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Wilmer Introduces Prescription Pads
8 standard security features, including thermochromic ink. Wilmer meets mandatory requirements for CA, FL, IN, KY, ME, and WV. Contact us at 800-4WILMER (800-494-5637), ext. 5.
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Wise Business Forms
Comprehensive Printing Capabilities — Forms, Commercial, B&W Digital, Color Digital, Direct Mail, Statement Processing
www.wbf.com
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Matrix Imaging Solutions, Inc.
Print & Mailing Services
• Statement/Invoice Processing •
Document Archiving
& Retrieval System
www.matriximaging.com
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Welcome to Print Matters, DMIA's new weekly newsletter!
We surveyed DMIA's E-Weekly readership last November to find out how we could make your newsletter more useful and informative. This new publication includes your valuable suggestions.
The new name, Print Matters, reflects our content and purpose—an exclusive focus on printing industry issues that matter to you. We added sections that will spark new ideas for your businesses and help you gain a better understanding of the industry. We kept sections such as "Solution of the Week" that you found helpful. We created a brand new, visually appealing design that makes it easy to find the information you want.
We hope you enjoy it, and we look forward to your comments and suggestions.
Send an email to Print Matters, or call us at (800) 336-4641.
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Make a Head Start
Eleven industry pros talk about 25 successful and practical tips related to technology, people, networking, partnering and more. Adopt these today to improve your business:
Technology
Kohn | |
1. What can it do? If you're investing in technology, then find out how it can solve customers' problems, says Andrew Kohn, CDC, president of distributorship Jerome Group, St. Louis. The technology should be flexible enough for you to develop solutions that are customized for clients and solve their problems.
2. It's only as good as the people who operate it. Once you've invested in technology, make sure you have the right people to operate it, says Brian Governor, president and owner of Youngstown, Ohio-based distributorship P&W Marketing Inc.. Hire an IT person and train employees to ensure they understand its features and capabilities and make the best use of it.
3. If you buy, they won't come. Some printers purchase new equipment because they believe "if I buy it, they [customers] will come" even when they don't have the work to support the investment, says Judy Coovert, secretary and treasurer at distributorship PRINTCOM Inc., Seattle. Instead, gain the work and then make the investment.
Read the complete report
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R.R. Donnelley Files Lawsuit Against Quark, Creo
R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company filed a lawsuit in Delaware federal court against Quark Inc. and Creo Inc., a subsidiary of the Eastman Kodak Company. The lawsuit alleges that products manufactured and sold by Quark and Creo infringe an extensive portfolio of R.R. Donnelley patents in the area of digital print processes. The complaint seeks monetary and injunctive relief from both companies.
Ex-Cenveo Executive Joins Ennis
Ennis Inc. announced the appointment of Terry Pennington as a vice president in the company's Print Segment. Pennington will join the current management team in running the Print Segment with a focus on the forms and promotional printing facilities. Previously, Pennington worked at Cenveo Inc., where he was an executive vice president responsible for sales and production in thirteen facilities. He also worked at Bowater Inc. and Burroughs Corp.
In other Ennis news, GenForms, part of the Ennis Promotional Solutions Group, recently moved into a larger, better-equipped facility in Anaheim, Calif. The move allows GenForms to use additional space and offer added capabilities to its customers. GenForms and Admore West Coast facilities will now operate in the same building. GenForms' toll-free phone number remains the same. The local numbers have changed to (714) 520-3388 and (714) 999-2356 (fax).
FedEx Kinko's Opens New Facility, Expands Services
FedEx Kinko's opened its World Production Center in Memphis, Tenn., to help customers process and ship documents more efficiently. The 28,500-square-foot facility featuring state-of-the-art, commercial-grade printing equipment, increases the capabilities of FedEx Kinko's Commercial Document Solutions. The location also has access to shipping with its proximity to the FedEx Express World Hub. Full story.
