Business Management - Industry Trends

As the industry converges and consolidates, so have many trade associations. This might be best exemplified by the recent merger of SGIA and PIA, which is reflective of the ongoing consolidation in the highly fragmented and diverse universe of companies that make up the industry.

Through its print procurement program, the U.S. Government Publishing Office has facilitated the printing of instructional materials for students, which will be used while they participate in remote learning during the COVID–19 pandemic.

HP, together with its global network of PSPs, continue to innovate printing applications to help medical teams, businesses, and the public adapt in the ongoing effort to combat COVID-19. Efforts include personalized protective gear, thank you cards to frontline workers, sealed delivery boxes, and more.

Raymond J. Prince was a 61-year industry veteran, consultant, and advisor who dedicated his career to helping printing companies to improve in the areas of productivity and quality with the bottom-line objective of increasing their profitability. Ray passed away on May 1, 2020.

College campuses around the world are shut down due to COVID-19. Students are finishing their courses online. As a result, print work has dried up for most higher-ed in-plants. The materials they would normally be printing for spring activities, including graduation, are no longer needed. Still, some have found opportunities to stay busy.

In the view of government affairs expert for the printing industry Lisbeth Lyons, the work that Congress must do to stimulate recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is off to a solid start – but is nowhere near close to completion.

The cancellation of graduation ceremonies has created an opportunity for college and university in-plants, like Middle Tennessee State University: the printing of personalized yard signs announcing the graduation of individual students.

As of May 1, SGIA and PIA will officially unite in a merger of the two entities, which will bring resources and services together under one roof to best support future industry growth and longevity.

State government in-plants have not slowed down a bit during the COVID-19 crisis. Some have stepped into new areas of responsibility to help battle the virus. This came to light in a recent video conference call that brought together eight state printers.

Lisbeth Lyons, VP of Government & External Affairs at Printing Industries of America, discusses the legislative response in Washington to the pandemic that benefits the printing industry, including SBA assistance such as the Paycheck Protection Program; why the U.S. Postal Service deserves more financial relief as an essential service; and new programs that will likely be implemented at various stages of the U.S. recovery.