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Berkshire Business Journal GILLIAN HECK
JUNE 2025 | VOL. 4, NO. 6
Designs on expansion Under a new CEO, Interprint retains focus on growth
By M aryjane Williams PITTSFIELD — In 2002, with a plethora
of auditing and accounting job experience in his back pocket, Manoj Vengalil moved to the United States from his hometown in India. He held a degree in mathematics and passed one of the most rigorous exams in India — the Chartered Accountant exam — but he strived for an American degree. So in 2003, Vengalil joined Interprint in Pittsfield to implement a System Applications and Products (SAP) system — and became a certified public accountant while doing so. Although he was initially hired for a one-year role, Vengalil soon became a permanent member of the Interprint finance team. Less than two years later, he was promoted to director of finance. He joined the executive team in 2009, and was appointed managing director in 2023, overseeing operations and finance alongside Bill Hines Jr., who led sales. Now, just over two decades after joining the decor printing company, Vengalil has been named chief executive officer of Interprint USA, assuming full leadership after Hines stepped down into an advisory position on April 1. “I’ve enjoyed working here from the very beginning,” Vengalil said. “It’s given me the opportunity to expand my potential.” INTERPRINT’S ROOTS IN PITTSFIELD Interprint was founded by Paul Wrede in 1969 as a decor printing offshoot of a German lamination company. The company then planted its first international roots in Pittsfield in 1985, with Lenox resident Bill Hines Sr. serving as CEO of the North American subsidiary located on Pecks Road. In 2006, the company moved to its current facility on state Route 41, where it has seen steady growth since. After four expansions, including a $30 million project that added 57,000 square feet of manufacturing space and 20 new jobs, the company has more than doubled its footprint — from 187,000 to 380,000 square feet. The facility also sports eight hightech printing machines to produce about 1,200 designs. It currently employs 182 people, and has plans to bring on more team members to support its expanded operations. “We are focusing on growth. We are focusing on the future. We are focusing on building our team,” Vengalil said. “So over the last 40 years, we invested roughly, $150 million to $160 million into new machines, technology, softwares. “Investing is the mindset, investing in people, investing in capacities,” he said. “So [we] were able to meet the customers’ needs over the years, and
PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE ZOLLSHAN
Manoj Vengalil has been appointed as the new CEO of Interprint’s Pittsfield manufacturing plant. “We are focusing on growth,” he said. “We are focusing on the future.”
Interprint was established in 1985 as the German company’s first expansion. Initially on Pecks Road, the company moved to its current location on state Route 41 in 2006, where it has nearly doubled its footprint — from 187,000 to 380,000 square feet. become the leader in the industry.” Interprint has also expanded its global reach, with production and sales of-
fices in Germany, Brazil, China, India, Italy, Malaysia, Poland, Russia, Spain, South Africa and Turkey. In 2019, it was
acquired by the Toppan Inc. of Japan. “[Our] different cultures, different values and different beliefs create an ecosystem,” Vengalil said. “Each time we meet, we create an experience together. So we can make it fun, we can energize, we can inspire together, and we create together. That’s the value.” However, with a majority of the company’s clients situated in the United States, the Pittsfield location remains an integral part of the company’s DNA and its role in the local economy. “We [are] a true partner with the city, and we [are] grateful for the city’s support,” Vengalil said, noting the tax increment finance agreement Pittsfield gave Interprint for the last expansion. “We want to be a true player in the in the local community, a good employer. I always say that the happiest employees in the area [are] working for Interprint.” ‘BRIGHT FUTURE FOR THIS INDUSTRY’ Interprint specializes in printing decorative laminate and vinyl layers used INTERPRINT, Page 4