Weyerhaeuser Plant Workers to Get Help
The Missouri Department of Economic Development will meet Weyerhaeuser Co.'s North Kansas City plant employees, who will lose their jobs when the company closes the plant, according to a Jan. 17 story in the Kansas City Business Journal. Weyerhaeuser said Dec. 16 that it would close the North Kansas City plant within 60 days, eliminating 58 jobs. Full story.
Katun to Acquire Nashua Assets
Katun Corp. reached a definitive agreement with Nashua Corp. to acquire certain assets associated with Nashua's toner and developer product line. The transaction, terms of which weren't disclosed, will be finalized in March 2006. Full story.
Boise's Vancouver Property for Sale
Boise Cascade said that the company is formally offering its mill-site property in downtown Vancouver, Wash., for sale. The 29-acre, river-front land is open for bid by any interested developers through March 17. Boise intends to accept the best offer that calls for no conditions precedent to closing. For the first time in 100 years, this site is being offered for redevelopment.
Jan. 17—A Marketing Opportunity for Printers
Philadelphia celebrated on Jan. 17 the 300th birthday of Benjamin Franklin, the city's adopted son and favorite founding father. The city planned five days of revelry, with the party starting on Jan. 13. Celebrations included a pajama party, orchestra concert, family day, art-making, and a party at the party at the National Constitution Center where scientists, entrepreneurs, firefighters, postal workers and civic leaders gathered for Franklin's official birthday celebration.
Not only was Franklin an author, publisher, statesman, diplomat, scientist and meteorologist, he also was a noted printer. He co-founded the Philadelphia printing office and launched one of the nation's first printing franchises in South Carolina. Ben Franklin's birthday celebration seems like a great marketing opportunity for local printers to collaborate with the city and promote their products and services. Perhaps next year, printers nationwide will use Franklin's 301st birthday to promote themselves.
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TRADEMart 2006: Coming to Nashville, Atlanta
At TRADEMart 2006, you need to invest only five hours to find out what it takes to beat the competition, stay ahead with the latest innovations, learn fresh ways to improve your company's bottom line and breathe new life into your selling techniques. DMIA is holding a TRADEMart show in Nashville on Jan 25 and in Atlanta on Jan. 26. View the exhibitors, education sessions or register for the Nashville event. View the exhibitors, education sessions or register for the Atlanta event.
Call for Entries: 2nd Annual PEAK Awards Competition
Excellence. Have you got it? Enter the Print Excellence And Knowledge (PEAK) Awards program and prove it! PEAK awards spotlight excellence in the design and production of printed products that add value by solving client problems or improving a client's business. Winning a PEAK Award means you can market your company as "an award-winning print solution provider." Go to this link and click on the "Entry Form" link. The entry deadline is May 5. For a list of last year's PEAK award winners, click here.
CEOs, Gear Up for Educational, Networking Opportunities
If you are one of DMIA's larger members, you don't want to miss the CEO Summit from March 1-3 at The Ritz Carlton Lake Las Vegas. The program is packed with interactive sessions that will help you grow your business, become a better sales manager, assess sales force re-engineering, learn about the state of the industry, and more. Hear Greg Mosher, chairman and CEO of WorkflowOne, discuss the future of the industry. For details, visit the CEO Summit page.
Sell Excess Inventory
DMIA's Excess Inventory Depot enables members to sell items such as excess inventories, blank forms and labels, pre-converted material, paper stock, converted material, new or used equipment and other business-related items. Take advantage of this offer and post your items for free. Find out what's for sale. DMIA members can view postings 24/7 at no charge.
New Member Profile: Taking Pride in Graphics
Chicago-based Pride in Graphics is a sheet-fed commercial printer with 25 employees. Established in 1953 as a family-owned business, the firm offers prepress, printing, binding, fulfillment and print management services. It has a full bindery department with folding and saddle stitching, and a digital press department with two 4-color Xerox iGens.
