2008 Executive Forecast

Also in 2008, FME will be entering the digital print world by introducing a GP Stratum Coater to run inline with digital printers. These digital printers generate a high amount of heat to fuse the ink to the paper and, in doing so, a high percentage of humidity is taken out of the substrate. With FME’s GP Stratum Coater, the paper will be cooled down, humidity reapplied and then sealed with a controllable system.

We are projecting a high volume of sales for this product and—perhaps along with the rest of the line of equipment and supplies—[it] will [help] make 2008 the best year in FME’s history.

Gregg Emmer, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Kaeser & Blair

The real problem with industry forecasts is that everyone will know if you are right or wrong by the end of the year! So, the trick of the trade is to put a lot of “wiggle room” into the forecast and leave a lot to the variables we can’t control. I’ll try not to do that.

While most readers are focused on the print[ing] and forms industr[ies], a growing number are enjoying promotional products as a growing profit center. My comments are about that segment of the business. ... Eighty percent of supplier companies and 75 percent of distributors [anticipate] nice increases in 2008. Our distributing company expects fairly strong growth to continue for 2008. We are reinvesting in new order processing systems and improving the management systems our national dealer network uses to manage their businesses, in order to handle [growth].

2008 will be a good year to add promotional products to [product lines], or to put a bit more emphasis on that profit center if [a company] already sell[s] promotional products. The grand majority of our 3,000-plus national dealer group expects business growth in 2008.