Versa Press Inc.
Versa Press, Inc. is a family-owned, single-plant US book manufacturer (founded 1937) that provides end-to-end offset and digital printing, binding, and prepress services to trade, religious, educational, medical, university, and commercial publishers nationwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1937
- HeadquartersEast Peoria, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Versa Press Inc. does
Versa Press, Inc. is a family-owned book printing manufacturer headquartered at 1465 Spring Bay Road in East Peoria, Illinois. Founded in 1937 as Copy Cats, LTD and rebranded in 1986, the company operates a single integrated production facility serving publishers across trade, religious, educational, medical, university, and commercial segments in the United States. The third generation of the Kennell family currently leads the firm, with Steven J. Kennell as President and Joseph F. Kennell as Chairman.
The company's offering spans the full book manufacturing workflow: prepress (preflighting, PDF workflow, computer-to-plate, web-based file submission, and multiple proofing options); offset printing on Heidelberg presses with up to five-color cover and four-color text capability; digital printing on an HP Indigo 5900 integrated with a Mueller Martini Sigma Binder for lower-quantity, faster-turn runs; and binding including perfect, case (adhesive and Smythe sewn), saddle stitch, coil, spiral, double-O wire, Otabind, and a range of case binding materials. A customer portal and online quote/payment system support account management.
Versa Press generates revenue through quote-based, per-job contracts priced on trim size, page count, quantity, paper, cover, binding, and finishing specifications. Distribution is direct via an in-house sales team led by Director of Sales Matt Kennell, supported by approximately a dozen sales representatives and a customer service team; jobs are acquired through a Request a Quote form, direct outreach, and referrals. Payment is accepted via ACH (no fee) or credit card (2% convenience fee; American Express not accepted). The company holds FSC certification (FSC-C005010), is family-owned and bootstrapped with no external funding, and maintains a workforce of 51-100 employees.
Versa Press Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Versa Press Inc.
- Legal name
- Versa Press, Inc.
- Website
- https://versapress.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1937
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Versa Press, Inc. is a family-owned, single-plant US book manufacturer (founded 1937) that provides end-to-end offset and digital printing, binding, and prepress services to trade, religious, educational, medical, university, and commercial publishers nationwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Versa Press Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Book Printing & Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Books Printing (323117), Printing and Related Support Activities (3231), Printing and Related Support Activities (323), Support Activities for Printing (323120)
- SIC
- Book Printing (2732), Commercial Printing (2750)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Finishing & Post-Press Services (Cutting, Folding, Collating, Laminating, Foil, Emboss) (MPAJALAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Prepress & Composition Services (Typesetting, Layout, Color Management, Proofing) (MPAJALAA), Personalized & Customized Book Print-on-Demand (Variable Data, One-to-One) (MPAJANAH)
Keywords
Where Versa Press Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- East Peoria
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Versa Press Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Book Printing and Manufacturing Services: Versa Press generates revenue through providing comprehensive book printing services including prepress, offset and digital printing, binding, and shipping. Services are priced based on specifications including trim size, page count, quantities, paper type, cover options, binding style, and finishing. Pricing is quote-based and varies by job specifications.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Machine Operator Apprenticeship - 4 year program |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Material Handler - Entry Level Position |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Credit Card Payment Processing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels1 record
Versa Press Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Versa Press is a family-owned book printing manufacturer providing end-to-end production services — prepress (file preparation, proofing, computer-to-plate), offset and digital printing, multiple binding styles (perfect, case, saddle stitch, coil, spiral), finishing, and shipping — for trade, religious, educational, medical, university, and commercial publishers nationwide.
Product overview
Versa Press Inc. is a family-owned book printing company offering an integrated suite of manufacturing services. The core offering encompasses PrePress (file preparation, proofing, computer-to-plate), Offset Printing (Heidelberg presses, 1-5 color capability), Digital Printing (HP Indigo 5900), and Binding (perfect, case, saddle stitch, and specialty bindings). Supporting services include digital file preparation tools, a customer portal for account and payment management, and extensive case binding material options with color customization. The company serves publishers across trade, religious, educational, medical, university, and commercial sectors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use Versa Press Inc.