Present Proofs the Right Way
DMIA Proof Pocket Folders are a great way to present proofs to your customers. These folders, in DMIA green and gray, have two pockets that hold artwork, proofs and other materials. The cover-weight folder protects materials in transit. 50 folders per package. Code: PROOF1. Member Price: $35. To order, click here or contact Tina Davis.
Top 10 Unusual Source Requests Received by DMIA: Contract laser etching service, pallets racks and furniture, emblem mounted on foam core. See the complete list
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Now, It's Easier to Work with Uncle Sam
In an interview with Print Matters, Stuart "Duke" Spence, director of sales and marketing at the Government Printing Office's (GPO) Customer Service Division, speaks about various opportunities the federal agency offers the private sector.
1. The GPO procures between 600 and 1,000 print-related projects a day through private sector vendors across the country. What kinds of print-related projects does it procure?
One of GPO's essential missions is to provide the agencies and organizations that make up the three branches of the federal government with expert information and communications products and services. We procure all forms of digital information products (such as web site hosting), as well as printing services. Click here to find a list of the types of projects we routinely procure.
2. How can our readers work with the GPO? Where should they start?
The first step is for prospective contractors to register online at http://www.contractorconnect.gpo.gov/
We have provided online access to procurement opportunities at www.gpo.gov under "GPO VENDORS," and then by clicking on "Bid Opportunities." We recently launched Quick Quote, a new online small purchase system. Contractors accessing Quick Quote can view specifications and submit their quotes online. All bids are publicly posted at each GPO office across the country. There is no charge for any of these services.
The bidding process is as follows: The GPO faxes or mails solicitations to contractors on a computer-generated bid list. It posts sealed bids and term contract opportunities on the internet. All bids are publicly posted at each GPO office around the country. Vendors can fax (if the specifications permit) or mail their bids to the office sending the quotation request. Bids are publicly opened, evaluated by the contracting officer and then awarded.
Read the complete interview
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Product: RSS 14 sequential bar code label
Company: Symbology Inc., Minneapolis
Features and Benefits: Each label contains a small, reliable code that can carry a large amount of information. The code is ideal for use in small printing spaces. The RSS group has three primary symbols. The RSS-14 code can be either linear or split with one half stacked on top of the other. The RSS-Limited can encode 14-digit GTINs that begin with a packaging indicator of 0 or 1. The RSS-Expanded is of variable length and can encode alphanumeric data. It can be stacked several rows high, which increases the amount of data that can be stored
Applications: The RSS labels are ideal for the medical and pharmaceutical industries and in grocery stores on items such as fruits, seafood and meat.
Have a product? Be featured in What's Hot.
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Plastic Cards = Big Profits
Distributors offering plastic cards say there is a huge market for debit cards, phone cards, credit cards, loyalty cards and more. Here are three tips to help you sell them more effectively:
1. Think creatively. "All of us walk in the door offering the same products," says Chip Grayson, president of distributorship SBF Inc., Savannah, Ga. "But you have to ask yourself, 'Is there anything I can do differently?'" For SBF, that often means adding a new twist to an old product, such as the diamond-shaped plastic cards he sells to Friedman's jewelers. "It re-opened the door at Friedman's, and we were able to request all their cards," Grayson says.
2. Offer fulfillment. Distributors are missing a big opportunity—and leaving themselves vulnerable to competitors—by not handling plastic card fulfillment, Grayson says. SBF personalizes cards and carriers, inserts them in envelopes and mails them for Friedman's.
3. Keep on the cutting edge. The plastic card market is constantly evolving. Products such as smart cards and ID cards using biometrics are pushing the technological limits of cards' functionality. "I love when a new product is released in the market," says Grayson. "It's something else to sell."
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A-Grade Solution for Schools
Come report card time, there could be some unhappy students at a new charter school in Dayton, Ohio. And they have Paul Schreiber, regional sales manager of Cincinnati-based distributorship PJS and Associates, and pressure seal technology, to blame.
Read the full story
Have a solution? Be featured in the Solution of the Week.
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