Labels West

Tis the season—for shoplifting. Add the desperation associated with an economic recession to the busy holiday rush and the end result is probably less than desirable for store owners. Sure, product moves off the shelves, but not through purchase.

A little change never hurt anyone. With that in mind, this year’s big show promises a change of pace, a change of scenery and a change in demand. The newly revamped PSDA (formerly DMIA) will host its annual Print Solutions Conference and Exposition on Oct. 23-25 at the Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore. This year’s featured general session keynote speaker will be Charlie Pesko, founder and president of InfoTrends, a leading market research and consulting firm in the digital imaging and document solutions industries. Technological advances and refined marketing strategies are just some of the issues gaining momentum in a slowing economy. To encourage print

When prospecting for digital label sales, John Shanley, president of Labels West, Woodinville, Wash., suggested distributors ask end-users the following questions: • Are they carrying a lot of label inventory just to get the higher quantity price break? With digital, they can get smaller quantities at larger quantity prices. • Must they wait until their large inventories are exhausted before they can order more labels with some sort of change in the look or copy? Digital allows new designs and ideas to be brought to market much faster. • Are they compromising label designs to accommodate the inherent registration limitations of flexography? Even the

What is an effective strategy for introducing the benefits of digital printing while avoiding deal-busting database dilemmas? Why should distributors of label products, in particular, be excited about digital technology? How can manufacturers running both conventional and digital printing equipment determine which workflow is most appropriate for specific jobs? These are a few emerging issues worth examining as digital printing continues to infiltrate the marketplace.

Counterfeiting is a devastating problem, and one that will never be fully eradicated. But, just how much of an impact is it actually having on the marketplace? Check out these startling statistics estimating the value of counterfeit goods worldwide, which was presented to HP Indigo press owners during the February 2007 Dscoop Digital Solutions Cooperative (www.dscoop.org) at Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa, Fla.: • Pharmaceuticals—$49B • Automotive and aircraft parts—$12B • IT and software—$10.9B • Music and film—$5B • Apparel—$2.1B • Cosmetics and toiletries—7 percent to 10 percent of the worldwide market Overall, counterfeiting has put a $250 billion dent in

1 Ennis Headquarters: Midlothian, Texas Annual Sales $(000): 584,713 Principal Officer(s): Keith Walters, Chairman, President, CEO Employees: 6,200 Locations: 44 2 Champion Industries Headquarters: Huntington, W. Va. Annual Sales $(000): 145,188 Principal Officer(s): Marshall T. Reynolds, CEO Employees: 740 Locations: 22 3 Western States Envelope & Label Headquarters: Butler, Wis. Annual Sales $(000): 117,900 Principal Officer(s): Mark S. Lemberger, President Employees: 731 Locations: 5 4 Printegra Headquarters: Peachtree City, Ga. Annual

Rank: 1 Company: Discount Labels, New Albany, Ind. Labels & Tags Sales $(000): 76,269 Total Sales $(000): 76,269 Rank: 2 Company: Label Art, Wilton, N.H. Labels & Tags Sales $(000): 47,000 Total Sales $(000): 47,000 Rank: 3 Company: Diversified Labeling Solutions, Itasca, Ill. Labels & Tags Sales $(000): 39,200 Total Sales $(000): 39,200 Rank: 4 Company: Data Label, Terre Haute, Ind. Labels & Tags Sales $(000): 33,729 Total Sales $(000): 33,729 Rank: 5 Company: Gill Studios, Shawnee Mission, Kan. Labels & Tags Sales $(000): 31,350 Total Sales $(000): 47,500 Rank: 6 Company: Lancer Label, Omaha, Neb. Labels & Tags

Rank: 1 Company: Ennis, Midlothian, Texas Sales $(000): 559,397 Principal Officer(s): Keith Walters, Chairman, CEO, President Employees: 6,200 Locations: 42 (*Does not include sales figures for Block Graphics, acquired 08/09/06.) Rank: 2 Company: Champion Industries, Huntington, W. Va. Sales $(000): 135,000 Principal Officer(s): Marshall T. Reynolds, CEO Employees: 768 Locations: 22 Rank: 3 Company: Western States Envelope & Label, Butler, Wis. Sales $(000): 111,000 Principal Officer(s): Mark S. Lemberger, President, CEO Employees: 733 Locations: 5 Rank: 4 Company: Printegra, Peachtree City, Ga. Sales $(000): 87,706 Principal Officer(s): Casey Campbell, President, CEO Employees: 822 Locations: 14 Rank: 5 Company: PrintXcel, Montrose,

DMIA’s annual Print Solutions conference and exposition will be held Oct. 3-5 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill. The conference will provide three days of educational sessions, including a presentation by this year’s keynote speaker, Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House and co-author of “Contract with America.” Join Gingrich as he analyzes the current political climate in Washington, DC, and educates attendees on effective leadership. This year’s conference will feature equipment demonstrations, offering distributors better insight into how various applications are produced. In addition, exchange centers will be located on the show floor with more than 34 hours of

from tickets and napkins to labels and wristbands, printed products within the entertainment events and supplies industry are clearly abundant. Yet, they are products people easily take for granted. Even distributors in the print industry may overlook their obvious need. But, a few manufacturers of such items are urging distributors to open their eyes. The potential for prosperous sales exists at the party, so why not join in? Here, the following manufacturers discuss the entertainment events and supplies industry: • Erik Covitz, president, Worldwide Ticket/Ticket Craft, Deerfield Beach, Fla. • John Shanley, president, Labels West, Woodinville, Wash. • Beth Fleming, marketing manager, Carlson Craft,