manufacturer

Friesens Corporation

Based in Manitoba · Canada

Friesens Corporation is a book manufacturer and printer located in Altona, Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1907, it is an employee-owned company specializing in printing trade books, yearbooks, and history books for publishers, schools, and organizations across North America.

Visit website

About

Friesens Corporation, established in 1907 in Altona, Manitoba, is a leading Canadian book manufacturer and printing company. As one of the largest employee-owned companies in Canada, Friesens operates with a core philosophy centered on craftsmanship, community building, and customer success. The company specializes in producing a range of printed materials, including trade books for publishers, yearbooks for schools, and custom history books for various organizations. Situated in the heart of North America, Friesens is strategically positioned to serve clients throughout Canada and the United States. Their state-of-the-art facilities are complemented by a dedicated team of employee-owners who are committed to quality and service. The company's services encompass the entire production process, from prepress and technical support to printing, binding, storage, and fulfillment. This integrated approach, combined with over a century of experience, allows Friesens to help authors, publishers, and schools share their stories through the power of print.

Products

Three books displayed with maple‑leaf shaped awards arranged in front of them.

Trade Books

Friesens imprime des livres de commerce pour les maisons d'édition, les aidant à développer leurs activités. L'entreprise soutient les auteurs, qu'ils soient débutants ou établis, dans le partage de leurs histoires.

Printing trade books is a passion at Friesens, where the focus is on helping book publishers grow their business and authors share their best stories with the world. As a premier book manufacturer, Friesens partners with publishers across North America, leveraging its central location in Manitoba for efficient distribution throughout Canada and the USA. The company understands that every author has a unique story to tell and considers it an honour to help every step of the way. Whether for a first-time author sharing their story or a book publisher looking to grow their business, the team of employee-owners at Friesens is committed to delivering fine craftsmanship. The founding philosophy, "We will be successful if our customers are successful," drives every project, ensuring the final product meets the highest standards of the publishing industry.
Friesens partners with book publishers to help grow their business by providing high-quality printing and manufacturing services, supported by a dedicated team of project specialists and sales representatives.
Yes, Friesens helps authors share their story for the first time, providing guidance every step of the way through the printing and production process.
Yearbook advisor seated at a desk with a laptop, notes, and a coffee cup while reviewing pages.

Yearbooks

Friesens aide les étudiants et les écoles à capturer et à partager leurs souvenirs de lycée grâce à la production d'annuaires scolaires. L'entreprise offre un soutien et des conseils aux conseillers responsables des annuaires.

Creating yearbooks is a core service at Friesens, focused on helping students capture and share their high school memories. The company recognizes the crucial role of yearbook advisors and understands that their work, while hard, is incredibly worth it. Friesens positions itself as a partner to schools across North America, offering expertise and craftsmanship to produce high-quality yearbooks that will become treasured keepsakes. The Friesens team, as employee-owners, is driven by the mission of helping others share their best story. This commitment is reflected in the quality of every yearbook produced, ensuring that students' memories are preserved in a professional and lasting format. By focusing on service and craftsmanship, Friesens ensures that the experience of creating a yearbook is as satisfying as the final book itself.
Friesens acknowledges that advising is hard and provides support to help advisors guide students through the yearbook creation process, ensuring a smooth experience and a quality final product.
History Books

History Books

Friesens se spécialise dans l'impression de livres d'histoire pour les communautés, les familles, les services de police/pompiers et les entreprises. L'entreprise combine des récits et des photos avec une impression et une reliure de qualité supérieure pour créer des souvenirs durables.

With a history dating back to 1907, Friesens understands the importance of preserving the past. The company is committed to helping organizations and families preserve their history for generations by producing high-quality history books. This service caters to a wide range of clients, including communities, families, police and fire departments, as well as for corporate or military histories. The employee-owners at Friesens are committed to combining customer stories and photos with superior print and binding technology. The result is a book that is designed to be cherished for years, a tangible testament to an organization's or family's legacy. By focusing on fine craftsmanship, Friesens ensures that each history book is not just a record of memories but also a durable and beautifully crafted product.
Friesens creates history books for a variety of clients, including communities, families, police/fire departments, corporations, and military organizations.
Friesens uses superior print and binding technology to ensure that each history book is a durable product that will be cherished for years to come.

Services

Wendy, a Friesens employee-owner since 1994

Prepress & Quality Assurance

Friesens offre un support technique de prépresse pour garantir que les projets d'impression respectent des normes de qualité élevées. Leur département de prépresse utilise un système de flux de travail Prinergy et prend en charge les logiciels de publication assistée par ordinateur standards de l'industrie.

