TANGIBLE IMPACT
VOLUME 6, ISSUE 3
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PUBLISHER’S NOTE
Our cover story “Tangible Impact,” delves into the evolving role and enduring relevance of print in an increasingly digital landscape.
At Fujifilm, we are proud to be a supporting actor in this dynamic play. We firmly believe that print has never been more impactful and has the potential to be the star in creating unforgettable experiences.
Drawing inspiration from the versatility and resilience of print, we recognize the incredible role that each of us plays as leaders in this great industry. Successful individuals often don’t meticulously plan every step of their journey; instead, they embody a unique philosophy or attitude that guides them. They act their way through situations, discover shortcuts to success, and seize opportunities as they arise.
Taking a cue from print, I think there is an incredible role for all of us as leaders in this great industry. We develop unique philosophies or attitudes that work for us, adlibbing our way across strategies and finding paths to success.
At Fujifilm, we define success as achieving something meaningful and worthwhile—reaching a destination that instills pride and fulfillment. Our mission is to bring smiles to our clients’
faces, a role we eagerly embrace. By blending innovation with tradition, we strive to elevate print’s role in the modern world, ensuring it remains a vital and vibrant medium for communication and creativity.
As you explore this issue, we hope you find inspiration in the stories and insights shared within. Let’s continue to champion the power of print and embrace our roles with enthusiasm and dedication. Together, we can shape a future where print not only coexists with digital advancements but also thrives as an essential component of our collective narrative.
We develop unique philosophies or attitudes that work for us, ad-libbing our way across strategies and finding paths to success.”
Enjoy this issue of the awardwinning print illustrated and please be sure to share your story with us. Thank you for your continued support and we wish you all the best.
Warmest regards, Mark Friedman
Vice President of Marketing, FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Communication Division
02 04 06 10 14
INK SPOTS
Tactics, stats, and trends that matter
ALL IN THE FAMILY
How Wasatch Back Signarama’s relationship with Fujifilm continues to pay dividends
TANGIBLE IMPACT
Retaining and retraining staff for the emerging landscape
FUTURE-PROOFING YOUR PRINT BUSINESS
A guide to digital transformation
EYE ON THE FUTURE
How the ACUITY Ultra Hybrid LED is helping extend Dynamic Dies’ legacy of innovation
ONE-ON-ONE WITH ED CHALIFOUX
President, Printing Industry Association of the South (PIAS)
print illustrated is published quarterly by FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Communication Division
Copyright 2024
All rights reserved
INKS/COATING
Fujifilm SUPERIA LH-PL thermal plates SCREENING Fujifilm 175 line Co-Res Screening
Outside cover prints 4/c process HUV ink plus overall Gloss Aqueous Coating.
Managing Editor Greg Pas, FUJIFILM
Conduit, Inc. conduit-inc.com PRESS Komori GL 840 PLATES
Inside cover and body prints 4/c process HUV ink plus overall Satin Aqueous Coating.
Creative and Editorial Direction
INK SPOTS
Tactics,
stats and trends that matter
B2B THOUGHT BUBBLES
How strategic B2B marketing thinkers of today compare to those of tomorrow
WHAT THEY ARE DOING TODAYWHAT THEY WILL BE DOING TOMORROW
Allocating budgets across many channels/activities
23% PAID MEDIA
21% CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT
18% EVENTS & SPONSORSHIPS
Reassessing organizational structure and their teams’ skills
MORE THAN 4 IN 10 say their organization underwent a reorganization.
Pursuing new customers instead of investing in existing relationships
60/40 SPLIT
Prioritizing budget allocation and resources with company goals
NEARLY
1 IN 10
With many competing demands, marketers must be able to prioritize their efforts to meet their goals, ensuring their teams’ efforts are in line with their budget spend.
Building the teams they need to compete in crowded marketplaces
67% OF CMOS
More than 4 in 10 respondents say their organization underwent a reorganization in 2023, and 67% of CMOs say it is likely they will undergo a reorganization this year. Marketing teams can take advantage of these changes to build the teams they need to compete in a crowded marketplace.
