Opportunity Knocks

Providing value-added services might be more important than ever as many emerging markets ramp up their manufacturing capabilities. These countries provide a new avenue of supply, both abroad and in the North American market.

"Continents such as Asia—where technological know-how is strong—and the new consumer markets in central and east Europe, particularly Russia, are now looking at exporting their narrow-web print offerings—and are likely to compete on price in international markets," says Reardon. "This is a serious threat for western producers, where margins are already under pressure and raw material prices are rising."