An Issue Focused on Industry Growth
Most of us magazine types have the mathematical prowess of, say, lime Jell-O. Some of us entered the field of journalism in part because we noticed the regretful expressions on the faces of smarter students as they walked out of calculus classes. Sure, we journalists can figure out how much tip to leave at restaurants, but that's mostly because writers eat and drink a lot.
At Print Solutions, truth be told, we actually get excited about math. We tackled our annual Top 100 Distributors issue with fairness, fervor and (thankfully) a dependable calculator.
Statistics play a major role in helping publications disseminate information and report industry trends. Numbers can be skewed to support agendas, but used correctly, they don't lie. To that end, we invite you to flip through our cover story, "See Who's Growing" (page 46), which includes rankings of distributors based on fiscal 2001 sales, a list of the fastest-growing distributors, a list of companies with the highest sales per employee, rankings based on product sales and rankings based on vertical market sales.
Instead of including only the statistics we gathered this year (as reported by distributors who returned survey forms), we compared those statistics to data we have received since fiscal year 1997. Here are the four trends we found: annual sales growth is down, distributors are getting more out of their employees, commercial printing distributors are growing faster than average and the retail market is booming for companies that target the niche.
In addition to the Top 100 Distributors feature, this issue includes a bevy of other pieces focused on the concept of growth, including articles on variable data imaging (page 34) and promotional products (page 80). You'll also find a column on ways manufacturers can grow today (page 10), a comprehensive industry report on how printing pros can grow their firms by adapting to end user demands (page 28), and a profile of a new distributorship that enjoyed significant growth during its first year (page 18).
No matter your size or business philosophy, each company in the document management industry wants to bring value to customers and make a profit. The ways in which firms accomplish those goals are vastly different, but companies that succeed and grow--no matter their role on the supply chain--deserve congratulations.
Darin Painter
Managing Editor
Profile Brings 2 Awards
Darin Painter, Print Solutions' managing editor, won two awards for his story "Nothing for Granted," a profile of DMIA President Mark Trumper that appeared in the September 2001 issue.
These latest awards, Painter's 8th and 9th in his three-plus years on the magazine, are from the prestigious American Society of Business Publication Editors Awards Competition, which is open to any nationwide printed business publication. The contest drew more than 2,000 entries. Painter won a silver award in the Individual Profile category in the East region and a silver award in the nationals.
Print Solutions has amassed 68 awards for writing, design and online excellence in 13 consecutive years.
Editor in
Chief
Peter L. Colaianni, CAE
Vice President, Publications & New
Media
Brad Holt
Managing Editor
Darin Painter
Assistant Editors
Kara S. Carpenter
Rita Tiefert
Circulation Manager
Diane Saunders
Art Director/Production
Manager
Roxanne Rash
Contributing Editors
Mark J. Trumper
J. Buster Weinzierl, CDC
Publications Committee
Gary W. Nelson,
Chairperson
Allen
Conway
Ric Fisher
Ginger Garrett
Dennis King
Kevin Lombardo
Marvin A.
Makofsky, CFC
Markus
Marfurt
Dominic
Mencarini
Donald D.
Patteson, Jr.
Nick Nesci,
CFC
Jeffrey P.
Townsend, CFC
Mark
Trumper
Advertising Sales
Jack
Burris
The Townsend
Group Inc.
4920 Elm St.,
Ste. 325
Bethesda, MD
20814
Phone: (301)
215-6710
Fax: (301)
215-7704
Print Solutions
Online
Print Solutions,
the only industry magazine to win awards for writing
and design excellence, is available online at
www.printsolutionsmag.com.
The site includes daily news, a comprehensive archive
of Print Solutions articles,
a complete media kit, links to industry companies and other features not included
in the magazine.
Print Solutions
is the official publication of the Print Services & Distribution Association (PSDA), the Association for Business Printing Independents.
Unsolicited manuscripts are welcome. Please address all submissions to: The
Editor, Print Solutions
Magazine, 433 E. Monroe Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301-1693.
Phone (703) 836-6232, fax (703) 549-4966. You can reach us via email at
bholt@printsolutionsmag.com
Visit our World Wide Web site at www.printsolutionsmag.com.
Volume 40, Number 6, June 2002.
Print Solutions
(USPS 205-400, ISSN
1535-9727) is published monthly by DMIA, 433 E. Monroe Ave., Alexandria, VA
22301-1693, (703) 836-6232.
Subscriptions: $29/year for DMIA
members included in dues, $49 for non-members (plus postage for Canada and
foreign). Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, VA, and additional mailing
offices.
Postmaster: Send address changes to
Print Solutions,
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Statements of fact and opinion are
the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply approval on the part of
the Publications Committee, Officers or Membership of DMIA.
Copyright 2002 by DMIA. Articles may not be reprinted without
publisher's permission.
Printed in the USA.
