Ep 48: Reinventing Print Without Losing Identity with Al Kennickel

What does it take for a print company founded in 1892 to keep evolving without losing what made it successful in the first place?

In this episode of Taktiful Tuesdays, Eric Vessels sits down with Al Kennickel, President of the Kennickel Group in Savannah, Georgia, for a conversation about reinvention, leadership, curiosity, and staying ahead in a changing print industry.

Al shares the story of joining the family business, buying it in 1981, and leading its growth far beyond traditional print into wide format, digital printing, fulfillment, and digital embellishments. He also talks about what it really means to invest in new technology, why experimentation matters, and how printers can create competitive advantage by doing what others cannot.

They also get into:
• lessons from the Citadel and college football
• why wide format changed the business
• what makes digital embellishment different from other print investments
• how to know the difference between strategy and a shiny object
• the importance of peer groups, curiosity, and shared knowledge
• why having fun still matters after decades in business

This episode is a masterclass in how to keep pushing forward while staying true to who you are.

#TaktifulTuesdays #PrintInnovation #DigitalEmbellishment #WideFormat #PrintingIndustry #Leadership