PIA in trouble?

[Green Printer]

The PIA has undergone a massive change. The following links provide some insight.

Big Changes at Printing Industries of America - WhatTheyThink

Letter from Michael Makin Regarding the Restructuring at Printing Industries of America - WhatTheyThink

 

[D Ink Man]

I do not think they are in trouble. They are just readjusting their business model in order to best serve the industry given the obvious changes going on with communications and medias.

One thing they could do and is my vehement recommendation is to become less politically oriented and as technically driven as possible. Trading in suits and ties for collars of blue would be the best metamorphism they should target and achieve, even in a world that is trying to go with hands that are cleaner and sterile.

The same advice here goes, and even stronger, to the National Association of Printing Ink Manufactures (NAPIM) and National Printing Ink Research Institute (NPIRI). Both factions have evolved into all as one working conjointly together. There are way too many of the politicians within this organization making an extravagant living and lifestyle by residing at the top.

With that said, PIA, NAPIM/NPIRI are unannounced partners together churning forward somewhat wrongly as aforementioned.

There are way too many hard working people that have been shoveled under the caviar and the caveat needs to be signaled for change for the betterment of people and our industries.

D Ink Man

 

[kansasquaker]

They're not in trouble per se. Undoubtedly their revenues are down because of the slow decline of the show in Chicago (a huge source of revenue for them) and of course they have fewer members. Regardless, the facility in Pittsburg was a dinosaur. For example, who is going to send an employee out there to get hands on experience with a four color half sheet? There are hundreds of guys who already know how to use that equipment that can't find a job. They don't need training they need employment.

Of course there isn't much left to print in this country. Catalogs and the like have been scaled back or entirely digitized and an incredible amount of work is done in China or Mexico. A US employer's FICA match for a press operator alone can exceed the entire salary of a pressman in a third world country. Add onerous regulations and all the other government bs and you get a good idea of why the industry is in such poor shape in this country. That's why PIA is so involved in politics. They must try to protect the industry from government to ensure that some printing actually stays in the US. It's doesn't matter how well trained and efficient you are if the competition is working for pennies on the dollar. They can be incredibly inefficient and still have a huge cost advantage.

There's no doubt the executives do too well, but that's true with all similar organizations. I don't think PIA is a special case. I didn't notice any mention of pay cuts or benefit reductions in the restructuring plan. There's also no reduction in dues to go along with the reduced services. Given how common wage and price cuts are in printing, that might have been a nice gesture . . .

 

[john_phillipo]

Half of print shops have closed. That's real trouble.