Guided by the idea that in unity there is strength, a handful of concerned forms distributors scattered throughout the East and Midwest established in 1946 the Independent Business Forms Dealers of America. In 1947 it became National Business Forms Associates, which became the National Business Forms Association in 1963.
Founding a LeaderThe founding members included: C. E. Cooley, Cooley Business Forms Inc., Rochester, New York; R. K. Clark, McGregor & Werner Inc., Washington D.C.; W. R. Harris, W. R. Harris & Company, Washington D.C.; Dan C. McKay, Business Forms Service Inc., Detroit, Michigan; Roy S. Flesh, The Flesh Company, St. Louis, Missouri; Earl Easly, Better Business Forms Inc., Cleveland, Ohio; William Ashby, Consolidated Business Forms, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Fred Ferguson, Buffalo Business Forms Inc., Buffalo, New York; and Edward Pfeiffer and F. J. "Rusty" Ring, Modern Business Forms, Chicago, Illinois. Gathering at the old Bismarck Hotel in Chicago, the group elected Rusty Ring as the association's first president. The mission of the organization: become a clearinghouse of information and ideas. NBFA's first headquarters was located in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
By 1961, the NBFA Manufacturers Section was formed, with John W. Randall of Specialized Printed Forms Inc., of Caledonia, New York, acting as the first Manufacturers Section president. Two years later, with a membership of 75 distributors and 44 manufacturers, Meredith R. Smith Jr., CAE, a professional trade association director, was hired. He moved NBFA's headquarters from Florida to Washington, D.C. At that time, the Association's budget was so small that rather than rent an office, a desk was rented in a downtown Washington office. These modest beginnings would lay the groundwork for a productive future.Establishing a Full-time Staff
By 1963, in response to an ever-expanding membership and a revived drive for committed service, a member newsletter, The Informer, was created. From a general membership bulletin, the publication evolved into today's award-winning industry resource, FORM magazine. Late in 1998, FORM's circulation was nearly 15,000. In September, 2001, FORM became Print Solutions Magazine, with a broader industry outlook and a completely new design.NBFA the Publisher
By 1967, the Association's growth had taken off, with membership more than doubling to 165 distributor companies and 70 manufacturers.
With a flourishing annual budget of nearly $500,000--20 times the 1963 budget, it became apparent in 1973 that the expanding association staff needed new quarters. Staff moved into he lower floor of a two-story, 12,000 square foot building at 433 East Monroe Avenue in Alexandria, Virginia. As the Association grew, more space was rented on the second floor, and in 1985 NBFA purchased the entire building.
A New Headquarters
A five-day "School for New Salesmen," as it was then called, was first held in December 1973. A year later, the name was changed to the School for New Sales Representatives, now called the School for Forms Specialists. Then, as today, the program was packed with information on all aspects of the industry. Next, the School for Sales Service Specialists, now called the School for Print Specialists, was established to meet the increasing need for formal training for inside sales personnel. The first program was held in June of 1975.Educational Programs Added
As the industry and the association grew, NBFA's leaders recognized a need to certify and recognize excellence in the forms profession. The Certified Forms Consultant program was created in 1975. The first exams were conducted in 1976, and more than 1,400 professionals earned the CFC designation. In 1997, the program was revised, upgraded and renamed the Certified Document Consultant program.
Certification Program Introduced
NBFA recorded its 1,000th member in the fall of 1979. That year, the Meetings and Expositions Department was formed to manage the increasing number of meetings, conventions and seminars NBFA developed for its members. In 1980, the Operations Department was organized to handle the administrative workload, and in 1981 NBFA responded to the membership's accelerated pursuit of technical information and guidance with the organization of the Information and Technical Services Department.
Specialized Departments Added
To better serve its growing membership, NBFA began regionalizing some services--meetings, trade shows and seminars--in 1984. The association created eight geographic regions to respond to the varied demographic and economic needs and expectations specific to distinct areas. Each region is represented by two elected Regional Coordinators, one distributor member and one manufacturer member. Coordinators work to strengthen communications between members and the Association.
Organizing by Regions
In 1985, NBFA introduced the highly successful table-top trade shows, Trade Marts. Thirty-four Trade Marts were conducted across the nation that year. Another notable initiative was NBFA members' support of the the Federal Highway Traffic Administration's "Buckle Up for Safety" campaign. The NBFA campaign--"A Form of Safety"--succeeded beyond all expectations. In 1987 NBFA received a citation from President Ronald Reagan for its continuing success with the Buckle Up program.Trade Shows Expand
The Association continued to grow in influence and size. In 1987, at its annual meeting in Boston, NBFA recognized its 2,000th member.