Friesens' Prepress and Quality Assurance service is foundational to ensuring excellence in every print project. The team provides expert technical support to ensure customer files are set up correctly for superior end products. The heart of the Prepress department is Prinergy, a single-page PDF-based workflow system that handles all job aspects, including PDF file creation, proof output (both virtual and paper-based), and final plate output for the press. The department utilizes both Macintosh and Windows environments and can handle recent versions of industry-standard desktop publishing software. This quality assurance service is designed to give customers peace of mind, knowing their projects are being handled with precision and meticulous attention to detail to meet the highest standards of quality.
Prinergy is the core workflow system in Friesens' Prepress department. It is a single-page, PDF-based system that handles the entire process from file creation and proofing to final plate output for the press.
Friesens' Prepress department utilizes both Macintosh and Windows and can handle recent versions of industry-standard desktop publishing software.
A group of people doing a press check in a book manufacturing facility

Press Checks

Friesens invite les clients à visiter leurs installations pour des bons à tirer (press checks) sur presse. L'entreprise met à disposition un salon client et des suites modernes pour les séjours d'une nuit afin de faciliter le processus.

As part of its full-service experience, Friesens welcomes customers for onsite press checks at their state-of-the-art facilities in Altona. This service allows clients to ensure their print project meets their exact standards for precision and quality before full production. To make the visit comfortable and productive, Friesens provides exceptional hospitality. Customers have access to a comfortable customer lounge and modern customer suites for overnight stays. These accommodations are equipped with workspaces, Wi-Fi, a kitchenette, and laundry facilities. Customers interested in a press check are encouraged to contact their sales or customer service representative to discuss their project details and learn how to make the most of their visit. Friesens also provides a guide on "The Friesens Way to Effective Press Checks" to help clients maximize their time on site.
Friesens offers modern customer suites for overnight stays, which include workspaces, Wi-Fi, a kitchenette, laundry facilities, and a common area. A customer lounge is also available.
To schedule a press check, you should contact your Friesens sales or customer service representative to discuss your project details and arrange your visit.
friesens supplies warehouse

Storage & Fulfillment

Friesens propose des services de stockage et de distribution, gérés via son portail en ligne MyBooks. Les clients peuvent suivre leurs stocks, consulter l'historique des commandes et passer des ordres d'expédition pour des livres individuels, des cartons ou des palettes.

Friesens' fulfillment services provide a comprehensive solution for inventory management and shipping. Through the MyBooks online portal, customers gain 24/7 access to their data, allowing them to track their inventory in real-time, view order history, and place new orders with ease. This centralized platform simplifies post-production logistics. Customers have complete flexibility in how their books are shipped, whether individually, by the carton, or by the skid. Furthermore, Friesens accommodates customer shipping preferences by offering a variety of services, including Canada Post, USPS, ground or air courier, and truck transport. This integrated service is designed to provide publishers and authors with an efficient and cost-effective solution for storing and delivering their printed materials.
You can track your inventory 24/7 through the Friesens MyBooks online portal, which also allows you to view order history and place new orders.
You can determine your preferred shipping service. Options include Canada Post, USPS, ground or air courier, or truck.
friesens mybooks company

MyBooks Online Portal

MyBooks est le portail de gestion d'impression en ligne de Friesens. Il permet aux utilisateurs d'obtenir des devis, de comparer les prix, de gérer la logistique d'expédition et de suivre les commandes.

The Friesens MyBooks portal is a centralized online platform designed to streamline the entire print procurement process for publishers. This invaluable tool allows users to access quotes for printing services, easily compare pricing options, and select the best fit for their needs and budget. Beyond quoting, the portal integrates features to manage shipping logistics, enabling users to track and coordinate the delivery of their printed materials. It also simplifies inventory management and order placement for fulfillment services. By consolidating these functions, from obtaining quotes to handling shipping and fulfillment, the MyBooks portal serves as an efficient and cost-effective resource for clients seeking to optimize their print management.
Key features include accessing quotes, comparing pricing, managing shipping logistics, tracking deliveries, and managing inventory for fulfillment services.
Yes, the portal is described as an invaluable tool for publishers seeking efficient and cost-effective print solutions, simplifying the entire print management process.

Industries served

  • Book Publishers
  • Schools
  • Authors
  • Organizations
  • Community Groups
  • Police/Fire Departments
  • Corporate
  • Military

What sets us apart

  • Employee-Owned Corporation
  • History since 1907
  • Located in the heart of North America for Canada & USA distribution
  • State-of-the-art facilities
  • Commitment to craftsmanship and community
  • Full-service experience from prepress to fulfillment
  • Onsite hospitality for press checks

Frequently asked questions

Friesens is located in Altona, Manitoba, Canada. Due to its location at the heart of the continent, the company is well-positioned to serve customers anywhere in Canada and the USA.
Being an employee-owned company means the people who work there own a part of the company. At Friesens, this model has evolved since the 1950s and is central to their culture, fostering strong employee engagement in the success of the company and its customers.
Friesens specializes in printing trade books for publishers, yearbooks for schools, and history books for various organizations and families.
Friesens was founded in 1907 by D.W. Friesen in Altona, Manitoba, as a general store. The company grew over the decades to become one of the largest employee-owned companies in Canada, with over 600 people and a specialization in book printing.
Yes, Friesens welcomes customers for press checks. They offer a comfortable customer lounge and modern customer suites for overnight stays to ensure a comfortable and productive visit.

Similar companies