“Since many of the people in the printing and the promo world are small businesses, I think it’s really important that their voice is heard here. … I think it’s important that we’re here lobbying for them, so there will be a future.”
Stephanie Cohn Schaeffer, co-chair of the board of the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI), noted the importance of attending the second annual Printing Industry Legislative Fly-In that took place last week on Capitol Hill. This was Schaeffer’s second time attending and she shared that she intends to return next year.
“I’m committed to do whatever I can to help,” she said.
ASI was just one of the printing industry partner organizations that joined forces with PRINTING United Alliance for the two-day 2026 Fly-In. Representatives from Book Manufacturers Institute Inc. (BMI), Foil & Specialty Effects Association (FSEA), Flexographic Technical Association (FTA), Pharmaceutical Printed Literature Association (PPLA), Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), and Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute (TLMI), came together with more than 60 participants from across the printing industry. The participants met with more than 60 congressional offices to discuss key issues affecting the industry, including Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), U.S. Postal Service, tariffs, and the “Patient’s Right to Know” legislation.
“These conversations are critical, and the reception we received underscores the importance of showing up, speaking out, and building lasting relationships,” Ford Bowers, CEO of PRINTING United Alliance, said. “During these meetings, lawmakers were also asked to join the Congressional Printing Caucus and to visit their constituents’ printing operations.”
Eric Blohm, president and COO of Milton, Wisconsin-based Freedom, shared that it was his second time attending the Fly-In, which helped him feel more prepared.
“I’ve been working in the printing industry for 40 years,” he said. “Last year was my first and I don’t know if I was 100% prepared, so this year I wanted to come back and be really prepared to support the industry and to give back.”
Read the rest of this story on Printing Impressions, a publication of PRINTING United Alliance, ASI’s strategic partner.
