EPI Marketing Services

What EPI Marketing Services does

EPI Marketing Services is a privately held integrated marketing services provider headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, operating continuously since 1959 as part of The EPI Group. The company delivers commercial printing, folding carton and rigid box packaging, third-party logistics fulfillment, and IT-enabled marketing solutions through four Midwest production facilities in Michigan and Indiana, supported by 30+ networked presses and 300,000 sq. ft. of fulfillment and warehousing space. Its core technology platforms—MarketingEdge (distributed marketing and print-on-demand), VMIEdge (vendor managed inventory), eCommEdge (eCommerce fulfillment), RetailEdge (in-store signage), DirectEdge (direct mail), PackEdge (packaging), PromoEdge (promotion management), PublishersEdge (publishing fulfillment), DealersEdge (automotive dealer marketing), and PatientEdge (healthcare patient education)—are integrated with customer ERP/MRP, CRM, POS, and DMP systems via EDI and APIs.

EPI's go-to-market is a sales-led enterprise field motion, with dedicated account managers and regional sales managers conducting consultative selling, quarterly TCO reviews, and Total Cost of Ownership optimization engagements. The company serves Fortune 500 and national brand clients including Kellogg, JP Morgan Chase, Ford, Campbell Soup, Smuckers, Kimberly-Clark, Whirlpool, La-Z-Boy, NCAA, and Big Ten Conference, organized across primary verticals of consumer packaged goods, automotive and durable goods, retail and franchise, eCommerce and multi-channel retail, consumer promotions and loyalty, publishing and games, and healthcare and life sciences. Revenue is generated through a mix of one-time printing and packaging jobs, recurring platform subscriptions (MarketingEdge, eCommEdge), managed services (VMIEdge, VMI and consignment), and professional services (PromoEdge, PatientEdge, DirectEdge), with quote-based pricing, free consultations, a 5% TCO improvement guarantee on select VMI programs, and a 30-day low-risk guarantee for PatientEdge services. EPI also operates four wholly-owned subsidiaries under The EPI Group: Turnkey Merchandise Programs, Workforce Strategies Inc., Package Right, and Delano Games.

Name

EPI Marketing Services

Legal name

EPI Marketing Services

Website

https://epiinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

EPI Marketing Services is a privately held, Battle Creek, Michigan-based integrated marketing services provider operating since 1959, delivering commercial printing, packaging, fulfillment, and IT-enabled marketing solutions to Fortune 500 enterprises across CPG, durable goods, healthcare, and retail verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Battle Creek

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Commercial Printing Services: Full-service commercial printing including digital/POD, offset printing (sheet-fed and web), large format printing, and finishing services. Services include job automation, real-time job tracking, and in-house bindery operations.
2. Fulfillment & 3PL Services: eCommerce order fulfillment, retail distribution, kitting, sampling, consumer promotions, and just-in-time parts programs. Handles 100,000+ SKUs, ships 1,000,000+ orders annually, and executes 5,000,000+ consumer redemptions per year.
3. Folding Carton & Rigid Box Packaging: Custom folding carton solutions including structural design, premium printing, precision converting, assembly, and fulfillment. Also includes rigid box manufacturing for premium/luxury goods packaging.
4. MarketingEdge Platform Services: Distributed marketing platform providing online marketing resource management, print-on-demand capabilities, and inventory management with reporting dashboards.
5. PatientEdge Patient Education Services: Patient education seminar coordination and execution including call center services, direct mail, text execution, event management, and HIPAA compliant data management.
6. PromoEdge Promotion Management: Comprehensive promotion management including rebate & sweepstakes management, call center services, direct mail, online submissions, and prize fulfillment.
7. Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI): VMI and consignment services combining lean manufacturing, supply chain techniques, IT integration, and scalable printing/fulfillment infrastructure. Includes electronic low stock notification (eLSN) system.
8. DirectEdge Direct Mail Services: Full-service direct mail including creative, production, data management, mailing logistics, and analytics. Integrates with CRM/POS/DMP systems for automated list acquisition, segmentation, and targeting.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

EPI Marketing Services is an integrated marketing services provider combining commercial printing (digital, offset, large format), packaging (folding cartons and rigid boxes), and 3PL fulfillment/warehousing under proprietary platforms such as MarketingEdge, VMIEdge, and eCommEdge. The company supports Fortune 500 and national-brand clients with direct mail, distributed marketing, vendor managed inventory, eCommerce fulfillment, promotion management, publishing fulfillment, and patient education services. Operations span four Midwest facilities with 30+ networked presses and 300,000 sq. ft. of warehousing space.

