Continuous forms were considered the main product of the printing industry for years. But, it's no secret to industry insiders that this particular market niche has been a sinking ship for well over a decade thanks to the digitization of society.
Despite their decline in usage, continuous forms still have their place for appropriate applications due to their speed and capacity to generate data onto several areas at one time.
So, instead of throwing in the towel, smart companies specializing in forms are becoming creative by adding value and vitality to their product lines and paying attention to customers and their needs.
"While the industry has been experiencing a decline in continuous products, Paris sales have been steady," Gerry Toscani, chief executive officer for Westampton, New Jersey-based Paris Business Products, explained.
"Some of this business can be attributed to new customers coming to Paris because their previous supplier has closed shop or reduced its product offering. In addition, while stock and custom cut-sheet products have become more prevalent throughout the industry, continuous forms still play a critical role in many vertical markets; and Paris has many steadfast customers using continuous forms for data processing, reporting, statement processing and other applications."
Mike Daughenbaugh, vice president of Tiffin, Ohio-based Quick Tab II, concurred.
"Over the last two years, we have experienced about a 20 percent drop in the continuous market," he noted.
"Continuous forms and checks have been a dying market for several years since the onset of laser printers. However, there will remain a need for impact printers for businesses where the environment is not user-friendly or the cost of toner makes it cost prohibitive."
He elaborated, saying Quick Tab II evolved as the check and forms division of Quick Tab, Inc., a tab card manufacturer founded in 1987.
"Diversification is a necessity as markets begin to mature," Daughenbaugh continued. "We recognized such a necessity as the tab card market diminished and now as continuous forms show similar signs. We have been in business for over 22 years and have 75 employees with sales in excess of $9MM."
Regardless of the decline, Daughenbaugh said the company produced more than 11 million continuous checks and more than 8.5 million continuous forms last year.
"Many of our distributors say we are the best kept secret around since most of our advertising comes via word of mouth," he added.
Unfortunately, despite Paris' best efforts, Toscani expects the market decline in continuous forms to continue due to the progression of more cut-sheet applications and the demands of consumers.
"Paris will continue to work with its customers to determine the types of products and services they want and need, whether they are continuous, cut, single-part, multi-part, stock or custom," he said.
In regard to continuous forms, Daughenbaugh noted the company offers a variety of sizes in widths up to 15 inches and depths as small as 3.5 inches with various marginal, horizontal and vertical perforation configurations. Offline features would include various numbering and MICR/ARABIC configurations along with "tape lock" as an alternative to standard crimping methods. Tape lock is recommended for multiple part continuous forms to guide forms through the platinum rollers of a dot matrix printer without "tenting" or "bunching up" as they are impacted.
And, despite all the twists and turns of this market, Toscani said Paris prides itself on being proactive in this dynamic marketplace. For example, Toscani explained "our business development managers go on joint sales calls with our customers and their customers so that we can understand what products and applications they need for their business. Another example involves our understanding of the marketplace and how changing regulations, such as those currently underway in the healthcare industry, affect the applications that businesses use."
Toscani went on to say, "In a highly competitive industry, customers want to know they are getting value—not just a good price. The custom design service offered by Paris enables customers to provide their customers with offset custom capabilities at digital prices. Custom printing, colors, sizes, packaging, labeling and distribution are part of the way Paris can keep its customers competitive in a very competitive market."
A steadily declining market isn't keeping these companies from making investments in their businesses. Sometimes new equipment is the best way to enhance a company.
Toscani said increased customer demand and product line expansion have led to the purchase of new equipment at Paris. About a month ago, a collator was added to help expand the company's current collated product offerings to both the consumer and commercial sides of the business. Additional packaging equipment also was added this year to help meet the increased customer demand for the Printworks, Printworks Professional and DocuGard product lines, Toscani pointed out.
During the past eight months, Quick Tab II took advantage of the economic "downspin" by diversifying more into commercial print and enhancing some of the more traditional methods of numbering and finishing by purchasing a DI press, a booklet maker and numbering through ink jet technology, Daughenbaugh said.
Speaking of the nation's current economic state, neither companies have had to make to make changes to remain successful. "The sluggish economy has affected all parts of our industry, but fortunately, Paris has been able to continually increase its sales and customer base," Toscani said. "In fact, in 2008 we opened a new distribution facility in Chicago to offer additional distribution and warehousing options to our customers. We attribute this success to abiding by the same fundamental practices and sound business principles established during the 1960s—exceptional customer service, innovative products and an efficient distribution model."
Daughenbaugh said Quick Tab II managed to get by without having to make any cuts in staff. However, overtime was reduced and diversification plans were implemented with the addition of product lines and equipment.
As the saga of continuous forms goes on, companies looking to survive will innovate. In turn, the story of those who sell them doesn't have to end too soon.
Paris Business Products still manages to find success with continuous form products.
- Companies:
- Paris Business Products
- Quick Tab II