New Research Examines In-plant Trends

By Bob Neubauer

Today’s in-plants have expanded into new realms, with wide-format printing and value-added services now generating a significant portion of their revenues. Thanks in part to these expanded service offerings, the average in-plant operating budget has grown 29% since 2022.

These are some of the key findings of a new study conducted by In-plant Impressions and NAPCO Research that examines the changing world of in-house printing. Titled “Trends and Services in the In-plant Industry (2024),” this research report is now available for free download. Some of the key findings:

The average number of in-plant employees has risen from 12 to 14 over the past two years.
Sign and display graphics printed on wide-format devices now account for 15% of in-plants’ revenue, up from 9% just four years ago.
65% of in-plants are now insourcing work from outside their organizations, up from 60% in 2022.
Over the past two years, 63% of respondents have added new services, and 86% have upgraded equipment.
Contour cutting continues to post solid growth, with 44% of in-plants now providing it, up from 26% in 2020.
Installation of wide-format signage is an increasing source of business for in-plants, with 40% now providing this service.
Nearly 75% of respondents now offer online ordering/Web-to-print services, versus 59% in 2020.

Our survey was taken by 130 in-plant managers. Their insights provide the basis for this new report, “Trends and Services in the In-plant Industry (2024),” which is available now for download at this link.

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Bob Neubauer Author's page

Bob has served as editor of In-plant Impressions since October of 1994. Prior to that he served for three years as managing editor of Printing Impressions, a commercial printing publication. Mr. Neubauer is very active in the U.S. in-plant industry. He attends all the major in-plant conferences and has visited more than 170 in-plant operations around the world. He has given presentations to numerous in-plant groups in the U.S., Canada and Australia, including the Association of College and University Printers and the In-plant Printing and Mailing Association. He also coordinates the annual In-Print contest, co-sponsored by IPMA and In-plant Impressions.