Taking a balanced approach that combines customer acquisition and retention strategies
The optimal balance between acquiring new customers and retaining existing ones will vary for each company and may evolve over time, but maintaining a balanced approach to customer acquisition and retention is key. To do so, regularly reassess priorities, monitor key metrics and stay adaptable to market dynamics.
B2B ALL YOU CAN BE
The opportunity cost to B2B corporations resulting from underleveraging marketing is too great to ignore. B2B is actually half the world economy, yet only a fraction of total marketing spend. According to LinkedIn’s 2023 B2B Marketing Benchmark Report, it’s time to elevate your B2B marketing to its full potential.
The study focuses on both challenges and opportunities faced by senior-level B2B marketers and leaders, including CMOs, CFOs, and director-level marketing professionals.
FOCUS ON A FULL-FUNNEL APPROACH
» B rand Building: 6 in 10 B2B marketing leaders note the C-suite’s recognition of brand building as crucial, leading to increased spending on brand awareness.
» L ead Generation: Continues to be the top priority, with 37% of marketing budgets allocated to business development on average in the U.S.
Print companies need marketing
UPSKILL YOUR ORGANIZATION
» Key Skills: Creative strategy, marketing technology/data analytics mastery, problemsolving, and innovative thinking are top skills needed for success.
» S oft Skills: Communication is identified as the #1 non-creative skill added to marketers’ LinkedIn profiles in 2023.
» S torytelling: Winning the future is rooted in compelling storytelling, complemented by technological advances.
BLENDING OFFLINE AND ONLINE EXPERIENCES
» B alanced Strategy: Investing in a mix of strategies, including brand awareness (32%), demand generation (21%), and accountbased marketing (11%), is essential for longterm growth.
Sources: Elevation B2B Marketing Report (Elevation B2B)
Circle S Studio Report Highlights (circle S studio) SMK Social Media Knowledge ([SMK] Social Media Knowledge)
» I n-Person Events: Cited as the most effective B2B marketing channel at 21%, followed by thought leadership at 20%.
» L everage Channels: Video (59%), thought leadership (57%), and display ads (50%) are also highly effective channels.
B ritopian Insights (Michael Brito)
CI ENCE Analysis (CIENCE Leads)
ALL IN THE FAMILY
How Wasatch Back Signarama’s relationship with Fujifilm continues to pay dividends
Spencer Coleman was five years old the first time he stepped into the sign shop his mother and father ran in Wasatch Back, Utah. By the time he officially assumed the reins of the family owned company (he was 24), Coleman had worked on and off in Wasatch Back Signarama, learning the ins and outs of every aspect of the business.
Today, the full-service sign center tucked away in a small mountain community surrounded by highend ski resorts employs the latest technology and highest quality of products to produce custom signs. Wasatch Back Signarama handles everything from simple business cards to custom monument signs, including banners, business and directory signs, custom graphics, logos and signs, custom letters, trade show signs and displays, vehicle graphics and wraps, window decals, and more.
The Challenge
The Wasatch Back Signarama team had been running their jobs, as Coleman describes, the “old school” way. For example, as the Wasatch Back Signarama team would run prints on their old roll-toroll printer, they often would have to wait overnight for them to dry to laminate. “We were losing lots of money in both time and materials. Running the various machines involved in printing, laminating and applying signs were hard to run. They took a lot more training to get
employees to feel confident with it. We ended up needing almost three full-time employees to run that area of our business.”
While they continued to find ways to be efficient and effective with what they had, including outsourcing some of the work, Coleman knew it was time for a better, more efficient solution. “When I looked at what we wanted the future of the company to be, I knew we had to find a more technological efficient solution. We wanted to be the company that was
at the front line of the industry in our area and be able to meet every expectation our customers had.”
The Solution
To help hit those milestone markers, the Wasatch Back Signarama team started looking into equipment alternatives. Since it already had a Fujifilm flatbed printer, they were familiar with the superior customer service and product quality it offered. So, when they were shopping for a new machine, they didn’t look at anyone else.
