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Industry News
- We often cite the research of Dr. Joseph Webb and his Trendwatch reports about the graphic arts in the pages of Tuesday Morning News. A couple of items from his PR people caught our eye:
47% of the people surveyed (58% of printers and 39% of separators see Computer To Plate (CTP) as a key technological opportunity, and a surprisingly low 13% are currently excited about digital printing. After the initial enthusiasm for all things digital, now it appears that folks want to figure out how to make money using the digital technologies.
- Last week we wrote about the surge in the stock price of Mail-Well. We did some more research about the firm and found out that it tripled sales in two years, from $260 to $778 million. In an article on the internet we found this item from Gerald Mahoney CEO: "We believe the information highway will be additive not deletive to our business. Electronic commerce allows advertisers to pick out high-quality prospects for direct mail." All of which translates to more junk mail for you and me and more envelope sales for Mail-Well.
- We have written about Presstek in TMN before as well. The firm is apparently just about caught up with their back log of PEARL direct imaging units for Heidelberg's QuickMaster presses and now it appears that the close partnership between the two companies is drawing to a close. Therefore it's interesting to note that Presstek acquired Heath Custom Press of Seattle earlier this month. We have reported to you previously about Heath's efforts to bring the QuadriPrint 4 press to market using Presstek imaging technology. Maybe Presstek will be selling more than consummables in the future.
- Thanks to John Berthelsen and Scott Shumway of Suttle Press and the Madison Area Club for tuning us into a neat printing related web site in the United Kingdom.. It's very comprehensive and has a nice amount of British cheekiness. Go to: www.digital-ink.co.uk/
- There was an excellent article about Bankers Systems Inc., a St. Cloud Minnesota printing service firm that supplies compliance forms and other services to bankers in the Sunday Minneapolis StarTribune. It's a $100 million business. (Darn lawyers, darn regulations, but good for BSI!) But the point we want to draw to your attention is that Bankers Systems entered 18 pieces in the Central Minnesota Gallery and most of those were on behalf of other printers to whom they had brokered label work or engraving work or envelopes or finishing tasks. We applaud the firm for that level of support and offer the idea as a model for other clubs seeking to expand the number of entering firms.
If you're having difficulty finding a solution or have an example of how the Craftsmen Network has recently benefited you, we'd like to hear about it. Please send an e-mail to headquarters@iaphc.org.
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