Print World's industry update

  • 2012-12-31
Print World's speaker Josh Ramsbottom from director of the Centre for Excellence in Print Media at NorQuest College in Edmonton delivered a speech on the state of the printing industry and directly challenged concerns that printing services industry employees have significantly in the past decade.

Speaking to printing companies from Mississauga, Toronto, and all over Canada, Ramsbottom noted that in 2001, 81,000 employees were employed in Print industries, while in 2011 only 56,000 held printing jobs. While it would appear that Print industry employment is in decline, numbers do not include businesses that use printing serves as secondary function and productivity has increased through the number of professionals with a wider spectrum of functions and abilities.

When addressing investments in new technology, it would appear that the printing industry has thrived, at least in Canada. A strong Canadian dollar has helped to drive technology, with heavy investments in machines between 2007 and 2009, a period of recession in global markets. Printing sales are ultimately tied to the success of other markets, the speaker noted, with significant growth in the food Packaging areas of the food industry contributing to printing services demands.

While shipment Print sales have been down, Ramsbottom noted that they have caught up and are getting back on track, but did predict caution in the area of printing exports, noting that exports to the US would be a challenge for Canadian printers, due to market forces and the US economy.

The presentation concluded with a valuable piece of advice for successful Mississauga printers for 2013 - become a total provider with value added services, know the core business and put your money where your strengths are.
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