JM Fry (CONT’D FROM PAGE 52)
In time, the center of gravity for the company will shift as JM Fry plans to move its headquarters to Pine Bluff, Ar- kansas, where a project is already underway. The company is converting a former 277,000-square- foot legacy facility, comprising four buildings, a water tower and a water treatment facility, into an operation designed to increase capacity and efficiency and provide room for future expansion. “It’s a huge compound and we have a lot of work ahead of us,” said Gaber. “But the enthusiasm and excitement for the project are through the roof. We already make ink out of there, and we have a steady stream of equipment com- ing in.”
all the boxes the acquisition team had been looking for. “There were several factors,” Gaber said about the ac- quisition. “Their size, reputation, and we specifically want- ed to be in post-print corrugated. We like how the post- print corrugated market operates. We all enjoyed working with the AICC in the past, but we were anxious to do it with a leaner company that can handle larger companies while also catering to smaller-sized companies. Our customer mix is roughly 40 percent larger companies and 60 per- cent smaller companies. That kind of diversity is appealing to us.” Gaber says the company’s size also helps it respond quickly to customer needs. “Big companies have some advantages, obviously, but they have many hurdles, as well. In past companies, we’d be thrilled to be able to turn something around for two-day delivery. Now we can aim for same-day or next-day delivery. We’re flat, we’re small, we move fast and we make decisions quickly.” The buyers were impressed by JM Fry’s already estab- lished footprint, which at the time of purchase included East Brunswick, New Jersey; Atlanta, Georgia; Grand Prai- rie, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; and its headquarters in Richmond, Virginia. Since the acquisition, four branches have been added in Racine, Wisconsin; Kalamazoo, Michigan; Ontario, Cali- fornia; and Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
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While JM Fry focuses on controlled sustainable growth in its newly opened operations, it’s also paid close atten- tion to the ways in which it can improve and streamline its legacy branches. “After the initial purchase I went to every facility and met with almost every single person,” Gaber said. “I shook their hands, I asked about their career and families. It struck me what an awesome responsibility it is, the opportunity to improve the lives of every employee who works with us. Because we are a true family business, it affects how we view people in the company and how they are treated. Our first priority after the acquisition was to improve peo- ple’s benefits and improve the infrastructure that supports everyone at each branch.” JM Fry has worked to avoid silos and develop employ- ees who can contribute across functions. Gaber stresses that the sales team for Fry are technical salespeople who can run a press trial, match color and help solve produc- tion problems, in addition to selling. Everything points to a future whereby JM Fry continues to hone its expertise and work methods in a never-ending cycle of satisfying both its customers and its employees. “We know how to be a big guy,” said Gaber, “and we know that’s not what we want. And we’re learning about what it’s like to be a little guy now, but we have aspirations and plans to keep growing. In the end, JM Fry will find its legs somewhere in the middle.”
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Len Prazych at 518-366-9017 lprazych@nvpublications.com
54 September 28, 2026
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