2,000th Member JoinsNBFA celebrated another outstanding year in 1988 with membership soaring above 2,200 and an annual budget that exceeded $4 million. The Membership/Marketing Department was formed to better define and meet the needs of members. The largest convention in the history of the industry, Informservices '88, was held in Chicago.
Thirty Trade Marts and 23 Regional Roundtables, which featured a desktop publishing demonstration and a teleconference with NBFA's DTP consultant, highlighted 1989. And, there was more membership participation at the 1989 Mid-Year Planning Conference in Washington, D.C. than in any other year in the history of the Association.
NBFA introduced one-day workshops in 1990. The first, "Profit by Selling from Your Customers' Point of View," was enthusiastically received by the membership, and helped to pave the way for other one-day programs, including "Selling Bar Code and Automated Data Collection System Solutions," which was introduced in 1994. New education in 1995 included a series of technology-focused seminars covering Imaging/OCR Forms Processing, Electronic Flowcharting/Functions of Business, and Electronic Forms.Educational Programs Enhanced
In 1991, staff leadership changed at NBFA. On April 1, Meredith R. Smith, Jr., CAE, retired after 29 years of service. Executive Director Peter L. Colaianni, CAE, took the helm as Executive Vice President on April 2, 1991. Under new leadership, NBFA's programs and services continued to expand. In 1992, the Association's popular Trade Mart series expanded from 20 shows in 1991 to 50 shows nationwide in 1992. Informservices returned to its national format in Chicago, Illinois, and introduced the new Technology Discovery Showcase, a section of exhibits on the show floor in which technology leaders provided live demonstrations of current printing and handling processes. The 47th Annual Meeting in Indian Wells, California, also focused on new technologies, with an all-day symposium dedicated to cutting-edge education.
Changing Leadership
The Information Central Source Hotline, a key members-only service offering instant, customized answers to questions about sources of supply, was fully computerized in 1991. The ever-expanding database offers thousands of diverse sources, from ad specialties to forms to the most sophisticated electronic solutions. Users supply specifications to a Source Specialist over the phone and receive a list of supplier referrals while they wait. The Source Hotline answers nearly 40,000 phone calls each year, and continues to expand its database of product and service categories.Connecting Distributors and Manufacturers
In 1995, NBFA introduced six new member services, including a Group 401(K) Retirement Plan, personal and business MasterCard and Gold MasterCard, a merchant credit card program, a TRW commercial credit program, SkyTel pager and wireless messaging services, and Long & Foster's SmartMove program, which provides a cash rebate when members buy or sell property.
By the mid-1990s many NBFA member companies had removed the word "forms" from their names, a reflection of the growing diversity in product and service offerings members make available to end user clients. The association took a cue from the membership. Following a unanimous vote by the association's Board of Directors and nearly 70 percent approval by the membership, NBFA changed its name to Document Management Industries Association (DMIA) in January of 1996.
NBFA to DMIA
DMIA strives to provide the best products and services for its members, and has received numerous awards for the design and content of such publications and programs as FORM magazine (now Print Solutions Magazine), The Business Forms Handbook, the Source Hotline, Business Forms Basics, An Introduction to the Design and Sale of Bar Code Systems, and the Who's Who membership directory. By November of 2000, FORM magazine alone had won 57 awards for editorial and design excellence.Awards All Around
Early in 1996, FORM Magazine introduced its web site. Updated with news and features every business day, it is now the site for Print Solutions Magazine and attracts 3,000 internet users per week.
To the Internet ... and Beyond!In April of 1998, DMIA's web site was unveiled. Featuring a wealth of documents and databases that members can use to enhance their business operations, the DMIA web site within six months of opening attracted 600 users per week. In October, the association began its email-based listserv. This free member service allows any subscriber (member company principals only) to broadcast an email at any time to the entire list of 700 subscribers. All the emails are sent in a matter of seconds.
In January, 1999 a new service called Hot/Cool Sales Ideas was introduced. It features a twice daily product report featuring graphics, talking points, sales prospects and technical information on a specific new product to sell. There will be a new product introduced each morning and each afternoon of every business day.
In August of 2000, the DMIA E-Newsletter was launched. This online publication is emailed weekly to management, sales, marketing and sales service employees of DMIA member companies.
Although the industry will continue to change, one constant remains: DMIA's commitment to provide its members the tools necessary for success.