Canadian Printing Industries Association

What Canadian Printing Industries Association does

The Canadian Printing Industries Association / Association canadienne de l'imprimerie (CPIA/ACI) is a federally incorporated not-for-profit trade association operating as the national umbrella body for Canada's graphic arts industry. Founded in 1939 and reorganized under its current bilingual name in 1987, CPIA/ACI unifies six regional print associations — PrintForward, Printing and Graphics Industries Association of Alberta (PGIA), Saskatchewan Printing Industries Association (SPIA), Manitoba Print Industries Association (MPIA), Ontario Printing Industries Association (OPIA), and Quebec Association of the Printing Industry (AQII) — together with Printing Equipment and Supply Dealers of Canada (PESDA) under a single national charter. Through this federation model the association claims representational reach over 6,000+ printing and related businesses and 50,000+ industry employees, supported by a network of 8 graphic arts post-secondary programs. Governance is provided by an 11-member Board of Directors with one at-large position for Atlantic Canada.

CPIA/ACI's core service offering is membership services rather than a technology product. Functional deliverables include industry advocacy and representation, a Member Savings Program that aggregates discounts and offers from a deep supplier partner ecosystem (Kodak, Heidelberg, Spicers, Konica Minolta, Canon, Xerox, Sappi, Domtar, EFI and others), an industry events calendar, employment job boards distributed through partner organizations, and a news/blog resource stream. The association does not build or own proprietary technology platforms; its digital presence is a bilingual WordPress website serving English and French audiences nationwide.

The business model is a recurring membership-fee subscription model, with revenue derived from dues paid by the seven member associations rather than from individual print businesses. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and no external revenue figure is available. CPIA/ACI is headquartered at Suite 142, 455 Danforth Ave, Toronto, Ontario, and is led by Board Chair Richard Kouwenhoven and Director of the Association Gerry Lacombe (appointed January 2021), with Tracey Preston serving as CPIA Administrator. The organization is governed under the Canada Corporations Act as a not-for-profit corporation with no parent company or external ownership.

Name

Canadian Printing Industries Association

Legal name

Canadian Printing Industries Association

Website

https://cpia-aci.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CPIA/ACI is a federally incorporated Canadian not-for-profit trade association, founded in 1939, that unifies six regional print associations and one supplier association to represent 6,000+ printing businesses nationally. It delivers industry advocacy, a supplier member-savings program, job boards, and bilingual resources to the Canadian graphic arts industry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: CPIA/ACI generates revenue through membership fees from its seven member associations: PrintForward Printing and Imaging Association, Printing and Graphics Industries Association of Alberta (PGIA), Saskatchewan Printing Industries Association (SPIA), Manitoba Print Industries Association (MPIA), Ontario Printing Industries Association (OPIA), Quebec Association of the Printing Industry (AQII), and Printing Equipment and Supply Dealers of Canada (PESDA).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CPIA/ACI is a not-for-profit national trade association that unites six regional Canadian print associations and one supplier association under a single industry voice. It delivers industry advocacy, representation, member savings programs with supplier discounts, job boards, an industry news blog, and an events calendar for printing and print-related businesses across Canada.

Product overview

CPIA/ACI operates as a unified national association serving the Canadian graphic arts industry. The organization provides membership services that unite six regional print associations and one supplier association under a single national voice. Core offerings include industry advocacy, member savings programs with exclusive supplier discounts, job boards for industry employment, and resource/news content covering printing industry developments. The association facilitates connections between regional associations, suppliers, and graphic arts post-secondary programs across Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• arivaminorOthersSupplier partner providing industry resources and support to CPIA/ACI members.
• Domtar PaperminorOthersPaper manufacturer partner offering member savings and industry support.
• HeidelbergcoreTechnology or IntegrationMajor equipment manufacturer partner for printing presses and solutions. Featured extensively in industry resources and case studies.
• Huge PaperminorOthersPaper supplier partner.
• Rolland (Sustana)minorOthersSustainable paper manufacturer partner.
• SappiminorOthersPaper and pulp manufacturer partner.
• SpicerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor distributor partner for commercial print and business papers, graphic solutions, and packaging supplies with 16 regional locations across Canada.
• SunChemicalminorOthersInks and coatings supplier partner.
• KodakcoreTechnology or IntegrationMajor technology partner for CTP systems, printing plates, workflow software, and inkjet presses. Featured extensively in industry resources.
• SupremexminorOthersEnvelope and packaging manufacturer partner.
• MohawkminorOthersPaper manufacturer partner.
• Imperial Dade CanadaminorOthersJanitorial and sanitation supplies distributor partner.
• FlagShipminorOthersShipping and logistics services partner.
• InSource CorpminorOthersIndustry solutions partner.
• MediaTechminorOthersMedia and technology solutions partner.
• Sustana SolutionsminorOthersSustainable fiber-based products partner.
• SiegwerkminorOthersInk manufacturer partner.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• INTERGRAF: INTERGRAF is the European confederation for the printing and graphical industries, representing national print associations across Europe. It is the most direct international analog to CPIA/ACI at the supranational level.
• Two Sides North America: Two Sides is a non-profit advocacy initiative promoting the sustainability of print, paper, and paper-based packaging. Like CPIA/ACI, it operates as an industry-wide advocacy body for the print sector with a cross-stakeholder mandate.
• British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF): BPIF is the UK trade association for the printing industry, providing advocacy, training, and member services. It is a peer of similar size and remit to CPIA/ACI at a country level, serving as a useful international comparator.
• FESPA: FESPA is a global federation of national printing associations focused on screen, digital, and specialty printing. Comparable to CPIA/ACI as a multi-country print industry body, though with a narrower specialty-print focus.
• PRINTING United Alliance: Formed from the merger of Printing Industries of America and the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association, PRINTING United Alliance is the leading US national trade association for the printing industry. It is the most directly comparable peer to CPIA/ACI in role, scope, and member services (advocacy, education, events).
• NPES (Association for Print Technologies): NPES is a US-based trade association representing manufacturers and suppliers of print technologies. It complements CPIA/ACI's mandate by focusing on the technology and equipment supply side of the graphic arts industry, making it a strong international counterpart.

Others

• drupa (Messe Düsseldorf): drupa is the world's leading trade fair for printing technologies, organized by Messe Düsseldorf. It is an OTHERS peer because it operates in the same print-industry ecosystem (events, networking, supplier engagement) as CPIA/ACI, but as a commercial event organizer rather than a trade association.
• Heidelberger Druckmaschinen: Heidelberg is a global leader in printing press equipment and solutions, and one of CPIA/ACI's core strategic partners. As an equipment OEM rather than a trade body, it is an OTHERS peer — operating in the same Canadian print value chain but on the supply side.
• Spicers Canada: Spicers is a major Canadian distributor of commercial print, business papers, graphic solutions, and packaging supplies with 16 regional locations. Listed as a core CPIA/ACI partner, it operates in the same Canadian print ecosystem as an adjacent commercial player rather than a direct association peer.
• Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME): CME is Canada's largest national industry association representing manufacturers and exporters. While broader than printing, CME is a thematic peer in the Canadian non-profit trade-association space and could be a coalition partner or competitor for member attention.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/canadian-printing-industries-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Canadian Printing Industries Association