Founded in 1983, RT Associates provides digital and offset printing, as well as a full suite of marketing campaign management tools, web-to-print applications and proprietary data analytics.

Consolidated Graphics would not comment to PrintWeek on the deal, but in a press release, Jim Cohen, the company's executive VP for mergers and acquisitions, said, "RT Associates is a forward-thinking company that has evolved with the times to embrace solutions selling, technology and digital printing. From my experience, it is unusual to find independent printing companies that have successfully made this transition, and RT appears to have done it."

Charlie Strauzer, senior managing director of sales & trading at CJS Securities, follows Consolidated Graphics and said of the RT Associates acquisition, "They're a very small company and CGX has made something like 75 acquisitions since 1985, so it's not like this is surprising. Part of their strategy is to find small niche printers that can fit in with their network."

Strauzer stressed these acquisitions aren't about Consolidated Graphics buying market share. Instead he said, "It's about finding quality companies they can buy at a reasonable price."