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Versa Press Inc. technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Versa Press Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Ruadán BooksminorRuadán Books, founded in 2024, has partnered with Versa Press as a printer to expand its publishing operations. Versa Press provides offset printing and book manufacturing services for Ruadán Books' dark speculative fiction titles, increasing availability in stores and libraries. Ruadán Books also partnered with IPG as a distributor.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Versa Press Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ingram Content Group (Lightning Source): Ingram Content Group operates Lightning Source, one of the largest book printing and print-on-demand networks serving trade, educational, and independent publishers in North America. Directly comparable to Versa Press on book manufacturing services, digital and offset capability, and publisher customer base.
- CJK Group (Sheridan): CJK Group, through its Sheridan operating unit, is a major US book and journal manufacturer serving academic, trade, and commercial publishers. Closest analog to Versa Press on integrated prepress-to-binding book production at higher scale.
- McNaughton & Gunn: McNaughton & Gunn is a mid-market US book manufacturer in Michigan offering prepress, printing, and binding for trade, religious, and educational publishers. Highly comparable in scale, service mix, and customer verticals to Versa Press.
- LSC Communications: LSC Communications is a large US book, magazine, and catalog printer with deep trade and educational publisher relationships. Direct competitor for the same publisher RFPs that Versa Press targets, but at significantly larger scale.
- BookBaby: BookBaby is a self-publishing services company offering print-on-demand and short-run book printing for independent authors and small publishers. Comparable in digital/POD book manufacturing capability, focused more on the indie author segment.
- Malloy Incorporated: Malloy is a Michigan-based book manufacturer offering prepress, printing, and binding services for educational, trade, and government publishers. Comparable mid-market US book printer with similar one-stop-shop service model.
Regional players
- Friesens Corporation: Friesens is one of Canada's largest book manufacturers serving publishers across North America with offset and digital printing plus full binding capabilities. Comparable service offering and customer base, but primarily serves from a Canadian facility.
Emerging players
- Lulu Press: Lulu Press operates a print-on-demand book manufacturing platform for self-publishers and small publishers with offset-quality digital printing. Adjacent to Versa Press's digital short-run book service, with stronger self-service/online ordering motion.
- Kindle Direct Publishing (Amazon KDP): Amazon KDP Print is a print-on-demand book manufacturing service for self-publishers, integrated with Amazon's marketplace for distribution. Competes with Versa Press's digital/POD offering for indie and self-published titles via a fully self-service model.
Broad incumbents
- AlphaGraphics: AlphaGraphics is a national commercial printing franchise network offering commercial print, marketing materials, and book printing services. Overlaps with Versa Press in commercial and short-run print but is not a specialist book manufacturer.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Versa Press Inc. social profiles
Digital presenceVersa Press Inc. compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Versa Press Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Versa Press Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Versa Press Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Versa Press Inc. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Versa Press Inc.
What does Versa Press Inc. do?
Versa Press is a family-owned book printing manufacturer providing end-to-end production services — prepress (file preparation, proofing, computer-to-plate), offset and digital printing, multiple binding styles (perfect, case, saddle stitch, coil, spiral), finishing, and shipping — for trade, religious, educational, medical, university, and commercial publishers nationwide.
Is Versa Press Inc. a public or private company?
Versa Press Inc. is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Versa Press Inc. founded?
Versa Press Inc. was founded in 1937. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Versa Press Inc. based?
Versa Press Inc. is headquartered in East Peoria, United States, in the North America region.
How does Versa Press Inc. make money?
One revenue line is on record: book Printing and Manufacturing Services.
Who are Versa Press Inc.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ingram Content Group (Lightning Source), CJK Group (Sheridan), McNaughton & Gunn, LSC Communications, BookBaby and Malloy Incorporated. Friesens Corporation is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are Lulu Press and Kindle Direct Publishing (Amazon KDP). AlphaGraphics is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Versa Press Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Versa Press Inc..
What industry is Versa Press Inc. in?
Versa Press Inc.'s product category is Book Printing & Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJALAF, Finishing & Post-Press Services (Cutting, Folding, Collating, Laminating, Foil, Emboss), with a secondary code of MPAJALAA, Prepress & Composition Services (Typesetting, Layout, Color Management, Proofing). Its NAICS code is 323117 and its SIC code is 2732.