“We talked with friends in the industry and heard all about the love and frustrations they were having with their prints. At the end of the day, we felt we just wanted to keep with the family we knew and love, which was Fujifilm. We have a great relationship. My printer operator loves troubleshooting over the phone with the Fujifilm techs when we have issues. And I am able to pick up the phone any time of the day. When they are here doing service, they go above and beyond asking questions and really make sure the Acuity Prime is doing everything it is meant to do. And now, where we had to use three people to run the prior
machine, we have one that runs both the printer and the cutter.”
The Results
Right off the jump, the FUJIFILM ACUITY PRIME TM solved many of the issues Wasatch Back Signarama had with laminating prints. It saved hours a day in the print speeds, exceeding every need and want they put in front of it. “We are able to produce simple real estate signs and political signs about 10 times faster, if not more,” Coleman says. “We are able to do rush jobs with ease and take on a number of jobs that we never could do in house before.”
We are able to produce simple real estate signs and political signs about 10 times faster, if not more. We are able to do rush jobs with ease and take on a number of jobs that we never could do in house before.”
— Spencer Coleman, President, Wasatch Back Signarama
One of the features the Wasatch Back Signarama team is enjoying is the ACUITY PRIME’s ability to print white ink. “Not having white ink these days really puts you behind. We also really like the finished look of the
AT A GLANCE
The Challenge
Wasatch Back Signarama needed a more efficient, technologically advanced solution to overcome inefficiencies and stay competitive.
The Solution
To improve efficiency, Wasatch Back Signarama chose FUJIFILM equipment for its quality and customer service, reducing staffing from three to one.
printer. It is very well-designed to both look good and function at the highest level. It’s the little things, like having a space to keep the cleaning supplies and then being able to cover them back up that is great. We have been able to have less mistakes and have been able to empower our employees to really enjoy running this equipment.”
And, as Coleman looks toward the future, the ACUITY PRIME keeps them push technological boundaries. “We love that we have the ability to upgrade the printer. Because we want this machine to get better, we will be able to have the Fujifilm team come out and upgrade it right in our shop.”
Coleman remembers a recent interaction with one of the company’s largest customers, a local hospital group, that helped solidify the decision he made on the ACUITY PRIME. “They are thrilled with their turnaround times. They know they can call when they need something right away. They know they can expect quality on their print jobs. All of our customers have enjoyed seeing the Acuity Prime run—marveling at what it can do. Everyone is enjoying this journey with us.”
The Results
The FUJIFILM ACUITY PRIME significantly improved efficiency, print quality, and customer satisfaction, enabling faster production, handling of rush jobs, and reduced errors.
A TANGIBLE IMPACT HOW PRINT LEAVES A MARK
s an outdoor enthusiast, Bryan Swift is a regular at REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.). You will never find him logging onto the outdoor retailer’s website or visiting a store without being prompted by what he saw in a catalog.
The direct mail piece offers him an opportunity to browse the retailer’s latest product selections. Truth be told, the catalog is far more convenient and practical than an email that admittedly may wind up in the trash folder.
Swift, President of Swift Print Communications, believes that a well-planned, cross platform marketing initiative with a relevant call to action is what engages consumers. “And by relevant, I mean don’t send me information about kayaking when I’m interested in camping. Years ago, I read a white paper about a vocational college mailing where
they described their demographic as young men 18 to 20 years old. They sent out a mailing for an open house or opportunity to win an ATV. The response rate was well over 90%. Even if 20% sign up for classes, the mailing more than paid for the ATV, as well as the cost of the campaign. You have to make your message relevant to your audience.”
Direct mail has incredible staying power. Some studies show it will remain with an individual for 17 days.”
— Clint Seckman, Co-owner/ President, Parkland Direct
In a landscape where everyone is doing anything to get their voices heard, print media offers a wealth of unique advantages to create memorable experiences over digital platforms. For example, Swift Communications, a digital media marketing company based in Carson City, Nevada, is working with one of its equipment/software partners on a pilot program that combines Augmented Reality (AR) with print pieces. During a recent Zoom demonstration, several participants used their phones to scan a QR code that popped up on the screen showcasing a rendering of the product.
