Print consolidation to steamroll ahead – US report

The trend is linked to positive developments on the overall bottom line, with 55 per cent of respondents claiming they expect their margins to increase, according to an industry survey conducted by Grant Thornton LLP in conjunction with the Printing Industries of America.

Alex Laskowski, print industry manager at Grant Thornton LLP, claims margins have decreased in some markets because of the overabundance of supply and competition, with consolidation highlighted as a means of coping with a changing environment.

“In addition, printers are always looking at ways to increase services to customers and lowering the cost of transportation. With advancements in technology and logistics impacting customer’s demands, printers cannot afford to stay with the status quo,” says Laskowski.

Laskowski claims that the employment statistics indicates confidence in the economy within the industry, with 40 per cent of respondents expecting employment at their companies to increase in 2005 and 50 per cent expecting an increase in 2006.

“In addition, since the printing community is normally one of the first industries to be affected in a downturn, many of those surveyed do not see a downturn in the near term,” says Laskowski.