GLOBAL COMPETITION — DANGER LURKS OFFSHORE

“Even medium-sized establishments really need to be thinking about this and what role they can play for their customers,” the industry consultant advises. “If printers ignore offshore printing, they are being written off as ostriches with their heads in the sand.”

Having a marketing mindset and staying close to your largest clients will help aid in the partnership process, Bolte adds. Managing digital workflows, handling proofs and resolving production problems allows an American printer to prove it has a vested interest in its clients’ success. It also allows the printer to mark up the foreign contract enough to cover supervision costs and generate a profit, while the customer still realizes cost savings.