“If you think about it, would you even open an email, especially if you had seen thousands of offers from the same brand?” Swift asks. “When you get a printed piece and your phone is handy, it’s easier to engage. In addition, a printed piece serves as a brand ambassador. Apple is known for the quality of their packaging. That’s not by chance; it’s by design. You want your customers and prospects to feel special when they engage with you.”
Swift and his team are continuing to work with its equipment/ software partner on AR mailing initiatives, which has resulted in case studies showcasing the results. One of the examples involves a major university, where the head football coach delivered a message from the school. His presentation came off as if he was addressing the recipient personally. “As we sat around and brainstormed, we came up with any number of applications across the vertical markets we serve. It’s something new and different, so we are anxious to see how it will be received with our production team and market. The technology is definitely in place to make this happen.”
If you think about it, would you even open an email, especially if you had seen thousands of offers from the same brand?”
— Bryan Swift, President, Swift Print Communications
As digital communication continues to take over our lives, Swift believes marketers must find better ways to be collaborative. “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there, does it make a sound? Any and all serious studies show that managed forests are healthier than unmanaged. Our challenge is marketing just how sustainable printing and forest management really is. One of the taglines on my emails is, ‘Print: The Original Green Communication,’
which I believe is true, although not popular.”
From foe to friend...
There is no argument that out of the gate, digital marketing was a major disrupter to the print industry. No matter how the industry tried to spin it, the competition was real, ominous and downright threatening. But, as the digital and print worlds moved forward, the two sides started to meld.
Take Parkland Direct. While the Forest, Virginia, litho print and envelope manufacturer mainly is involved in direct mail, it initially saw marketers shying away from physical mail replies from their customers.
But today? “There are nearly as many reply envelopes being produced and the mail packages typically are set up to drive the recipient to the web,” says Parkland President Clint Seckman. “Our
clients are stating that direct mail remains their top performing marketing channel through giving a physical touchpoint and being a great counter to digital burnout and fatigue. Both print and digital have their strengths and weaknesses, but being able to leverage the strengths of both makes for an extremely powerful marketing campaign.”
For example, a QR code or AR bridges the gap between the
physical, tangible aspects of direct mail to a digital platform seamlessly and easily. This continues to be an inexpensive and practical way to engage with consumers. QR codes continue to make tremendous strides. They are seamless to use through smartphones, trusted and people understand how to use them now.
“Incorporating this into a direct mail program allows us to very easily (and inexpensively) drive recipients to a digital platform,” Seckman says. “It is also an excellent way to track performance of direct mail campaigns—a way to hone in on what works and what doesn’t for long-term planning. AR brings a much higher level of interactivity to print and engages audiences to really help boost responses. It’s a perfect way to deliver your message through another touchpoint and build brands.”
In the end, as any marketer will attest, nothing compares to the tangible aspect that direct mail offers, and the trust and brand loyalty it delivers. “Direct mail has incredible staying power,” Seckman says. “Some studies show it will remain with an individual for 17 days. It requires less cognitive power to process print and people instinctively trust it more. People who receive a direct mail piece have a much higher memory recall of that brand than they do when receiving something digitally.”
In a time dominated by screens and digital interactions, the enduring allure of print remains a testament to its unique and irreplaceable value, proving time and again that its role is not steeped in past glory, but a vibrant, essential component of today’s marketing playbook—a role of a lifetime.
Your guide to digital transformation
n his book, “Why
Digital Transformations Fail: The Surprising Disciplines of How to Take Off and Stay Ahead,”
Tony Saldanha provides a behind-the-scenes peek into where digital transformations go wrong. The former VP for IT and Shared Services at Procter & Gamble writes that the failures are not so much the result of the aimed-for innovation or technology, but instead a lack of clear, defined goals and a disciplined process.
In Saldanha’s take on how business leaders can go from simply automating business processes to making digital technology the foundation of their companies, it is not hard to see where and how the print industry fits into his analysis. In an industry that continues to lean in on digital transformation, some of the moves toward digital workflows, cloud computing and data-driven decisionmaking have been slow to take.
