Introduction

How a small 60 year old company silently solves your marketing quarrels in a business generation where marketing means everything. (And don’t worry you can take the credit)

By: Eric Smith

If you have ever managed to get lost in New Hampshire and end up in the small town of Bow, you will make a couple observations rather quickly. First thing you might notice a gas station. The second thing would probably be housing developments. However, after you fill your tank, and before you head back towards home you should take notice of Northeast Avenue. It happens to be the street on which the beautiful public library sits, but if you were to go a little further you would find a very large building, discretely hidden, away from street traffic. Completely isolated in its own world, you have to wonder what company finds solace on the edge of a town that lacks even a simple traffic light.

The company happens to be Bovie Screen Process Printing, a technical screen printing company that makes its revenue stream right in the small town of Bow. Owned and managed by David Gintzler, the company has seen every recession since 1950. Originally founded by Robert Bovie Myers and his wife, Elizabeth, Bovie Screen first broke ground above a plumbing supply house on Main Street in Concord, and at the time consisted of only three employees. After Bovie’s first customer, WMUR, there was no looking back. The small company began to outgrow its home, bouncing from location to location, constantly moving due to the increase in profit and employees.

In 1979, a third generation printer and the company’s first outside sales rep, David Gintzler purchased the company from Mr. Myers upon his retirement. From there the operation doubled in size, and expanded the organization to 35 employees and added the ability to manufacture roll labels and membrane switches.

The 31,000 square foot home located at the intersection of highways 93 and 89 in Bow has fit quite nicely. Bovie Screen has grown from a loft on main street with point of purchase displays being the main source of income to a headquarters that allows the company to print roll labels, decals, overlays, membrane switches, plastic fabrication, digital printing and contract marking; to name a few.

Unfortunately like all businesses this past year, Bovie was caught in the middle of the recession. However, the resilience of the company to take the body blows from the worst economic decline since 1987 and manage to come out the other side, ready for the next round is astounding. “As with every company we had to make cuts, and that is inevitable” states President, David Gintzler, “But it is the belief in our staff and the roots we have created that has allowed us to weather the storm and look forward to seeing our customers start coming back.”

And the customers of the electronics, industrial and medical fields have. Despite being a company which mainly relies on other businesses to seek out marketing and advertising, which during a downturn is one of the first budgets to be cut, Bovie has managed to stay afloat, without taking on too much water.

If you take a closer look, the company appears to be an un-sung hero of sorts. Devoting almost its entire business model in improving others’ branding strategies, Bovie Screen sit’s back and provides the services necessary to get your message or product out. Whether having rubber watches printed with your logo, or signage for a local retailer, Bovie thrives on helping you grow a customer base.

Continually updating its technology in the screen printing industry, Bovie has recently made a half million dollar investment in updates, including large, plastic fabrication and a Mimaki printer, which has the versatility to print on numerous uncoated materials including, corrugated plastics, polyacrylics and uneven or irregular media.

The company has also invested in R&D, developing their own product call Germ-Gate™, an antimicrobial coating, which can be utilized by schools, hospitals and medical device manufacturers effectively eliminating 99.9% germs on surfaces on which it is coated.

Overall, Bovie Screen Process Printing has developed an image of there own, becoming a company that sells all over the northeast, but has chosen to stay local, despite internal growth. Other large screen printers do exist in the world, with larger budgets and bigger crews, but by touring through their plant, it is apparent that Bovie Screen has some of the nicest and most knowledgeable employees in the screen printing business. Just by looking at some of the finished products, you realize that this small company can stand toe-to-toe with their major competitors and with so many businesses turning their back on the Concord area, it is nice to see that one continues to flourish while living here in the Granite State. Perfection in technical printing is the company’s slogan and 60 years of success should make you believe there is some truth to that.