Sandy Alexander: Ownership of the Future

"That's why we got into it," he says. "We know they're going to have to change it." As for the revenue that rolls in from helping customers keep up with the turnover, Madigan says, "it's like an annuity."

It isn't strictly about the money. Madigan says that by adding job tracking, shipping updates and other support services for customers, the division creates "barriers to exit" that keep its wide-format relationships strong.