Vincent Mallardi

Vincent Mallardi

Vincent Mallardi, C.M.C., is a the chairman of the Printing Brokerage/Buyers Association International (PBBA) and is a Certified Management Consultant in the paper, printing and converting industries. He is also an adjunct professor in economics. Contact him via email at vince@pbba.org

Exclusive Research: Top 100 Print Buyers Ranked by Projected 2018 Print Procurement Spends

The Printing Impressions Top 100 print buyers collectively are predicted to procure $50 billion worth of printing, about 1.2% below 2017. These entities will also account for more than 37% of U.S. GDP. The types of paper, printing and converting, naturally, vary sector to sector. What follows is a breakdown of the Top 100 print buyers in chart form and a more in-depth look at several companies.

A Look at the Top 25 Hot Markets in the Printing Industry for 2017-18

What follows is a look at the top 25 sectors/categories that buy the most printing. These 25 sectors and categories will account for more than 95% of total print but at 4% less than in 2016. Take a look and compare them to the current vertical industries that you serve.

The 25 Hot Markets in the Printing Industry for 2017-18 (PDF)

2017 will be a slightly-down year with nominal print revenues at US$193.5B (-2%). Troublesome will be the return of inflation with price hikes in indirect labor, materials and transportation, and interest rate and tax increases. Productivity will minimally contribute to nominal U.S. GDP growth. Urgent to print must be focused-choice vertical concentration and horizontal channel expansion. Fuzzy generalities are not helpful in selling print. What follows is a look at the following top 25 sectors/categories that buy the most printing. Take a look and compare them to the current vertical industries that you serve.

2015 Hot Print Markets Analysis: Target Verticals That Fit Your 'Sweet Spot'

This year is a turning point for print with a slight increase in nominal revenues to US$196B (+<2 percent). Low interest rates and commodity prices from an artificially high dollar will appear to stimulate the entire economy before the reality of global imbalances between levels of debt, equities and commodities carry us into the next downturn and something not experienced in 70 years: a currency re-set.

2014 Hot Markets: Packaging, Pharma Head List

This year (2014) will bring our industry back to 2005, but not sentimentally. Sales will decline 4 percent to the level of nine years ago, but smart printers chasing hot markets should experience positive growth. The losers will be lazy competitors who wait for a recovery that will not occur.

Food for Thought, Profit

The year 2013 need not represent an unlucky number for print. The no-real-growth and rising-inflation (or stagflation) economy will shake out many printers of the past, but provide very substantial opportunities for forward-looking companies crossing over to omni-channel media.