Talient Action Group (tag creative print) started over 35 years ago. It's hard to believe. While many print shops found it difficult to compete with the online national retailers, TAG found it a privilege to offer more. Everyone wants the best price - that's easy. What's can be difficult is the service, the aggressive technology offerings, the marketing driven intelligence, the complexities of today's print marketer. Our focus being on our clients has driven us to excel in these areas.
Being based in New Hampshire is a significant benefit to our clients. Several long-standing printers, businesses we respected and worked alongside for decades, are gone. Owners who built their companies over 30, 40... 70 years are retiring. Shops are closing. Others have been sold and the work shiftd to out of state firms. It's already negatively affected a lot of NH businesses.
Many of us at Talient Action Group grew up professionally with these owners. We served together in organizations like the New Hampshire Graphic Arts Association decades ago. We shared ideas, solved problems, competed fairly, and supported one another whenever we needed it - lending some equipment, borrowing a cup of sugar. With high capital costs and equipment reliance - print owners and teams knew you had to help each other when in need.
The decision of these owners to sell to out of stat entities is understandable. This is what a full career looks like. Congrats! Enjoy your retirement - it's well deserved.
What we care about now are the clients left behind - businesses that suddenly have to figure out where their print goes next, often without much guidance or notice, and sometimes without realizing what they’re giving up in the process.
When a Printer Closes, Clients Are Forced to Decide - Quickly
When a shop shuts its doors or moves out of state, most businesses don’t set out to change partners. They’re simply trying to keep things moving.
A rep relocates to Massachusetts. A new company takes over. Files are transferred. And before long, print is being produced out of state - not because it was the best decision, but because it was the path of least resistance.
That’s where we want NH businesses to pause. Not because Massachusetts printers are “bad.” Not because we want to take advantage of a difficult moment. But because these transitions often carry consequences that aren’t obvious until later.
What Changes When Your Print Leaves New Hampshire
When print production moves out of state—even just over the border—here’s what we regularly see:
Higher total costs driven by increased labor, real estate, and operating overhead out-of-state
Longer turnaround times and less flexibility when timelines shift, simply due to travel time
Shipping and logistics costs that quietly grow over time
A new relationship you didn’t choose, but inherited
Less influence when something needs to change fast
While NH businesses don’t pay sales tax on printed materials shipped in from Massachusetts, the higher cost structure still applies. In practice, print projects produced out of state often cost 15–20% more.
And This Is Where Relationships Matter
Print is often treated like a commodity, until something goes wrong, something changes, or something really needs to work.
A real print relationship means someone is thinking beyond “Can we print this?” and asking:
Does this design actually function for how it will be used?
Is the format right for mailing, handling, or display?
Can costs be reduced without hurting effectiveness?
What technology can be implemented to reduce headaches, improve workflow, and more?
It means knowing who to call, and knowing they’ll answer.
You can’t get that from an online checkout or a distant production facility. You get it from people who understand your business, your history, and your pressure points.
Technology Is Essential—but It Can’t Replace People
Modern print should absolutely be powered by technology:
Web2Print for fast, decentralized ordering
Brand control and file management
Proofing and approval workflows
Data-driven and integrated marketing support
But technology should support the relationship, not replace it.
Print is physical. It affects budgets, timelines, and marketing return. Whether it’s operational print that keeps your business running or customer-facing materials that drive revenue, the decisions behind it matter.
Transparency Still Matters in Print
Another reality we see often, especially with large online providers, is hidden cost.
Shipping that appears inexpensive is frequently built into product pricing. It allows a consumer to "feel efficient" without added costs, but the gimmicks of falsely lowered shipping embedded in product pricing means you’re still paying for it - just without clarity.
A true print partner helps you understand:
How to buy print more strategically
Where money is actually being spent
How to reduce waste and increase return
That level of transparency comes from trust, not transactions.
Our Commitment Is to Our NH Businesses, Our Neighbors
Talient Action Group is a major printer based in Southern New Hampshire, and we’ve been here for the long haul. We’ve invested in advanced print production, marketing technologies, Web2Print platforms, and data-driven campaign automation - not to replace relationships, but to strengthen them.
As other local printers close or move on, we want NH businesses to know:
You have choices
You own your artwork and files
You don’t have to follow your print out of state just because it feels automatic
If files need to be recreated or optimized, we’ll do that. If processes need to be rethought, we’ll help. Our goal isn’t to “win” business, it’s to make sure NH companies are supported, informed, and protected as the industry changes.
Because print has always been about relationships.
And right now, those relationships matter more than ever.