Business Management - Industry Trends

A lot has changed since last year on our lists of the largest higher-ed in-plants. On our ranking by employees, the same 10 in-plants top the list, but in a new order. On our ranking by annual sales, however, the changes were more drastic.

Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst report they have developed a method for making a charge-storing system that is easily integrated into clothing for “embroidering a charge-storing pattern onto any garment.”

For in-plants, competitive pricing is essential because outsourcing companies will claim your prices are too high when they pitch your management on their services. Fortunately, writes Consultant Howie Fenton, there is a way to make pricing almost irrelevant and still keep customers happy.

The University of Texas at Austin played host to more than 40 in-plants and industry vendors yesterday when it opened its doors for a day-long IPMA Road Show. The networking and educational event featured presentations and discussions on improving quality, building relevance, leveraging technology and more, as well as a vendor display area.

During EFI Connect, Idealliance will offer G7 Training and Certification to individuals looking to become certified G7 experts to support the global print supply chain through G7 implementation, color management and process control strategies.

From the printer’s point of view, paper supply has been plentiful and prices incredibly stable. That has changed. Over the past several months, we have heard reports that some mills were simply not accepting new orders until their backlog clears. The October 2018 Target Report highlights M&A activity in the this space.

Ricoh announced it will acquire Tokyo-based LAC Corporation as part of its "Ricoh Ignite" growth strategy to strengthen its printing technology portfolio. Ricoh plans to create value for customers by combining LAC’s inkjet solutions with Ricoh’s technologies.

The Texas Association Of College And University Printers (TACUP) met recently in Corpus Christi, Texas, along with the Southwest Association of College & University Mail Services (SWACUMS). More than 35 in-plant print and mail managers attended the event.

Digital’s rise as the primary communications tool has had unintended consequences in paper usage. In the world of marketing communications, paper has achieved a certain cachet. The perception among designers and their high-end brand clients is that paper should be used to convey that something special is happening.

The demand for vehicle graphics is growing, but those who print them don't always get everything right. In a session at the SGIA Expo, Kim Magraw, national operations manager of Super Graphics, detailed some of the most common mistakes people make when printing fleet graphics and offered ideas on how to avoid them.