The 1990s began another transformation for yearbooks; digital photography expanded the possibilities for print products. When electronic page composition replaced the decades-old cut-and-paste method in the late 1970s, Taylor again led the way with computerized copy preparation, followed by the first desktop publishing software for yearbooks before making its next leap into the company you know today. The advent of desktop publishing and. All-color yearbooks and online publishing software have forever changed how yearbooks are produced.
In late 1996, Balfour combined with CJC Holdings, Inc. to become part of a new company, Commemorative Brands, Inc. Then, in July of 2010, American Achievement Corporation (AAC) leveraged the reputations of both Taylor Publishing and Balfour to begin marketing and selling on-campus under one master brand: Balfour. March of 2021 saw the investor group Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. ("Cerberus") — became the majority equity holder of the Company. The company is equipped to focus on executing its strategy, including ongoing digital reinvention, production innovation, operational excellence, and strategic acquisitions to drive long-term growth.
Our aspirations to continually improve Balfour and its products led us to produce championship rings. Since then, Balfour has become known as the “Choice of Champions” because of our excellent quality and design services. We have created Super Bowl rings for the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys, World Series Champions, New York Yankees, and Stanley Cup Champions, New York Rangers, as well as countless high school state and collegiate champions across the country.
Balfour & Co. combines the proud history of its brands with the goal of connecting students and schools at an even deeper level in the future. With recent product introductions like Encore™, the industry’s first full-feature HTML5 software for yearbook creation, along with the launch of our new school and student enrichment program called THRIVE, we’re fully dedicated to product innovation and student engagement like never before. Unrolling for 2023 is our industry leading “VividPrint” which revolutionizes the printing game with accurate skin tones and even more green practices than before.