Staying On Top, Down Under

"Become consultants to these people, not just order takers," advised the kickoff speaker Richard Cooke, director and general manager of New Litho, an Australian printing firm.

I had the pleasure of recently attending—and speaking at—PPC 98, a conference geared toward both in-plants and quick printers. The four-day event drew more than 100 attendees from Australia and New Zealand. It presented a great opportunity for me to meet Australian in-plant managers and learn about their concerns—which weren't much different than those of U.S. shops.