Top 40 supplier Ennis (asi/52493) announced total sales of $94.6 million for the first quarter ended May 31, a 4.6% year-over-year increase from $90.4 million. Gross profit margin for continuing operations was $29.9 million for the quarter, or 31.6%, up from $26.7 million (29.5%) for the same quarter last year. Diluted earnings per share for print operations were $0.31, compared to $0.26 for the fiscal first quarter of 2016. The company generated EBITDA of $16.1 million from its print operations this year, compared to $13.8 million for the same quarter last year, an increase of 16.6%.

Ennis sold Alstyle Apparel (asi/34817) to Gildan Activewear (asi/56842) in May 2016, and its print division now accounts for the company’s continuing operations. Ennis acquired Independent Printing Company in January 2017, which has offered it a deeper foothold into sales of presentation folders, checks and wide-format and commercial printing.

“We are pleased with the operational performance during the first quarter,” said Ennis CEO Keith Walters. “The integration of our most recent acquisition, Independent Printing Company, is coming along nicely. Its operations for the quarter added approximately $9.7 million in sales and $0.03 to our diluted earnings per share.”

After Ennis effectively discontinued its apparel operations last year, earnings were $0.10 per diluted share and combined earnings for both continued and discontinued operations were $0.36 per diluted share for the quarter ending May 31, 2016. Net loss from the sale of apparel operations, net of tax, was $26.0 million, or $1.01 per diluted share for that quarter, Ennis said.

Walters added that on March 1, the company changed the remaining useful lives of its trade names from indefinite-life to definite-life, which decreased quarterly financial results by $0.01 per diluted share. Ennis’ board increased the quarterly dividend rate from $0.175 per share to $0.20, a 14.3% rise, after taking into account the company’s cash position, debt level, anticipated cash flows and plans for future share repurchases and acquisitions.

Ennis recently reported $235 million in North American promotional products sales for fiscal year 2016.