Product overview

EPI Marketing Services operates as an integrated marketing services provider offering a platform-plus-specialized-solutions architecture. The core portfolio centers on nine branded solution sub-products — VMIEdge (Vendor Managed Inventory), eCommEdge (eCommerce fulfillment), RetailEdge (Retail marketing), MarketingEdge (Distributed marketing platform), DirectEdge (Direct mail), PackEdge (Packaging), PromoEdge (Promotion management), PublishersEdge (Publishing fulfillment), and DealersEdge (Automotive dealer solutions) — complemented by PatientEdge (Patient education services) and three foundational service categories: Fulfillment Services (3PL), Commercial Printing, and Packaging Solutions. These products interlock operationally: MarketingEdge serves as the centralized marketing resource management portal for ordering and brand compliance, while eCommEdge, RetailEdge, VMIEdge, and Fulfillment Services provide downstream execution for fulfillment, distribution, and supply chain needs, all supported by the in-house Commercial Printing and Packaging production capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VMIEdge: Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) solution for durable goods manufacturers, providing printing needs, specialized kitting, and EDI system integration.
• eCommEdge
• RetailEdge
• MarketingEdge
• DirectEdge
• PackEdge
• PromoEdge
• PublishersEdge
• DealersEdge
• PatientEdge

Products and services

• VMIEdge Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) and Consignment solution combining lean manufacturing and supply chain techniques with IT integration capabilities; supplies leading durable goods manufacturers with printing needs for supporting material, specialized kitting, user manuals, technical spec sheets, additional parts, light industrial kit assembly, labels, and more, set up in a secure automated EDI system.
• eCommEdge End-to-end eCommerce fulfillment solution covering order receipt, payment processing, returns management, inventory management, kitting, and multi-channel retail support, with native integrations to Amazon Seller Fulfilled Prime, Magento, Americommerce, Zulilly, Wayfair, and ChannelAdvisor.
• RetailEdge Retail marketing and supply chain solution handling in-store signage, promotional materials, store profiling, POS/POP kits, gift card and loyalty program execution, and variable direct mail campaigns, from creative through fulfillment for retail locations nationwide.
• MarketingEdge Distributed marketing platform enabling field teams to customize and personalize marketing materials while ensuring brand compliance; features multi-channel campaign management, single sign-on via SAML or Token, real-time inventory tracking, order management, customizable approval systems, credit card/PayPal/PO billing, real-time UPS & FedEx shipping estimates, and advanced reporting dashboards.
• DirectEdge Full-service direct mail solution spanning creative, production, data management, mailing logistics, and analytics, with CRM, POS, and DMP integration for automated list acquisition, segmentation, and postal-optimized targeting.
• PackEdge Folding carton and rigid box design, production, and fulfillment solution covering structural design, offset and digital printing (Fuji J Press), precision converting, assembly, contract packaging, kitting, and Vendor Managed Inventory programs for retail, e-commerce, and distribution environments.
• PromoEdge Comprehensive promotion management solution for rebate, sweepstakes, and loyalty programs, including creative strategy, prize sourcing, fulfillment, call center support, direct mail, online submissions, compliance management, and 1099 distribution for Fortune 500 and local businesses.
• PublishersEdge Production, fulfillment, and packaging solutions for publishers covering high-volume printing, custom packaging, kitting, inventory management, and national distribution for educational resources, board games, puzzles, and retail fulfillment.
• DealersEdge Automotive dealership service-customer attraction and retention solution providing branded dimensional mailers, VIN-matched premiums, personalized offers, and service-visit incentives aimed at first-time service customers.
• PatientEdge Patient education seminar management solution for healthcare providers, medical device manufacturers, and pharmaceutical companies, including HIPAA-compliant data management, call center support, event management, direct mail, and online registration tools.
• Commercial Printing Commercial print production including digital and POD printing, offset printing (sheet-fed and web), large format printing, and finishing services across four Midwest production facilities with 30+ networked presses, job automation, real-time job tracking, and in-house bindery operations.
