Out-of-state buyer for Dayton region’s largest sign company

An out-of-state company has acquired the Dayton region’s largest sign company.

The family-owned digital printing company Kramer Graphics, with its manufacturing facility located on West Dorothy Lane in Moraine, was acquired by Outdoor Image LLC of Duluth, Georgia, according to a media release.

The combined organization will provide products for outdoor advertising and grand format digital printing markets. The new organization will operate under the brand Kramer, except in select legacy markets where Outdoor Image will remain the brand name.

All current Kramer staff will be retained. Kramer employs around 60 people locally, according to DBJ research. The company was founded in 1976 by Mary Lou Kramer.

“Outdoor Image’s acquisition of Kramer Graphics provides support and strategic direction for our business,” said John Kramer, who leads the company with sister Kelley Kramer-Mardis. “As markets for digital printing change, our new company structure provides the best platform on which to build better supply solutions for customers, as we will be positioned to incorporate new technology and innovation into our products and services.”

John Kramer will stay on as director of manufacturing. Kelley Kramer-Mardis also joins the new organization as director of special sales projects.

Outdoor Image, founded in 2013, provides digital printing and related products to Out-of-Home advertising and related markets across the eastern half of the United States, a release states.

“The acquisition of Kramer Graphics offers opportunities for Outdoor Image to strengthen and expand its product and service offering geographically, while reinforcing our reliability as a dependable partner for Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising providers,” said Ralph Ward, general manager of Outdoor Image LLC. “… The combination allows optimization across our productive capacity with increased focus on technology and innovation – to the benefit of our customers.”

Kramer Graphics also is the third-largest printing company in Dayton. It specializes in large format roll-to-roll, flatbed and dye sublimation.

DBJ
Hannah Poturalski