We\u2019d\u00a0like to share our story and offer a closer look at how our company evolved into one of the largest wholesale print providers in the country.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Navitor officially came together in 2008, but our story starts much earlier.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Our roots go back to 1948, when Bill and Betty Carlson launched Carlson Letter Service from their family room in Mankato, Minnesota. That business later became Carlson Wedding Service, then Carlson Craft \u2013 one of the earliest companies in the group that would eventually become Navitor.<\/span><\/p>\n Today, Navitor operates as part of Taylor Corporation, headquartered in North Mankato, Minnesota. We have a broad operating footprint across the United States, Canada and Mexico, supporting a large-scale manufacturing and fulfillment network. Locations include sites in California, Nevada, New Jersey, Texas, Indiana, Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky, Oregon, New York, Missouri, Arizona, Washington, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida, and Illinois.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Navitor\u00a0was officially formed in 2008 when four businesses specializing in personalized business print were brought together under one brand: Carlson Craft Business Solutions, Regency, COSCO, and Label Works. Each brought something important to the table.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Carlson Craft contributed deep commercial print roots. Regency added a long history\u00a0in\u00a0trade printing. COSCO brought\u00a0expertise\u00a0in customized rubber stamps and engraved signs. Label Works expanded our capabilities in all things label related. Together, those businesses formed the foundation of\u00a0Navitor\u00a0as a unified trade-only print partner for resellers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The name \u201cNavitor\u201d comes from the idea of navigation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n From the start, the name was meant to suggest guidance, direction, and the role of pathfinder. It also reflects two qualities that continue to shape our business: innovation and technology. That meaning still fits. Our role has long been to help resellers find the right path forward \u2013 in print, in production, and now in connected ordering and eCommerce.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Our history is tied to the history of print itself.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In a look back at\u00a0nearly 80\u00a0years of print history, there have been some major milestones that shaped the industry alongside our own evolution. The timeline includes:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We began as a trade-only wholesale printer serving resellers, and that\u00a0remains\u00a0a core part of who we are. We support distributors, print brokers, designers, marketing\u00a0companies\u00a0and other resellers with\u00a0<\/span>custom print products<\/span><\/b>\u00a0across business identity, marketing, labeling, signage, office use, and more.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But our solution set has grown.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Today, our business reflects a more technology-first approach to print \u2013 one that includes traditional wholesale print ordering but also web-to-print ordering, company\u00a0eStores, Print on Demand capabilities and broader\u00a0<\/span>eCommerce support<\/span><\/a>\u00a0for resellers. Our solutions help resellers serve customers who want to order branded print online, support resellers who want online ordering on their own\u00a0websites, and\u00a0give resellers the ability to place orders online on behalf of their customers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n That shift mirrors broader changes in the industry.\u00a0Print has become faster, more connected and more responsive to how customers actually buy.\u00a0Smaller runs. Faster turns. Online storefronts. Branded ordering portals. Less inventory. More flexibility. Print on Demand has become a meaningful part of that story, and our acquisitions and advancements have\u00a0greatly added\u00a0to our company\u2019s broader POD and software capabilities.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n New tools, same purpose. The tools keep changing. The purpose\u00a0does\u00a0not.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Wilmer is also an important part of the\u00a0<\/span>Navitor<\/span>\u00a0story. Celebrating its 100-year anniversary this year, Wilmer has been serving businesses since 1926, specializing in\u00a0<\/span><\/span>checks<\/span><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>forms<\/span><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>envelopes<\/span><\/span>,\u00a0<\/span><\/span>prescription products<\/span><\/span>, and other business services print. As Wilmer products became available through Navitor.com,\u00a0<\/span>Navitor<\/span>\u00a0resellers gained access to more of these essential categories, while Wilmer dealers gained access to a wider range of products, online ordering capabilities, self-service tools, and expanded sales and marketing resources through\u00a0<\/span>Navitor\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0platform.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Over time, our\u00a0reseller\u00a0supporting role has also expanded beyond catalogs, flyers, and product access.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Today, we increasingly show up as a source of guidance for resellers who want to grow with print. That includes thought-leadership and sales-enablement content such as our\u00a0<\/span>Industries, Margin Potential, and Reorder Behavior in Print<\/span><\/a>\u00a0report, which maps industries to product opportunities, highlights margin potential, shares reorder insights, and outlines vertical bundle playbooks. The point is simple: help resellers understand what to sell first, what to do\u00a0next\u00a0and what is most likely to turn into repeatable business.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In other words, we are not just here to print the order. We are here to help resellers make better decisions about the next one too.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Our history reflects\u00a0nearly eight\u00a0decades of change across print technology, production methods, and the way print is bought and sold.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n From a family-room business in 1948 to the Navitor brand in 2008 to the connected print solutions we offer today, our story has always been about adaptation. Print changed. Customer expectations\u00a0changed. Technology\u00a0changed. We changed with it.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.navitor.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/CCStartImage-Blog.jpg\")
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\nGlen Taylor started working at Carlson Wedding Service\u00a0in 1959 when he was a college student.\u00a0He purchased the company in 1975, marking the beginning of Taylor Corporation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nHow\u00a0<\/span>Navitor<\/span>\u00a0was formed<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.navitor.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/NavitorSignProductImage-Blog.jpg\")
<\/h3>\nWhere our name comes from<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Our roots are in print \u2013 and so is our future<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.navitor.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/PrintingHistory-Blog-1.jpg\")
<\/h2>\nFrom wholesale printer to connected print partner<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.navitor.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WilmerChecksForms-Blog.jpg\")
<\/h2>\nHow Wilmer expanded the story<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.navitor.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WhoBuysWhatinPrintReport-Blog.jpg\")
<\/h2>\nMore than products<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.navitor.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/ConnectedPrinter-Blog-2.jpg\")
<\/h2>\nLooking back \u2013 and ahead<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n