MCDM Productions and Walsworth: American Company Seeks American Printer

MCDM Productions, a company that produces tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) books, began their adventure with a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign in early 2018. Founded by Matthew Colville, a renowned writer, game designer and Dungeon Master (the role of coordinating and running Dungeons & Dragons campaigns), the company’s first Kickstarter raised over $2 million dollars to produce their first D&D companion book, Strongholds & Followers. The campaign’s massive success allowed Colville to leave his writing job and lead MCDM Productions full-time. You can learn more about MCDM’s exciting story on their website.

Following Strongholds & Followers, the company launched another successful Kickstarter campaign, this time developing a second companion book titled Kingdoms & Warfare. This time, MCDM Productions wanted to partner with a printing company that reflected their own values; ethical sourcing, employee-focused and above all, owned and operated in the United States. That’s why in 2020, MCDM Productions and Walsworth entered into a partnership that has produced tens of thousands of high-quality books, with more on the horizon.

What MCDM Productions Was Looking For

Geoff, General Manager at MCDM Productions, emphasized this point, saying, “We’re an American company, we prefer to print in the country. It’s really important to us for a whole variety of reasons.” For MCDM, printing domestically is about more than just location—it’s a reflection of their dedication to quality and responsible business practices. “We take employee compensation and benefits, and ethics behind paper source and ink seriously,” Geoff explained. “Some of that you don’t get when you go other places. Getting the lowest price is not our priority – it’s about how everything is sourced and put together, and the overall customer service experience.”

MCDM’s game books are designed to be used as reference materials, meaning quality and durability are paramount. “These are books that people are going to use as a reference manual for many years,” Geoff noted. “They’re kind of like yearbooks. We’re looking for something that’s going to last a very long time – that’s the expectation of our customers.” With a devoted fanbase consisting of dedicated tabletop gamers, MCDM needs a printer that can deliver high-quality books that withstand heavy use.

Walsworth’s Commitment to Timeliness

Another critical aspect of their partnership with Walsworth is the ability to handle reorders efficiently. In 2020, MCDM faced the challenge of placing large orders due to supply chain disruptions. “Being able to be responsive to reorders is crucial,” Geoff shared. “Storage will eat you alive these days. Instead of ordering books all at once and having to store them, ordering a few thousand books a few times a year works better for us.” Walsworth’s flexibility in managing production and their ability to ship quickly to MCDM’s warehouses in Florida and Los Angeles has been a major advantage.

“Our experience working with Walsworth has been positive,” Geoff said. “Our customers have been very happy, and the process has been relatively painless – payment terms, quick turnaround.” MCDM Productions values how quickly Walsworth can deliver, compared to overseas printers where production and shipping times can be extensive. “Downtime or being out of stock is really rough,” Geoff said. “When you print in Europe, it can take weeks or months. When we print with you guys, it gets there in days.”

What Makes Our Partnership Successful

The combination of high-quality printing, ethical business practices and timely service has made Walsworth a trusted partner for MCDM Productions. Geoff concluded with a piece of advice for others in his industry: “Spend the extra dollar for something somebody might have on their shelf for twenty years. These aren’t newspapers that people just throw away – they’re reference manuals that people might use for decades.” For MCDM Productions, working with Walsworth means ensuring their products are made to last and reflect the same values their company stands for.

Learn More About What Walsworth Can Do for You

Our four state-of-the-art printing facilities located strategically across the Midwest allow us to offer competitive pricing and turnaround times to publishers across the United States and Canada. If you’re a publisher looking to print durable, high-quality game books, get in touch with us today.