Many of us are involved in niche markets where our industry knowledge is trusted and valued.  We are at a crossroads where the communication network reduces the creativity process with clients. I much prefer an opportunity that lets us sit down and talk to a client.  The best partners enjoy having us communicate with them and getting involved in the process.

Q:  Looking ahead, what major innovations or technologies do you believe will shape the future of the industry and why?

A: We are experiencing the Digital Age, and it’s going to expand for years to come. The explosion of capabilities introduced in the last three years far outweighs everything else accomplished the previous 10 years, and not only on the print side. Companies are looking at additional aspects of the print business and that includes the finishing area. Going forward, there will be a renewed drive on sustainability and how innovations on the materials we use will impact the process and the product in the future. 

Q:  What one piece of advice would you give to printers and others involved in this industry?

A: It's what I said earlier about looking at the market as a whole. With industry consolidation and the reduction in vendor bases by corporations, there is a need for printers who don’t have new technological capabilities or can’t make the major capital investments needed to acquire them, to combine efforts with other organizations. Otherwise, with the economic situation being what it is, we won’t have anything left to compete with other than price as we face new challenges in the coming years.