Public Printer Bob Tapella and NPES President Ralph Nappi addressed journalists at Drupa.

By Bob Neubauer

In the midst of Drupa, the spotlight shifted briefly to the U.S. printing industry during a press luncheon in which Public Printer Bob Tapella and NPES President Ralph Nappi addressed journalists.

Quoting NPES survey data, Nappi revealed that the key issues concerning U.S. printers are the economy (by far), followed by profitability and rising energy/paper prices. He noted that the U.S. print market will dominate the global print market over the next three years but will continue to lose share to Asia. U.S. printers will continue expanding into value-added services, he noted.

Tapella, who led a delegation of 17 GPO staffers to Drupa to peruse the innovative technologies being displayed, noted that GPO is focusing on sustainable printing. He has appointed an exectutive (Patricia Fritz) whose sole job is to look afer sustainable environmental stewardship.

Tapella said he wants to dramatically increase GPO’s use of 100 percent post consumer waste papers. He also noted that GPO is looking into chemistry-free CTP at Drupa, along with environmentally friendly consumables. He voiced his desire to move from web presses to digital printers, since he views digital as a key sustainability initiative.

In keeping with the press conference’s “U.S.” focus, Tapella and Nappi’s comments were followed by a lunch of burgers and fries—because everyone knows Americans love their hamburgers, right?

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Bob has served as editor of In-plant Impressions since October of 1994. Prior to that he served for three years as managing editor of Printing Impressions, a commercial printing publication. Mr. Neubauer is very active in the U.S. in-plant industry. He attends all the major in-plant conferences and has visited more than 180 in-plant operations around the world. He has given presentations to numerous in-plant groups in the U.S., Canada and Australia, including the Association of College and University Printers and the In-plant Printing and Mailing Association. He also coordinates the annual In-Print contest, co-sponsored by IPMA and In-plant Impressions.

Tapella Talks Sustainability at Drupa