IRgA Adapts, Positions for Rebound

You may have heard that dogs resemble the personalities of their masters. Well, associations resemble the health of their industries. No industry is truly successful without a strong association, and vice versa. They go hand in hand.

Like many of your businesses, the IRgA had a challenging year. The association’s revenue sources are the first to be reduced when companies cut back on marketing and advertising; dues and subscriptions; and education and training. Like your businesses, the IRgA had to make some difficult decisions.

Suspension of Repro Report. Due to lack of advertising support and a shrinking vendor base, Repro Report will be suspended until further notice. It is our hope to reinstate the publication in some form in the future. In reality, the IRgA is no longer in the publications business, but it is in the content distribution business – sound familiar? Somehow, content needs to be funded – whether it is in the form of a printed publication, Webinar or convention session. We’re working on some ideas that have been successful in other industries, and I’ll keep you posted on specifics in upcoming issues of News Digest.

Membership dues increase. A few months ago, the IRgA Board of Directors decided to implement a scalable dues increase and apply a service fee to cover the administration expenses related to the renewal process. At the same time, because all member benefits are accessible digitally through the Web site, international members now pay the same as North American companies, based on the total number of employees. Historically, in other industries that are consolidating, the remaining firms agree to pay a larger percentage of the total since their stake in the industry has increased.

Convention & Trade Show shake-up. When the 2010 Convention Committee met to discuss plans for next year’s Convention & Trade Show in Palm Springs, Calif., one message rang clear: “It’s time to shake it up. This is no longer our father’s reprographics industry.” In the coming months, and continuously at www.IRgA.com, you will be seeing that the 2010 Convention will be unlike any you may have attended in the past. One guarantee: It will be different, engaging and exciting. As a glimpse: We are attracting new exhibitors (any leads would be appreciated!), introducing interactive adult learning concepts, and even providing education opportunities on the trade show floor.

Advocacy plan taking foot. The IRgA is diligently working to demonstrate its value as the advocate for the reprographics industry, both internally and externally. We formed a committee to discuss various ways that the IRgA can represent the reprographics industry to key audiences.

With a redirected content strategy, strong membership representation, a new and exciting Convention and an industry outreach plan, the IRgA will be positioned to bring additional value to the reprographics industry and supplier community.

One member said that reprographers are like beetles: “We’re survivors. We won’t go away.”
We are a part of a great industry with loyal, determined people who must now adapt and diversify their businesses.

Dogs may resemble the personalities of their masters, but they are incredibly loyal creatures. The IRgA has survived since 1927 because reprographers and vendors saw value in the association. They saw value in gathering among themselves and exchanging ideas and information, sharing best practices and monitoring the competition.

Perhaps most importantly, they saw strength in numbers. They realized that the real value is in the clout they held together. And in order to have clout, you need to have every reprographics company and industry supplier as a member. The more of you that engage, the stronger we become...Together Everyone Achieves More.

If you have any questions, comments and/or general feedback, feel free to e-mail me at SBova@IRgA.com.

Nominations Open for the Prestigious Bukovsky Award

Now is the time to submit your entries for the 2010 Bukovsky Award, our industry's highest honor.

The Bukovsky Award honors the memory of George K. Bukovsky, who worked in the reprographics industry for more than 30 years. During his long career, he was actively involved in the IRgA and worked to further the industry. The award was established after his death in 1990 to honor his outstanding contributions, and the IRgA will celebrate 19 years of recognizing individuals, reprographers and vendors who have also made a lasting impact on the industry. There are several well-deserving candidates, so don't be shy.

Award criteria and the nomination form are available at the IRgA Web site. All nominations must be received at the IRgA headquarters by Jan. 29, 2010.