Jonathan Simpson, VP at Simpsons Printing, says that when you look at the print industry at large, it is easy to see a landscape that’s primed for even more change over the next three to five years. And, if you examine just how many print companies have been slow to evolve in some areas, there may be a reckoning of sorts coming. “Not everyone wants to change or is going to change. What I do see is the change in today’s customers, my customers. A lot of my customers can go online and get what they want now. That is what we want from our business model. We want to have that personal engagement, and the technology to get people want they want, when they want it.”
The Rapid City, South Dakota, familyowned printer has spent the past 59plus years serving the upper Midwest by making significant investments in its employees and staying in step with the industry’s continuing technological advancements. Simpson says that in an industry that demands you know when and where change is happening, being proactive in the future is the only path forward.
The failures are not so much the result of the aimed-for innovation or technology, but instead a lack of clear, defined goals and a disciplined process.”
— Tony Saldanha, Former VP, Global Business Services & IT, Procter & Gamble
“You can’t put your head in the sand and expect to be able to run your business. You owe it to your employees to give them the best platform they can have to operate as efficiently as you can,” Simpson says. “We’re not a big company, but we’re not a small company, so we’re in a weird spot. We try to implement what we can knowing there are going to be growing pains.”
Looking out over the next five years, the print industry will continue to evolve on the technological side. This fact jumps into the light more when you consider that one of the most intriguing—if not disconcerting—statistics in “Why Digital Transformations Fail” is that around 70% of businesses fail when going through digital transformations. That means only one in three deliver when taking on the task.
What Saldanha discovered in his 27-year career at Procter & Gamble and as a consultant for
Fortune 100 companies is that one of the most prominent factors behind the failure to successfully initiate a digital transformation is that there is not a crystal-clear edict on what the transformation is and how to do it. What Saldanha ultimately found was that to successfully complete a digital transformation, a company must conduct a “complete rewiring of operating in the third industrial revolution era into fourth industrial revolution.”
And while companies like Simpsons Printing may not have a blueprint for others to follow, the path it has
taken is working. For example, when it came to implementing its digital workflows, the Simpsons Printing team first tackled how the process would change the traditional workflow steps it used.
“You find that you use the process from machine to machine, and that there are some similarities, so the navigation is similar,” Simpson says. “We’re always trying to find what makes sense to help employees do what they do more efficiently. In this case, by utilizing a digital workflow production process, the end results have been very important to us.”
Your Guide to FutureProofing Your Business
Staying ahead of technological advancements, market shifts, and customer demands is essential for long-term success in today’s commercial print industry. That means future-proofing your business isn’t just about surviving the next trend, but building resilience and adaptability into the core of your business model.
The first step is to take stock of what’s in the marketplace today.
“Every company offers different resources that can take your
business into the next technological direction,” Simpson says. “You have to talk to each vendor and see where they fall in availability, usability, price, etc. And when it comes to which vendor you choose, customer service is everything.”
Next on the list is manpower. To make any transition work, especially on the technology side, you need to have the right people in place. “This has been a big hurdle for us,” Simpson says. “You not only need the right people to be able to handle the equipment or software you get, but you have to have the buy-in, too. Sometimes,
you’re going to have to have those uncomfortable conversations. ‘This is the way we have to do it; this is why it will be beneficial; and this is why we are going to make this change.’ Those conversations can be hard. Some people are going to be more efficient than others.”
You can’t put your
head in the
sand and expect to be able to run your business. You owe it to your employees to give them the best platform they can have to operate as efficiently as you can.”
— Jonathan Simpson, VP, Simpsons Printing
In the end, it comes down to getting yourself and your company in the right mindset for change and futureproofing. Every printer not only wants to be able to service the wants and needs of its customers, but also to be able to compete. Too many printers have not and are not going to take these steps.
“You have to be able to ask yourself where the bottlenecks are,” Simpson says. “Where are you struggling? Why are you struggling? How can you make it better and more efficient? The key is to tackle the most painful things headon. It’s hard, but you have to start somewhere. Figuring it out and taking action are what everyone has to do.”
