Training and Education

IT WOULD be foolish to overlook how valuable an experienced, committed and skilled set of employees is to a company. This is especially true in an industry such as the graphic arts, with its strong focus on technology, trends toward computer-based processes and a continued shortage of qualified labor. The latter is an ongoing problem for Suttle-Straus in Waunakee, WI, admits President John Berthelsen, who adds that the lack of skilled workers in the industry has limited the company’s ability to grow and expand as rapidly as he would like. “We have now geared ourselves much more towards identifying and hiring bright, motivated entry-level people and

WORLD AND industry viewpoints alike are set to come together at the upcoming 2006 Web Offset Association (WOA) Management and Technical Conference. But what sets this meeting apart in our conference-heavy industry? According to the WOA’s executive director, the combination of heavy-hitter speakers and relevant industry information will keep those attending the event wanting more. “We want attendees to be able to customize the experience for their individual needs,” reports Mary Garnett, PIA/GATF vice president and WOA executive director. Titled “Decision Points 2006,” the 54th annual conference will take place at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando, FL, on May 21-24. Designed for executives

This year’s recipient of the Web Offset Association’s Harry V. Quadracci VISION Award might seem like an obvious choice, due to some family connections. Yet, it’s been hard work, determination and technological innovation that propelled Thomas A. Quadracci to the top of America’s largest privately held printer, not his last name. Quadracci will be presented with the eighth annual VISION Award on May 22 during the WOA conference. The honor was named after Quad/Graphics’ late founder and Thomas’ older brother, Harry Quadracci, who was the inaugural recipient in 1999. The timing of the award also couldn’t be better. Currently, chairman and CEO of Quad/Graphics, Tom

NOT MANY Americans made the trip to the largest English-speaking trade show in the world in 2006. In Europe, virtually everyone carries a passport for identification, but here in the U.S. a driver’s license is the norm. Because our country is so large and self-sufficient, Americans are generally loathe to travel internationally. So Americans are not expected at IPEX, the once-every-four-years trade show held in Birmingham, UK. But, in many respects, it is our loss. Those who made the trip for the eight-day show saw the latest in printing technology across a wide spectrum of processes and business applications. Although the number of

OAHU, HI—Finding future revenue streams for continued growth was the leading theme of the PIA/GATF Executive Leadership Conference, held here at the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa at Ko Olina from March 12-16. The conference, titled “Profitable Growth—2006 and Beyond,” was set against the backdrop of the lush, tropical paradise of this breathtaking Hawaiian island, which put conference goers in a positive frame of mind to address a challenging future that looms for the printing industry. Kicking things off was keynote speaker and author/consultant Steve Little, who borrowed from his experiences as president of three high-growth companies to identify best practices and seven “Irrefutable

STEVE FORBES has been described as a media mogul, a Web-savvy ideologue, a simplified tax advocate, a publisher and, more relevant here, the keynote presenter at next month’s Web Offset Association (WOA) meeting in Orlando, FL. Not only does Steve Forbes know our business, he lives it. Forbes Inc. is an 88-year-old publishing company riding the cusp of the Internet and new media challenges. Having invested tens of millions into the Internet, the president and CEO of Forbes Inc. and editor-in-chief of Forbes magazine continues to be very optimistic about the power of print. In addition to his intimate dealings with the printing industry

ORLANDO, FL—Industry change brought about by the growth of the Internet, consolidation, global competition and outsourcing were key discussion points at the NAPL Top Management Conference and NAQP Annual Conference held last month at the luxurious Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes Hotel. And even the event itself exemplified change—marking the first time the two industry conferences were conducted as one overall meeting with several combined breakout sessions, keynote addresses and social activities. Andy Paparozzi, NAPL vice president and chief economist, kicked off the NAPL portion of the meeting with highlights from the 2006 “NAPL State of the Industry Report.” Always a crowd pleaser with his keen insight

MIAMI BEACH, FL—After watching attendance at its conference dwindle since the booming days of the ’90s, Xplor International teamed up with the successful Graphics of the Americas (GOA) exhibition and conference this year, putting on a joint event held here last month. The partnership seems to have been a wise move, as it freed Xplor from the task of organizing a trade show, allowing it to concentrate on its educational mission. More than 250 sessions were available, covering PDF, JDF, XML, digital prepress, design, variable data and more. GOA, in turn, got a host of new attendees, as well as a larger base of

NEW YORK CITY--John Sateja, senior vice president for information products at Consumer Reports, the publishing arm of Consumers Union, will serve as keynote speaker at the 2006 BookTech and PrintMedia Conference & Expo, to be held March 20-22 in New York City. Consumer Reports has more than 7 million combined paid subscribers to its various information products.  Sateja oversees the publishing, editorial, technical and survey research divisions of the organization and has ultimate responsibility for all information products at Consumers Union, including Consumer Reports magazine and ConsumerReports.org (the world's largest publication-based subscription Web site), as well as several other Web sites, newsletters, books, special interest

User groups are far more likely to be a source for news than the subject of it. That wasn’t the case in 2005, and continuing into this year, largely due to the ripple effect of recent consolidation within the industry vendor community. Advances in technology are also contributing to the transformation of user groups. Much of this activity has been on the digital printing side of the industry, so user groups for products in that segment will be addressed here. An expanded version of this story—including updates on a broader spectrum of industry groups—will be published on www.piworld.com. When Hewlett-Packard announced last