Seattle Bindery Newsletter: Issue #32. We welcome your comments.

1. That cold chill. We quote a press release from January 16 from Consolidated Graphics: “In spite of record sales and earnings in October, and acceptable performance in November, the slowdown in business we experienced in December was very disappointing.  While our sales initiatives and growth strategies continue to yield positive results, these soft market conditions have forced us to become much more aggressive in pricing to protect market share,” said Joe R. Davis, Chairman. Many trade binderies and print shops on the West Coast also have been eerily quiet in recent weeks, and as the latest reports from International Paper and Georgia Pacific attest, paper sales are s-l-o-o-o-w in many segments.

2. Survivor II? In answer to the anticipated decline, NAPL’s Andrew Paparozzi suggests now is a good time to start thinking outside the box, stressing the crucial need for printers to pursue new non-print concepts and redefine themselves as communication solutions providers. Instead of bowing to inclination and slashing prices to stay competitive, his advice is to “find ways to make your company more valuable to your customers.” Technology will certainly play a big part in this, as customers will look to you to make their lives easier.

3. Finishing touches. Don’t forget Seattle Bindery when your customers want to make that extra impression. Our letterpress operation boasts a full complement of platen presses for foil-stamping and embossing work, and cylinder diecutters, including a 29-inch x 41-inch Johannisberg diecutter. Ask for a copy of our Foil Selector Guide which provides samples of the more popular foils, as well as gold, pearlescent, holographic and other special order foils.

4. Ergonomics update. Business groups nationwide appear to be extremely unhappy about the January 16 passage of the new ergonomics standards. Now, the latest estimates predict it will cost businesses an extra $125 billion to remain compliant. Already the US Chamber of Commerce has filed a lawsuit to fight this new rule, which is scheduled to go into effect October 15. While it’s widely speculated the Bush administration will repeal the law and/or the Labor Department won’t strictly enforce it, we nonetheless should pay attention—especially smaller shops that don’t have any such policies already in place—because the issue will likely not just disappear.

5. Specifying paper. According to a survey of 176 print buyers recently conducted by WhatTheyThink, a website devoted to the graphic arts industry, 32 percent said they use sample books provided by their printer to select paper for jobs, while 24 percent use sample books from paper vendors. The rest of the respondents said they select the color and weight themselves, but defer brand selection to the printer. Overall, print buyers favored meeting directly with paper companies, but would still consult with their printer before making a final paper selection decision. From this, I’d speculate that offering paper samples to customers may be an effective door opener for print sales reps.

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