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BUSINESS PRINTING TECHNOLOGIES REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS:
FORMTRAC 2005 Preview DMIA is pleased to announce that FORMTRAC 2005 will be released July 18, 2005. After countless hours of tabulation, researching manufacturer shipments and distributor sales, we're almost ready for press. We didn't want to keep you waiting any longer, so we put together a summary that gives an accurate snaphot of the forms industry today. Readers that want more information on FORMTRAC 2005 can click on the link at the end of this article.
<> Commercial printing produced by Moore and Wallace can no longer be considered part of forms industry shipments in 2004 and beyond after these companies were merged into RR Donnelley on February 27, 2004. <> The major direct-selling manufacturers have experienced more severe cutbacks in production capacity, product lines, market coverage and sales than anticipated. <> Demand for some conventional forms has declined faster than expected. <> During 2001-2002, demand for direct mail printing experienced a steep decline due to curtailment of sweepstakes promotions, economic disruption following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the U.S., and the subsequent impact of anthrax-poisoned mail. <> Advertising expenditures dropped during 2001-2002, triggering a decline in demand for commercial and direct mail printing. Recovery has been slow due to additional negative impact from competing business communications technologies. Direct-selling manufacturers were affected more severely than distributors. The good news is that there are many growth areas that savvy manufacturers are taking advantage of today. Some growth areas were distinctly spelled out by four panelists at the recent DMIA Manufacturer and Supplier Print Conference in Philadelphia. At the Philadelphia event, RIT professor Frank Romano facilitated a panel of four DMIA manufacturers: Dale Dembski, of Data Management Center; Tim Dust of F.P. Horak, Co.; George Phillips of ProDocument Solutions; and Linda Poole-Bova of Primadata Incorporated. The four manufacturers told attendees how they have evolved their traditional companies for future growth while facing a challenging document market. Each of the four has poised their companies in different areas of specialization. Dale Dembski of Data Management Center, Schaumburg, Ill., delivered a message that documents and document fulfillment go hand in hand but due to the ramp up costs involved, document printers would be best suited by partnering with a mail-processing document fulfillment company. Dembski told the group what was important in choosing a document fulfillment center. Tim Dust of F.P. Horak Co., Bay City Mich., explained how a traditional forms printer evolved into digital printing, eventually opening up a separate digital printing facility to complement the work being produced at the traditional form plant. Dust's presentation focused on the workflow issues surrounding the creation of a whole new production facility. George Phillips of ProDocument Solutions, Paso Robles, Calif., spelled out how their company chose to become a full-service security document provider. Phillips expressed the critical nature of what's involved in making your printing plant a “secure document facility” Phillips cited the plant's ability to commit to knowledge, training, and involvement in creating a secure plant environment that customers will trust. Linda Poole-Bova described how Primadata, a mailing facility in Green Bay Wis., was purchased by Libman business forms, a traditional forms printer that was looking for ways to get into the complex world of variable data printing and document fulfillment market. Poole–Bova also announced that Libman Business Forms would soon become “Primagraphics Inc.” as an evolution of the entire operation. So, while the printing industry is being challenged on many fronts, there are viable products and services that forms printers can turn into profits. In the tables and summary below, we'll look at an industry overview, the independent segment, the direct-selling segment, and a summary of today's business document market.
FORMTRAC 2005 Industry Overview --
2004 FORMS MARKET ESTIMATES – Independent
Segment <> Trade manufacturers' shipments include house accounts, government sales and production by distributor-owned or controlled printing operations. <> Retail value of forms purchased by the directs for resale is included under trade manufacturer shipments. <> Trade manufacturer shipments include products manufactured by dedicated trade sales divisions of the directs. <> Advertising specialty sales in 2004 reflect the June 30, 2004 acquisition of Alstyle Apparel by Ennis.
2004 FORMS MARKET ESTIMATES -- Direct Selling
Manufacturers <> Excludes shipments by dedicated trade sales division of directs and sales of products purchased from trade manufacturers. <> Moore Wallace was acquired by R.R. Donnelley (RRD) on February 27, 2004 and most of the commercial printing produced by the two major forms industry directs was merged with RRD operations. This commercial printing volume is no longer part of production by forms industry participants and it was removed from forms industry sales starting in 2004. PRODUCT CATEGORIES - DIRECTS --
2004 PRINTED BUSINESS DOCUMENT MARKET <> Forms produced by general commercial printers, service bureau operations, mailing houses and other types of document factories. <> Forms produced by quick printers and copy shops. Several quick printing franchise organizations have announced major initiatives in business document production and services using a combination of conventional printing, digital printing and electronic commerce technologies. Quick printers and copy shops produce a substantial volume of cut sheet forms and edge-glued carbonless sets. <> In-plant printshops continue to produce sizeable quantities of single and multiple ply forms. Some of these printshops have been combined with computer output operations to produce statements, invoices, direct mail and other types of forms using blank roll or sheet stock. After a period of gradual decline, in-plant printing operations are acquiring high speed digital monochrome and color printers/presses and are slowly increasing production of forms and commercial printing work that was previously outsourced or purchased from commercial suppliers. Major national and regional directs resell products purchased from suppliers outside the forms industry. These sales are excluded from data on internally-produced shipments of products and services and are shown separately on the following summary of the printed business document market.
PRINTED BUSINESS DOCUMENT (FORMS) MARKET SUMMARY --
ORDER THE WHOLE REPORT! FORMTRAC 2005 includes: If you'd like more information about FORMTRAC 2005, or to find out how you can purchase a copy, please click here: https://www.printsolutionsmag.com/dmia/Ftrac05.html.
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EDITORIAL STAFF: <mailto:jdoran@dmia.org> Jennie
Doran Submit articles, questions, or letters to: ©Copyright 2005 by DMIA. All rights reserved. Published in the United States
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permission of DMIA, 433 E. Monroe Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301-1693. ISSN 1552-3675 For information about advertising in the BPTR, <mailto:ckelly@dmia.org?subject=Interested_in_BPTR_Advertising> click here to reach Cyndy Kelly at DMIA.
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