• Fulfillment Services (3PL) Third-party logistics (3PL) fulfillment covering eCommerce order fulfillment, retail and Amazon FBA fulfillment, kitting and assembly, consumer promotions and sampling, logistics and JIT distribution, and mailing programs across 300,000 sq. ft. of warehousing space, with multi-carrier rate shopping across UPS, FedEx, and USPS.
• Packaging Solutions Folding carton and rigid box manufacturing including structural and graphic design, prepress and proofing, offset and digital printing using the Fuji J Press, die cutting, sustainability options with FSC-certified and recycled materials, and quality assurance under ISO 9001:2015.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5% annual Total Cost of Ownership improvement guarantee on VMI and Salesforce support programs in transportation, inventory, quality, packaging, administrative effort, and materials
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Amazon Seller Fulfilled PrimecoreTechnology or IntegrationAutomated integration for Amazon Seller Fulfilled Prime program enabling eCommerce brands to scale with Prime eligibility while maintaining operational flexibility. Supports promotions, launches, seasonal spikes, and demand volatility.
• MagentocoreTechnology or IntegrationOut-of-the-box eCommerce platform integration enabling seamless order flow and inventory synchronization between Magento storefronts and EPI fulfillment operations.
• ChannelAdvisorcoreTechnology or IntegrationMulti-channel retailer integration enabling unified management of inventory and orders across multiple sales channels including Amazon, eBay, and other marketplaces.
• EDI/ERP Integration PartnerscoreTechnology or IntegrationComprehensive EDI capabilities and ERP system integration for automated order flow, inventory movement, and reporting. Reduces manual work and improves decision quality through system alignment.
• UPS and FedExcoreTechnology or IntegrationReal-time shipping estimates and multi-carrier execution capabilities. Rate shopping between carriers balancing delivery speed, cost, and service commitments.
• USPScoreTechnology or IntegrationDirect mail and postal optimization services including presort strategy, drop shipping, commingling, and USPS on-site acceptance for efficient postal operations.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Quad: Closest publicly recognized peer — integrated commercial printing, packaging, marketing services, and media company. Competes head-to-head with EPI for Fortune 500 print, packaging, and direct mail workloads and offers a similar single-vendor integrated model.
• HH Global (InnerWorkings): Global marketing execution and print management provider serving enterprise marketing procurement teams. Directly comparable to EPI's MarketingEdge-style distributed marketing platform and managed print services model.
• LSC Communications: Large-scale commercial printer historically serving publishers, retailers, and direct marketers. Comparable to EPI in production-side commercial print capacity and mail/fulfillment capabilities.
• Multi Packaging Solutions (Westrock MPS): Specialty folding carton and rigid box packaging producer. Directly comparable to EPI's PackEdge packaging capabilities serving CPG and consumer brand customers.
• Valassis (Vericast): Direct mail and retail marketing execution provider with consumer promotion management. Comparable to EPI's DirectEdge and PromoEdge solutions, including rebate/sweepstakes programs.
• Harte-Hanks: Direct and digital marketing services provider with data-driven campaign execution. Comparable to EPI's DirectEdge offering, especially CRM/POS data integration and analytics.
• PCI Group: Mid-market direct mail and document services provider integrating print, mail, and digital communications. Closest mid-market peer to EPI's DirectEdge scale and customer profile.
• Radial: Large eCommerce fulfillment and 3PL provider with omnichannel capabilities including Amazon integration. Comparable to EPI's eCommEdge offering in fulfillment scale and multi-channel retailer support.

Broad incumbents

• Cenveo Worldwide: Diversified commercial print, labels, and packaging provider. Operates broader scale and geographic reach than EPI but competes in overlapping printing and packaging segments.
• Accenture Song: Global marketing transformation arm of Accenture competing for the largest enterprise marketing services budgets. Represents the technology-led, asset-light competitive threat to EPI's integrated marketing services positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/epi-marketing-services
• Xx.com/theepigroup

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EPI Marketing Services