Management

Highland Takes the High Road
February 21, 2001

Highland Computer Forms finds success in blending traditional and modern products. Twenty-one years ago, Highland Computer Forms President Phil Wilson would have been satisfied if his company reached $10 million in sales by the mid 1980s. So the $50 million in sales he achieved in 2000, along with the Manufacturer of the Year title he received from BFL&S, should surely suffice. "At the time, we thought we could make a good living if we could get sales up to $10 million, and we hoped we could do it in six or eight years," said Phil Wilson who, along with a team of dedicated

Create a Strong Finish
January 30, 2001

Finishing can add profitability to a product portfolio. One of the strategies that distinguishes some very profitable manufacturers and distributors of printed products is a strong focus on post-printing operations that add value through product features or print-related services. Printing industry participants have traditionally looked upon press production as the heart of their business—and press capabilities certainly continue to be very important—but market trends and overcapacity in the printing industry have reduced the ink-on-paper part of many printed products to commodity status. This includes forms, labels and commercial printing, where the ability to add value with press capabilities has gradually declined.

Stake a Claim to the Insurance Market
November 20, 2000

Whether it's general products or market-specific forms, ingenuity is the best policy. Even in a conservative marketplace, setting yourself apart from the crowd is critical for success. Case in point: More than a dozen years ago Hart Information Services in Austin, Texas, wanted to penetrate the insurance market on a national level. "We were latecomers to the national marketplace," said Sherrell Kidd, vice president, "and our chances of penetrating it weren't great. In most cases, the insurance industry is very conservative, and if these companies are being provided services through a reliable and dependable vendor, they're slow to change." Adding to

Move Over Majors, The Independents Have Arrived
November 20, 2000

Innovative technology and old-fashioned service give independents an advantage. Just try telling Tom Tabor that direct-selling manufacturers have the upper hand in the forms industry. With today's innovative technology allowing distributors to tap into high-tech capabilities, while still maintaining custom-ized service, the attempt would be futile. Said Tabor, vice president of Duluth, Georgia-based Data Supplies, "With the e-commerce applications that are available today, there is no account that is safe for a direct." In the past, direct-selling manufacturers were able to wow customers with their large size and mass-producing machinery. Their ability to handle heftier accounts and eliminate the proverbial middleman was

Top Distributors Examine the Industry
October 20, 2000

Five who thrive by tempering technology with the personal touch At Glenwood, Minnesota-based American Business Forms, technological changes in the industry present both opportunities and challenges. Because of its ability to buy back time, President Larry Zavadil believes that Internet technology is one of his company's biggest assets. "The Internet gives customers the ability research and order products without having to be personally guided, face-to-face, through the process," Zavadil said. "With the extra time, sales associates can again prospect during the day, and write orders in the off hours." When used improperly, however, Zavadil stressed that e-commerce can be as much of a

Distributors Continue to Gain
October 20, 2000

Product diversification spurs continued growth By Bill Drennan, Maggie DeWitt and Danielle Litka DIstributors are experiencing another strong year as total sales for the Top 100 Distributors has reached $1.92 billion, compared to $1.76 billion last year—an increase of nine percent. The reason appears to be product diversification as form sales for the Top 100 declined slightly to $780 million, a five percent drop from last year's $822 million. Form sales accounted for only 40.6 percent of total sales this year, down from 46.8 percent a year ago. Label sales increased by five percent to $177 million this year. However labels as a percentage of total sales

Adopt the Status Quo
September 20, 2000

ISO 9000 is rapidly becoming an industry standard but is it for you? By Demian Faunt Brand X Labeling company recently received a phone call from a distributor threatening that ei-ther Brand X become ISO 9000 compliant or the distributor will take its business elsewhere. This scenario is becoming increasingly familiar as more and more companies are adopting what has become the benchmark in quality systems, the ISO 9000 quality management system. Many companies become ISO certified to control the quality of products and services. Some need ISO 9000 compliance to become more competitive. Some companies have to obey a regulatory body that requires certification and

Manufacturers On the Cutting Edge
September 20, 2000

Forms leaders speak out about the past, present and future of the industry Transcontinental Printing, Newtown, Pa., keeping up with industry needs means paying close attention to industry trends and customers' needs. "We make sure we are manufacturing the products that distributors are asking for," said Tracy Dennis, sales manager. She explained that company representatives continually talk to and meet with customers and ask where they see the industry headed. This feedback, she noted, has shown that distributors are seeking fewer continuous forms and more value-added products such as direct mail, label forms, cut sheet products, security features and commercial pieces. "We

Follow Government Orders
July 20, 2000

Although often time-consuming and sometimes difficult, government accounts can be well worth the extra effort. By Janet R. Gross Government and paperwork. The two seem to go hand in hand—and someone has to supply all those forms and documents. Although many government jobs must be bid, making account loyalty uncertain, such customers are still courted by some distributors. Reno, Nevada-based Intraform services Nevada's workmens compensation department. According to President Doug Clary, the state's threshold for competitive bids is $12,000. "That's a pretty good printing order," Clary noted. "There's a lot of printing under that amount." Department heads want to avoid the state's cumbersome purchasing process when they can, Clary

State of the Industry Report
March 20, 2000

Large Distributors: Differentiate To Succeed Collateral printing and value-added services top the list of large distributorsÍ survival tools By Misty Byers In a highly-competitive industry one thing is certain„you canÍt survive if you arenÍt willing to differentiate yourself from your competitors. Successful large distributorships are meeting this challenge by increasing services and extending their product bases. Wauwatosa, Wisconsin-based Teuteberg is doing more commercial printing and ña lot more value-added services such as fulfillment and database managementî than five years ago, said Matt Teuteberg, executive vice president. ñInstead of just having forms in a clientÍs pick-and-pack program, we might include all of their literature,