New Momentum for Houston
Digital & Offset Technologies
The Monthly meeting place for printers, suppliers & Print buyers, December, 2008
Established companies merge and announce “New Momentum” for Houston’s Direct Marketing Industry.
International Mailing Systems and The Premier Company have merged to form PremierIMS which is sure to be a powerhouse of direct marketing services that will bring “New Momentum” to their Industry in Houston. The company will be headed by Norm Pegram, President and CEO.
International Mailing Systems was founded by Norm Pegram, President and CEO in 1981 and has grown to become the largest independent high volume mailing company in Houston. IMS is the only mailing company in Houston with two onsite post office clearing sections and USPS staff there to clear the bulk mail. From IMS the mail is dispatched across the country and including Alaska and Hawaii to SCF destinations resulting in huge postal savings to their customers. The company is also the Texas source for resident mailing lists.
Premier, founded in 1925 by the late Luke Kaiser is Houston’s most established Printing, Mailing, and Fulfillment company. With a long time list of fortune 500 customers, Premier remained family owned and operated for more than 83 years and was headed by Martha Kaiser Justice, (President and daughter of the founder), along with William Justice, Chairman. Premier specializes in business to business printing and mailing services for target markets: including Health Care, Non Profit, Financial, Insurance, Education, and Corporate.
Also joining in the merger is Geno Baiamonte, of Service Inc. another long time Houston Printing Company owner who will be Vice President of Printing Operations.
PremierIMS will also continue Premier’s warehousing and fulfillment operation. Martha Justice will be Vice President Marketing and Bill Justice will be Vice President of Fulfillment.
Already in talks to merge, the three companies, Premier, IMS and Service Inc., began working together after hurricane Ike left Premier without power, phones or computer communications. The hurricane aftermath and the financial crisis that followed soon after did not deter these companies from taking bold steps to expand. “We wanted to get together while our companies were in a strong position,” said Norm Pegram. IMS was founded during a time when inflation was over 20% and the market was rife with competition in the 80’s. Premier survived the great depression, along with many economic swings over the years. The companies have weathered many storms. The difficult weeks after the latest storm turned out to be a win win for all and sealed long time friendships and signaled a larger win for their combined forces to become PremierIMS.
