Editor's Note A Strong Industry

by Bob Neubauer

As an industry, in-plants are strong and getting stronger.

I find myself making this statement, on average, once every few months. It usually happens at a trade show after a manufacturer or analyst learns my magazine's name and blurts out, "Aren't in-plants a shrinking market?"

Despite the raised eyebrows and veiled surprise that often greets my proclamation, I support it 100 percent—and so does the data. According to our 2000 Market Data Report (published in our May issue), nearly 70 percent of in-plants predict their workloads will increase this year. An impressive 47.5 percent say they plan to spend more on equipment and software this year than they did two years ago. And nearly 60 percent say they will add additional equipment this year. Many have already started:

• The Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta recently added a two-color Heidelberg GTO 52.

• University of Missouri-Columbia Printing Services installed a two-color, 40˝ Heidelberg Speedmaster, a Muller-Martini Bravo-T saddle stitcher, a Scitex imagesetter and an IRIS proofing system.

• Spartan Stores added a five-color Heidelberg and a Muller-Martini Minuteman saddle stitcher.

• Meldisco Printing Services put in a two-color Ryobi 32000 press.

• Allstate installed a five-color, 40˝ Komori Lithrone perfector and a Creo computer-to-plate system.

These are just a few of the many installations reported on the pages of IPG recently—with many more leads in our files, waiting to be written. They paint a clear picture of an industry that plans to stay strong and is equipping itself to survive.

Sure, outsourcing firms are still out there, trying to convince gullible CEOs to fork over control of their printing—their image. And they are succeeding in grabbing the reigns from some unprepared in-plants. But the majority of in-plants have endured such challenges with no negative impacts. Indeed, nearly 32 percent say their in-plants are now stronger because they were challenged.

Fortunately, the future doesn't look too bright for outsourcing firms. With targeted marketing and variable data printing so critical in the business world, how much longer will companies want their private databases in the hands of outsiders? In-house printing will keep this data secure.

In-plants have come far and learned a lot from the challenges they've faced in recent years, and they're gearing up for a long, successful future. The quality of their printing, based on the entries in our In-Print contest, is soaring. The reality, to the disappointment of casual observers everywhere, is that in-plants are survivors, and they'll go on surviving for years to come.