Printing Industries of America is proud to have four of its members recognized as Sustainable Green Printers (SGP Printers) by the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP Partnership). Fineline, Pictura Graphics, the John Roberts Co., and the Pratt Corp. are among the first printers in the nation to have successfully completed the verification process and become officially recognized as SGP Printers.
The print suppliers that have been most successful in obtaining U. S. Government Printing Office (GPO) work during the Federal Fiscal Year 2008 have been announced by Government Print Management, the leading representative of print suppliers to government in the United States. Government Print Management is a division of e-LYNXX Corp.
SAYING THAT 2008 is ending on an unsettled note may be the mother of all understatements, but it is the most meaningful way to characterize the economic outlook for 2009. And, bad news for the economy is worse news for printing industry sales.
ASKING WHAT kind of impact that a recessional economy has on direct mail campaigns is like asking how many beach-goers will be turned away by an approaching hurricane. Sure, there are those who will want to brave it, but most people prefer to take a wait-and-see approach somewhere safe.
ONE OF the characteristics of a difficult economy is the slowdown of consumer confidence, which has a trickle-up effect on the goods and services sector. Less spending equals lower demand, equals lesser manufacturing output. The schizophrenic bounces of the oil market in 2008 is perhaps an extreme example.
SOFTENING SALES. Declining revenues. Cutbacks, layoffs, bankruptcies. Unfortunately, these are the buzz words for 2008—not only for printers, but for most manufacturing segments across the United States.
AS AN economically unstable 2008 gives way to a poten- tially more tumultuous 2009, printers from the Sunshine State to Washington State are tightening their belts, digging in and preparing for the worst. Even the firms that forged through the mess and found success, including those named as 2008 Fast-Track Firms, are hoping for a better new year.
THE DAYS of the passive print buyer lie in the past. Print buyers are no longer sitting back and waiting for printer reps to cold call them or invite them out for lunch. In today’s technological environment, consumers are more proactive than they have ever been. They actively research their options and, with the advancement of the World Wide Web, it has enabled print buyers to spread a much larger net, capturing information on potential suppliers, even international suppliers.
HAVING RECENTLY returned from Graph Expo, I felt it was important to highlight a few things that came out of the show that might not have been covered elsewhere. First, as might be expected in the current economic situation, it did appear that attendance was a bit lower than the show company and exhibitors had hoped. Some booths were very busy; others less so.
THIS IS the first column in my 25th year of column-writing for Printing Impressions. It’s number 268 and, when it’s finished, I will have written about 335,000 words as a columnist for the magazine. This one started about 30 days ago, when “Sarge,” one of my editors at PI, found a way to call me about every other day to subtly (or not so subtly) remind me that my deadline for this issue was November 10, which, by the way, happens to be the birthday of this former Marine’s beloved Corps.
