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For the record: Ruben Silva
It's been eight years since Ruben Silva, Agfa’s Vice President,
Sales and Managing Director, Canada, gazed into his crystal
ball and forecast what was on the print horizon for 2010.
Graphic Arts caught up with Ruben in August 2017 for his
2018 print industry forecast.
C: What’s on the economic radar for 2018?
R: Optimism. The low Canadian dollar (Can$) is creating
opportunities and some challenges for the print industry.
Canadian printers exporting products into the US are experi-
encing increased business and profits. On the negative side,
the weak Can$ has negative consequences for suppliers of
printing plates in Canada. With no Canadian plate manufactur-
ing plants, the low Can$ increases the purchase price for US
manufactured plates. This places every Canadian plate dis-
tributor under severe margin pressure. We have already
implemented two general price increases in an attempt to
recoup from the effects of a weak loonie.
C: What are the industry trends?
R: Without question automation, speed and quality will be
foremost on every printer’s mind in 2018, especially on the
inkjet side of the business. The move from traditional print to
digital, and wide format has structurally changed the industry.
Inkjet printing will continue to grow. With less than 50% of
Canadian and 25-30% of Quebec printers adopting inkjet
technology, there is a considerable amount of growth poten-
tial for print, in general, to diversify and bring wide format
capabilities into their shops. Agfa has done very well in that
sector by offering inkjet solutions to our traditional
customers.
C: What are the biggest areas of need for printers in 2018?
R: There is a huge need for talent: finishing workers, equip-
ment operators and supervisors – anyone involved in the
production side of the business. Printers comment that they
are investing time and money for hands-on training only to
find that as soon as a better opportunity arises the employee
leaves. There are instances where business acquisitions are
made not so much for the business, product or equipment,
but to grab the talent. Labour shortages will help drive pro-
ductivity improvements with new investments in technology
in 2018.
C: Are there any particular areas that Agfa is really
optimistic about in 2018?
R: Optimizing the entire printing environment has been in
printers’ minds for decades and continues to be hit and miss
for most. Today, Agfa provides printers with innovative Press
Optimization Software designed to drive costs out of print, in
terms of makeready times, and paper and ink savings. This
should be a key area of focus for the industry in 2018, and
Agfa has developed many software applications to assist
22 | November 2017 | GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE
Caterina Valentino
printers in reducing
costs.
On the plate side of the
business, Agfa is the
leading manufacturer of
chemistry-free plates in
the world. Sustainability
and reducing carbon
footprints are at the
forefront of Agfa’s cul-
tural values as it
continues to spend
money in plate technol-
Ruben Silva
ogy research and
development to create products that require no or very low
chemistry.
Inkjet: Agfa Canada will continue to expand its product line
to include more media SKUs, as well as the expansion of our
Jeti and Anapurna UV inkjet printers.
C: What advice would you give small print companies?
R: Print shops need to invest in new technology and auto-
mation that increases speed and quality to remain competitive.
Printers realize that, without updating their technology invest-
ments, moving to the next level of profitability and growth will
be very difficult.
C: What drives the print industry?
R: Innovation is fueling the growth areas in the printing indus-
try. Equipment acquisitions are not just about increasing the
overall capacity of business but improving burst capacity. The
demand for quick turnaround makes this an absolute neces-
sity. When printers find themselves using all printing resources
to print a single campaign, they are undoubtedly turning other
work away.
C: Closing comments?
R: Printers need to view their suppliers as trusted partners,
rather than viewing them as just another vendor. Agfa finds
that every printing establishment has its own unique set of
opportunities and challenges. The year ahead will bring print-
ers more opportunities to make the right investments, and
weatherproof their businesses for the future. Agfa’s goal is
to become intimate partners with printers using winning prod-
ucts and services to help build successful enterprises.
Caterina Valentino, PhD, is an Instructor at the Ted Rogers School
of Management at Ryerson University and the Faculty of Health
Disciplines, Athabasca University. She can be reached at
[email protected].
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