By embracing innovative practices, diversifying your offerings and investing in both technology and talent, commercial printers can not only safeguard their business against disruptions but also position themselves as leaders in an everevolving marketplace.
EYE ON THE FUTURE
How the ACUITY Ultra Hybrid LED is helping extend Dynamic Dies’ legacy of innovation
Dynamic Dies Inc.’s first die cut came the day Tom Sullivan opened the doors to his company in 1971. He was operating from an old abandoned auto repair shop, creating the template for making rotary cutting dies and placing himself on the cutting edge of the corrugated market.
Eventually, Tom, who immigrated to the U.S. from Germany as a child, grew the business. In 1984-85, Dynamic Dies added printing plates and moved into the digital side in 2016.
Today, the company, run by Tom’s son, Pat, is a full-service cutting die, pre-press, flexographic plate manufacturing and digital printing company with an in-house graphics design team and support to create custom packaging. The second-generation family business
continues to build on its rich tradition by continually evolving with the industry’s changes to deliver innovative, tailored printing and cutting die solutions with the wraparound support.
The Challenge
As its business expanded and customer demand for its services grew, Dynamic Dies faced significant challenges to keep pace. Initially, the Holland, Ohio, company with locations in Middleton, Ohio, two in Indianapolis and one in Pittsburgh adopted
the digital printing route to handle small volume orders that traditional corrugated box houses couldn’t efficiently manage.
But as its digital division’s success soared, the Dynamic Dies team encountered severe capacity issues with their existing equipment. While its FUJIFILM ACUITY F wide-format printer was a long-time reliable and steady component, they needed an upgrade. “Capacity, capacity, capacity,” says Jeff Francis, Graphics Division Manager. “We had just
gotten to a point where labor putting the boards on the machine had taken over the output. We needed more capacity. We had maxed out three shifts and still couldn’t get more out. Our lead time started going from two weeks to three weeks to five weeks when we were busy.”
The bottleneck caused the Dynamic Dies team to lose business to competitors due to delayed deliveries and insufficient production volume.
The Solution
After using only one printer, Francis knew that to keep everything streamlined in all of its facilities, Dynamic Dies would have to address its capacity constraints. The decision was to upgrade its wide-format equipment portfolio—and the FUJIFILM ACUITY Ultra Hybrid LED was its choice.
The Acuity offered three times the capacity of its previous set-up and introduced significant workflow efficiencies, allowing for continuous feeding of multiple boards with a vacuum system to hold them in place. “The Acuity Ultra Hybrid allowed us to stop taping down larger sheets and handling less,” Francis says.
“We looked at it and said, ‘Okay, we have a couple of different ways to think about this now. Instead of large sheets of board, can we handle smaller sheets of board and move them more efficiently?’”
The move helped reduce labor costs and speed up the printing process. The decision to stick with Fujifilm was influenced by their positive experiences with the company’s products and support, as well as the reliable quality of consumables and maintenance services. “Our relationship with Fujifilm had gone back many years, starting in 2016 (when Dynamic Dies went digital),” Francis says. “We knew what we were getting. We knew the quality of the product and the quality of the consumables were very good.”
The Results
The implementation of the ACUITY Ultra Hybrid significantly improved Dynamic Dies’ production capabilities and overall business operations. Now, it was able to eliminate the three-week backlog within weeks, and its production volume increased by two to three times. The upgrade allowed the Dynamic Dies team to maintain
AT A GLANCE
The Challenge
D ynamic Dies faced capacity issues, leading to delays and lost business, prompting the need for equipment upgrades to meet growing demand.
The Solution
Dynamic Dies upgraded to the FUJIFILM ACUITY Ultra Hybrid LED, tripling capacity, enhancing workflow efficiency, reducing labor costs, and benefiting from reliable quality and support.
shorter lead times, ensuring timely deliveries and retaining customer satisfaction. It also can handle both rigid and roll-to-roll materials and expanded its service offerings.
