Equipment Sales are Expected to Move Into High Gear

Readiness to buy, new legislation and a healing economy support equipment growth.

Distributors seeking manufacturers with the latest up-to-date equipment may be pleased to hear that the future looks bright.

While 2002 was dampened by a soft economy and conservative business, it seems for the first time in quite a while, there might be some light at the end of the long and dark tunnel in which equipment manufacturers have been dwelling.

This is partly based on information found in Printing Impressions magazine, which stated that the organizers of the Graphics Arts Show Company (GASC), reported a total of nearly 38,000 attendees representing more than 9,600 companies over the four days of the Graph Expo show held in Chicago's McCormick Place South Hall in the fall of 2002.

In Mark Michelson's, editor-in-chief of Printing Impressions, report it was indicated that there was not only a large quantity of visitors and exhibitors, but the quality of attendees and the level of purchasing interest shown by buyers was impressive; leading to the notion that business, at least in the graphic arts industry, is rebounding.

William Maguire, president of Peninsular Printing, Daytona, Fla., agreed with the projection stating that the increase of business he is witnessing should prompt new equipment purchases for the forms industry as well. "Business appears to be picking up just a bit," said Maguire. "Not a lot, but it looks a heck of a lot better than it did a year ago."

Having spent about $35,000 on new film output devices in 2001, and about $15,000 to $20,000 on equipment upgrades in 2002, Maguire predicted he will spend more in 2003 for post-press equipment.

He added that Peninsular Printing has not had to invest as much in press equipment recently because the company was an early innovator in the development of U.V. inking and drying technology. This U.V. system has allowed Peninsular to produce high-quality, four-color process printing on both coated and uncoated papers on its web press. Capabilities that have enabled Peninsular and its distributor customers to stay ahead of the competition.