Letters, feedback, get it off your chest: 18 March 2009
Last week's top-three stories got the readers talking, while the African internet scam continues.
Re: Blue Star scores University of Queensland print contract
That's great for Blue Star, they can now charge what they want for their services and UQ will be paying more forever. Add to that, the fact that UQ departments will have much longer waiting times for their requirements which impacts greatly on students needs. Not forgetting the many printers who currently print the outsourced work for UQ – what about those poor Australian owned companies who for many years have built their companies around doing university-type jobs?
The sooner the Blue Stars/Geons of the world fold the better everyone will be. Keeping print in Australia is one thing, but sending the profits overseas?
Michael Collins
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Re: Industry contraction continues – 20 per cent fewer printers in 12 months
I was a little surprised to read the statistics in this article. Not sure who the “leading industry analyst” was but would quite like to see what their figures were based on.
The 2008 PrintNZ Industry Report shows the NZ Stats with the current number of printers at 970. In 2001 there were 1012. So the consolidation in recent years has not had a dramatic effect (yet?) on the total numbers. A fall to 700 over this year would seem unnecessarily pessimistic – not something we need in these times.
In this current environment PrintNZ continues to maintain its membership at over 700 businesses. We recruited just on 50 new members in 2008 and have continued this year to have companies join who wish to use the services we provide.
Joan Grace
Chief Executive
PrintNZ
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Re: New chapter for Apollo Moon
Three firms of bookbinders in Melbourne in the last 10 years and others interstate, have gone broke trying to service this one-off library binding market.
It is extremely demanding and not an easy market to service; every unit is an individual one-off.
Yet librarians expect a price based on volume, yet examine and indeed complain profusely about every individual unit, often refusing to acknowledge their own mistaken instructions. The attention and work is not valued, let alone the bookbinder.
Apollo-Moon's market was traditionally regarded as golden and untouchable by the industry. It was fragmented but consisted of a myriad of Government Departments and Professional organisations that required an absolute specialisation in equipment and skill to service and who paid their bills promptly. Some machines had serial numbers of less than a 1000 internationally and this was reflected in their price. Who would dare enter such a market? Moons and All States pretty well controlled it.
For decades it was a golden market for those in it. But in the last year or so it has changed dramatically and almost instantly, thus catching Moons completely off-guard.
Firstly the information previously bound is now all on the net. Secondly, there is no need to bind it because you can now download a copy when the other copy is worn out. Additionally, the manufacturer of coloured library buckram used for generations, which many libraries insist on, has recently become bankrupt and seems to want to only make passport cloths. This is because many book covers are now printed and laminated. In the last three months of 2008, the cost of Library Buckram doubled. Moons mainly used this Buckram and were one of the biggest users. They did import it, but since the bankruptcy of the US manufacturer, the new merchant bank owner will no longer deal directly but only through an agent. But few agents hold any stock, let alone here, where there is only one who has been appointed within less than two years.
And the final problem is one of our own community's values. As technology has progressed the costs of doing small run published books has decreased considerably. The time to set up a binding line that produces hard-bound runs has decreased from hours to literally minutes, with computer input. You can literally order 100 books printed and bound nowadays at less than it cost per unit for 1000 books more than five years ago.
I am only giving this information, because it could be assumed that the demise of this company was due to the economic crisis or bad management. It wasn't. This specialised market is diminishing and is also being polluted by lots of continual retirees, who with little overheads have ruined the market by, for example, being prepared to hand bind books at home for hours at a lower cost than a commercial operation. Just to get a few additional dollars on top of their weekly annuity.
Apollo-Moon is not unique internationally. It is not the result of the current crisis, bad management, unreliability, undercapitalisation, or bad workmanship. It's changing times.
Let's learn from this and not be complacent. We must change and adept to survive.
Edward Congdon
Whites Law Bindery
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Re: Internet print scam comes out of Africa
I believe we have been contacted by the same people that contacted you in this internet scam.
Please review the following email below which I am copying to you. This person referred to himself as Rev. Ben Johnson.
When they initially contacted us, I had no idea that this church was in Ghana. Their choice of freight company as well as their eagerness in ordering the product without even a quotation on seven pieces of this expensive product (which list at $4,425.00 each) made me suspect. A quick internet search turned up your article. Thank you for publishing the scam as it has saved us from dealing with scammers and investing additional time in this possible sale.
Lee Romero
CES Company
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Hi Lee,
Thank very much for your email.Well you can reach me on this number..505 349 0988:I want you to go ahead and process the order of the 318N oAK Lacquer .The 318N oAK Lacquer would be picked up from your location to the branch of NEW HOPE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AND ORPHANAGE Ghana branch,by UPA INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING COURIERS,i want you to contact them with the total weight, they would provide you a quote, they handle all shipment from Canada and Australia to the branch of NEW HOPE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH in Ghana ,their e mail address.
upa_express@hotmail.com
globaliner@yahoo.com
They would provide you a quote for the pickup, church address below i would like you to get back to me as soon as you hear from them,advise if i can make full payment with my Master Card.318N oAK Lacquer: and also get back to me with the total cost including shipping thank hope to hear from you soon,the shipping company will also be contacting you as well for pick up.God bless.
DELIVERY ADDRESS IN GHANA
NEW HOPE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
37 CANTONM ENT AVENUE
00233,ACCRA-GHANA
Rev,Johnson