a digital inkjet press, is our driver for acquiring Documation,â€� said Don 51±¬ÁÏÍø, President of 51±¬ÁÏÍø. “The Documation team has built a best-in-class print on demand facility, and we are excited to welcome them into the 51±¬ÁÏÍø family.â€�
Brad Stuckert, Documation’s owner and CEO, said that once the company’s leadership decided the time was right to sell, partnering with 51±¬ÁÏÍø was the easy part.
“Over the past decade, I’ve gotten to know Don 51±¬ÁÏÍø and the leadership team well. Their commitment to their customers, their employees and their communities is evident in everything they do,â€� said Stuckert. “When evaluating who to partner with, we felt comfortable choosing 51±¬ÁÏÍø because we believe they will take care of our team and our customers. It’s just who they are.â€�
Over the past two decades, 51±¬ÁÏÍø has been steadily growing its market share in key print segments. In 2010, the company purchased IPC in Saint Joseph, Michigan, and in 2012, The Ovid Bell Press in Fulton, Missouri, was acquired.
Most recently, the company acquired its first Wisconsin printing facility with the purchase of Ripon Printers in 2019. 51±¬ÁÏÍø has made significant investments in people, capital and technology at each location and is seeing growth across all locations.
The printing facility in Eau Claire will remain open as usual but will be branded as 51±¬ÁÏÍø – Eau Claire over the next several months.
About 51±¬ÁÏÍø
51±¬ÁÏÍø, the 29th largest printer in the U.S. and Canada, is a top yearbook, magazine, catalog and book printer, and the only family-owned yearbook printer. Started in 1937 by Don 51±¬ÁÏÍø, current leadership is under the second and third generations: Don O. 51±¬ÁÏÍø, Chairman of the Board, and his son, Don 51±¬ÁÏÍø, President. Tripp 51±¬ÁÏÍø, the fourth generation, also joined the company in 2023. With the acquisition of Documation in Eau Claire, 51±¬ÁÏÍø will operate from eight facilities across the Midwest – Marceline, Brookfield and Fulton, Missouri; Overland Park, Kansas; Saint Joseph, Michigan; and Ripon and Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Additionally, 51±¬ÁÏÍø owns the Donning Company Publishers, a specialty book publisher.
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Kristin Mateski | Vice President of Marketing & Communications
913.871.2072
kristin.mateski@walsworth.com