BERTL would like to invite you to participate in the 2010 BERTL Readers’ Choice Survey. As someone who has experience and knowledge of imaging devices, especially those in the wide format area, BERTL is interested in your feedback. The Readers’ Choice Survey gives buyers, administrators, end users and resellers the opportunity to grade the performance of manufacturers on device performance, feature and solutions offered and integration. The survey takes about five minutes to complete. READ MORE

The IRgA, in partnership with the Robert W. Baird & Company, announces the results of its 3rd Quarter 2009 Economic Trends Study. While the 3rd quarter activity continued to produce below expectations, respondents expect improving year-to-year revenue trends over the next six months. Results of the previous studies can be found in the members-only section of IRgA.com by clicking here.

Your IRgA membership runs from Aug. 1 through July 31 each year. To ensure your company continues to receive all of the IRgA's exclusive member benefits, make sure to renew your IRgA membership today. If you have any questions about the renewal process or have other questions about joining the IRgA, please call headquarters at 800.833.4742.

Need to reach a reprographer in your area? Want to connect with a vendor you met at the 2009 IRgA Convention & Trade Show? Look no further than the IRgA’s new Online Membership Directory. It includes a wealth of features that will make your search more dynamic and accessible.

The IRgA’s Knowledge Library contains educational and research documents, including past conference presentations, policies and procedures, and support information.  As an IRgA member, you can download various documents. In addition, you can also contribute documents that you have developed and wish to share with other members. The IRgA has made it easy for you to contribute by using the “Submit Content” tab within the Knowledge Library. If you have any technical questions regarding any utility found on the IRgA Knowledge Library, please contact the IRgA Headquarters.

Today’s economic difficulties sometimes make a choice like pursuing a higher education a “nice-to-have,” instead of the necessity it would otherwise be if times were good. This year, the CREST Foundation helped keep college a high priority for 21 ambitious and committed kids by contributing $125,000 toward achieving their educational goals.

These students are children of our industry peers working at reprographics shops throughout the nation. Altogether, the parents of these young scholars represent a collective 326 years in the reprographics industry – that’s an average of 15 years in the business. READ MORE

Canon, Océ to Create Global Leader in Printing Industry

Canon and Océ recently announced that they have reached conditional agreement to combine their printing activities through a fully self-funded, public cash offer by Canon for all the Shares of Océ. The offer price of €8.60 per Share of Océ (the “Offer”) represents a premium of 70 percent over the closing share price of Friday, Nov. 13, and 137 percent to the average closing price of Océ’s shares over the last 12 months. The Offer values 100 percent of the issued and outstanding Shares of Océ at approximately €730 million.

Canon and Océ aim to create the overall No. 1 presence in the printing industry, building on an enhanced scale and a combined history of innovation and excellent client servicing. The combination will capitalize on an excellent complementary fit in product mix, channel mix, R&D, and business lines resulting in an outstanding client offer spanning the entire printing industry. READ MORE

Universal Reprographics Acquired by C2 Reprographics

San Diego printing company Universal Reprographics and its Color World and on-site subsidiaries have been acquired by Costa Mesa-based C2 Reprographics, expanding the company's strong regional brand and bringing a new name and numerous upgrades to San Diego-based Universal. The locations in Old Town and Sorrento Valley are now operating under the C2 banner.

Universal's 14 employees remain in their jobs at the two locations, with Sorrento Valley store manager Angel Leano, a 14-year company veteran, promoted to general manager to oversee the San Diego operations. Leading the business development efforts for C2 are sales representatives ShaSha Gideo and Soledad Ramirez. READ MORE

In Other Headline News:

• ReproMAX Expands Strategic Team
• Océ Arizona 350 XT, Océ Arizona 350 GT Printers Win Product of the Year Awards
• Paradigm Imaging Group receives BERTL Four-and-a-Half Star Rating on New EIS Supra
• Colortrac Inc. Relocates to Chantilly, Va., Adds New Technical Support Manager
• BERTL Award Colortrac 4.5 Star Outstanding Rating for the SmartLF Gx+ T42 and SmartLF Ci 40 Large-Format Scanner

Social Media: What is it?

This article originally appeared in the September/October issue of Repro Report, which is available for download.