The flexibility of the Ultra Hybrid also opened new market opportunities, enabling them to handle smaller and varied job requests, such as banners and sponsor signs for local golf courses, which they previously had to decline. “Our main focus has been food products, beer products, wine products and other spirits due to our location,” Francis says. “We’ve also handled parts for equipment and pharmaceuticals with some local area brands, which are not large sizes but smaller boxes.”
Moreover, Francis says the advanced ink formulation of the Ultra Hybrid provided vibrant colors and highquality prints with fewer passes, further optimizing ink usage and operational efficiency. “This new formulation of ink has given us the vibrant colors and speed we need with fewer passes and probably less ink, though we haven’t measured that yet.”
The Results
The ACUITY Ultra Hybrid upgrade boosted production, reduced backlog, improved lead times, expanded services, and enhanced print quality.
ONE-ON-ONE WITH
ED CHALIFOUX
President of the Printing Industry Association of the South (PIAS)
Ed Chalifoux, President of the Printing Industry Association of the South (PIAS), has been a dedicated leader in the graphic arts industry for nearly three decades. He started his career in his family’s company, Photopress, Inc., and later held positions in the envelope and lithographing sectors. In 1994, Ed joined PIAS as Director of Membership, quickly advancing to Vice President and then President in 2003. Under his leadership, PIAS has grown significantly, serving a seven-state region with a mission to uphold the standards of the graphic arts industry. In this Q&A, Ed shares his insights into the challenges and opportunities facing the industry, offering a seasoned perspective on its current state and future direction.
Can you describe the current state of the printing industry in the South, and what key trends do you observe among your members?
I am happy to say that the printers in the PIAS regions (AL, AR, KY, LA, MS, TN & WV) are doing fairly well. Candidly, most of them are breaking even or down just a bit over last year. However, last year was a record year for just about all of our members. And we still have members that have increased their business exponentially from last year. My general feeling is that print buyers are being cautious right now with so many question marks circulating around the economy and the presidential
campaign. Overall, we have an amazing community of print leaders.
I
don’t believe our youth understand how great the jobs are in the print industry.”
What are the challenges and concerns facing your members and how are they navigating these issues?
Cleary, technology is rapidly changing and our printers are working hard to determine if and when they should invest. It is never easy to figure out if they should get into one area or wait until the kinks get worked out. Most
of them are reviewing their current customer list and determining if the print they currently provide would be better on newer technology and what a new budgeted hourly rate would look like with the new equipment. They are also challenged with the aging workforce and attracting the younger generation to our industry.
I don’t believe our youth understand how great the jobs are in the print industry. It is an amazing opportunity for them. Finally, we have heard that connecting with prospects is more difficult due to remote work. Simply finding customer contacts can be a chore.
In what areas are your members particularly bullish, and what opportunities do they see as most promising?
Our members seem to be doing really well in both the direct mail space and packaging space. Overall, we have seen dramatic increases in our members’ capabilities. As a result, there seems to be a lot of excitement about how they can increase business with their current customers through new product offerings.
What are your members most interested in learning more about?
Inkjet and AI are mentioned a great deal but any new technologies are always interesting. I am impressed with how well they all do in staying
informed on market trends, strategic ideas, and operational strategies. That is a byproduct of how much they participate in peer groups and networking at events like our annual convention. The bottom line is that we take a lot of pride that our members embrace change by attending those conferences along with visiting manufacturing hubs, and seeking out peers that may have already invested.
Based on your experience and insights, what advice would you offer to printing companies looking to thrive in this evolving industry?
I would tell them to invest in new technologies, work really hard, and rely on your local association for assistance. Leaning on the groups,
like PIA South, that care about your success is paramount. We support them with HR issues, technology research, training on management tools, and providing the pulse of the marketplace. All in all, we stay engaged so that they can thrive.
Overall, we have seen dramatic increases in our members’ capabilities. As a result, there seems to be a lot of excitement about how they can increase business with their current customers through new product offerings.”
TOGETHER
Without a sense of caring there can be no sense of community.”
Anthony J. D’Angelo