Irvin J. Borowsky, Founder of North American Publishing Co., Dies at 90

By Melissa Campanelli

Irvin J. Borowsky, the publisher and philanthropist who founded North American Publishing Co. (NAPCO), the parent company of Retail Online Integration, died Nov. 25 in Philadelphia, a few days after his 90th birthday.

Known as "Mr. B," Borowsky was born in Philadelphia in 1924, the youngest of nine children born to Polish immigrants. At the age of 14, Borowsky started a printing business called City Wide Press after answering an ad in Popular Mechanics for a $5 printing press. His next company, founded after World War II, was called Foster Manufacturing Company, which sold custom storage equipment to major newspapers of the day. His first stint in publishing was a company, founded in 1948, that would become TV Guide.

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Melissa Campanelli Author's page Melissa Campanelli is Editor-in-Chief of Total Retail. She is an industry veteran, having covered all aspects of retail, tech, digital, e-commerce, and marketing over the past 20 years. Melissa is also the co-founder of the Women in Retail Leadership Circle.