Pittsburgh, Pa.— The Ben Franklin Honor Society of the Printing Industries of America inducted 12 new members at its annual black-tie dinner and awards ceremony on Friday, November 14 in Las Vegas, Nev., during the Printing Industries of America fall board meeting. The 2007 Naomi Berber Award recipient, Archer was the chairman of the board of Printing Industry Association of Georgia in 1998 and was named PIAG's 2005 Ben Franklin Award recipient for her tireless involvement and service to her business, the printing industry, and her community. Dennis Balas co-chaired the research, development, editing, and publishing of the printing industry's consummate resources BRIDG'S and GRACoL 1-6, which brought process controls and proper upstream image preparation to the printing industry. Hirsch has served the industry as president of NAPIM, the founder/first president of Los Angeles Printing Ink Production Club, a past board member of PIASC, and a sponsor for many of PIASC's seminars, conferences, and annual meetings. Tom Saggiomo is president and CEO of Agfa Graphics in Ridgefield Park, N.J. Founder of Lastra America that was acquired by Agfa, Saggiomo was instrumental in the introduction of the computer-to-plate technology to the graphic arts industry. Steven Schnoll is managing director of Schnoll Media Consulting, New Providence, N.J. A highly respected consultant on new technology issues, Schnoll started his print career in the late 60s at Jersey Printing Company.
Printing Industries of America, Inc.
HAUPPAUGE, N.Y.—Disc Graphics, an industry provider of innovative packaging solutions has been named “Best Of The Best Workplaces In The Americas” by the Printing Industries of America (formerly PIA/GATF).
PITTSBURGH, Pa.—Printing Industries of America, formerly PIA/GATF (Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation) has unveiled a new name, logo, and tagline.
PITTSBURGH, Pa.—Printing industry profits decreased slightly over the last year, according to the 2008 PIA/GATF Ratios reports. The sluggish economy and slowing print markets pulled down printers’ profitability during the last year (2007-08). The average printer’s before-tax profit on sales was 3.1 percent during this past year. This was a decrease compared to 3.4 percent in the 2007 survey; it also is within the 3.0-3.4 percent range experienced from 1995 to 2001. This is the first decrease in profits in the last six years; at this rate the industry will earn approximately $5.4 billion in total profits over the course of the year. Profit
PITTSBURGH—James Chan, Ph.D., president of Asia Marketing and Management in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, will address taking the China market by the horns on November 13, 2008, 9:45am, at the Label Printing Industries of America (LPIA) Fall Management Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. As a consulting expert on Asian markets, Dr. Chan will examine the challenges and opportunities that exist for proactive business leaders who are considering doing business in China or other Asian countries—cultural considerations, economics, infrastructure, and political viewpoints—as well as avoiding common pitfalls. What are the realities of doing business in a country with a different mindset, legal traditions, and communication? How valid
PITTSBURGH, Pa.—Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF) has announced the 2008 PIA/GATF InterTech™ Technology Award recipients. Twenty-eight nominations were submitted from 21 domestic and international companies, and 10 innovative technologies were selected to receive the award. The independent panel of InterTech judges deliberated over a unique cross-section of technologies, from consumables to MIS systems to large-format printing. Innovative advancements in technology were demonstrated in the form of digital press design, prepress content and color control, flexographic printing material, and value-added print processes. Process efficiency was a prevalent characteristic among many entries; submissions contained solutions to automate production steps, provide in-line process
PITTSBURGH, Pa.—The Label Printing Industries of America (LPIA) says it has gathered the industry’s best and brightest for its upcoming Fall Management Conference, Nov. 12-14, 2008 in Las Vegas, Nev. The conference will offer the following sessions: A View from the Inside-Coors Brewing Company, Operational & Financial Metrics, Taking the China Market by the Horns, Acquisition Strategies, The Global Perspective, and Accelerating Your Performance. Industry experts will also be on hand to answer the tough questions. “Many facets of the industry have undergone change; however, the benefits from participating in the LPIA conference have remained the same,” said Lou Iovoli, vice president of sales
PITTSBURGH, Pa.—Industry interest in and programming on sustainability helped increase attendance at the 2008 National Environmental Health & Safety Conference by 53 percent. About 225 people attended the March event at the Sheraton Indianapolis City Centre Hotel, a number the 13-year-old conference hasn’t experienced since 2002. The keynote presentation by Mark DiVito, “The State of Sustainability in Graphic Communications,” was based on a survey by Reed Business Information. This survey identified how different printing stakeholders are addressing green issues. The results included: • Companies that felt the emphasis on sustainability in printing had increased in the past year: 75 percent. • Companies with a
WASHINGTON, D.C.—President George W. Bush toured and gave brief remarks at Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF) member ColorCraft, Sterling, Va., on March 26. The President highlighted the effect that the recently passed economic stimulus package would have on ColorCraft and its employees. PIA supported this act, which allows for increased expensing and bonus depreciation for small businesses like ColorCraft. The President said, “ColorCraft is a small, thriving business that will benefit from the stimulus package that the Congress passed earlier this year.” ColorCraft CEO Jim Mayes, a former PIA/GATF chairman of the board, accompanied the President, showing off ColorCraft’s facility and
SEWICKLEY, Pa.—Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF) has named Robert Birkland, president of Cirrus Consulting Group LLC in Dallas, Pennsylvania, the recipient of its 2007 William D. Schaeffer Environmental Award. Birkland’s involvement in the printing industry spans more than 25 years. He started his career as a mechanical engineer, installing and troubleshooting web offset presses. His success as an engineer resulted in his recruitment to become vice president of engineering for Arcata Graphics in Baltimore, Maryland. During his time at Arcata Graphics, Birkland participated in a committee that wrote regulations for the printing industry; these regulations were the basis for the Clean
