RW Baird’s Third Quarter 2011 IRGA Survey is currently underway, according to an e-mail I received from one of RW Baird’s team members, this morning.
If you are, or have been, contacted to participate in this survey, please do participate in the survey. It is very important that as many firms as possible participate in the survey. Surveys are only meaningful if meaningful numbers of reprographers participate!
So, participate!
RW Baird contact for this survey:
Two different recent Press Releases from Ennis are reprinted in this blog post. One deals with Ennis’ recently reported financial results; the other one announces Ennis’ acquisition of Printgraphics.
I would not normally post on Reprographics 101 financial results (or comments) about a company that’s not in the “reprographics” industry, but, in this case, I’ve done that, simply because of a comment Ennis’ CEO made in the financial results press release:
In the first press release reprinted below, Ennis’ CEO says, “The new manufacturing facility in Agua Prieta, MX is fully operational and all production has now been transitioned from our Anaheim, CA facility to this facility.” While that “transition” might be good for Ennis’ bottom line, that’s not a good sign for the U.S. job market. More U.S. jobs moving outside of the U.S.
Many years ago, early in my career in the reprographics business, we did operate an “offset printing” division (well, I should really call it a “department” rather than a “division.”) In conjunction with our offset printing business, we were a “reseller” of Ennis business forms. They were a great company to deal with – quick on quotes and fantastic on delivery of completed jobs.
Here are the two Press Releases:
“Ennis Reports Results for Three and Six Months End”
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Press release from the issuing company
Midlothian, – Ennis, Inc., today reported financial results for the three and six months ended August 31, 2011.
Financial Overview For the quarter, consolidated net sales decreased by $12.6 million, or 8.8%, from $143.0 million for the quarter ended August 31, 2010 to $130.4 million for the quarter ended August 31, 2011. Print sales for the quarter were stable at $69.2 million, compared to $69.1 million for the same quarter last year. Due to unexpected softness in the market, Apparel sales for the quarter ended August 31, 2011 were $61.2 million, compared to $73.9 million for the same quarter last year, or a decrease of 17.2%. Overall gross profit margins (“margins”) decreased from 27.8% to 26.1% for the quarters ended August 31, 2010 and August 31, 2011, respectively. Print margins increased during the period from 28.2% to 28.6%, while Apparel margins due to higher input costs decreased from 27.4% to 23.4%. Net earnings for the quarter decreased from $12.1 million, or 8.5% of sales, for the quarter ended August 31, 2010 to $9.7 million, or 7.4% of sales, for the quarter ended August 31, 2011. Diluted EPS decreased from $0.47 per share to $0.37 per share for the quarters ended August 31, 2010 and August 31, 2011, respectively.
For the six month period, net sales decreased from $283.8 million for the six months ended August 31, 2010 to $273.6 million for the six months ended August 31, 2011, or 3.6%. Print sales for the period again remained relatively stable at $136.3 million, compared to $136.9 million for the same period last year. Apparel sales for the period were $137.3 million, compared to $146.8 million for the same period last year, or a decrease of 6.5%. Overall margins decreased from 28.9% to 27.0% for the six months ended August 31, 2010 and 2011, respectively. Print margins decreased slightly during the period from 29.2% to 28.7%, while Apparel margins decreased from 28.5% to 25.3%, again due to higher raw material costs. Net earnings for the period, decreased from $25.2 million, or 8.9% of sales, for the six months ended August 31, 2010 to $21.1 million, or 7.7% of sales, for the six months ended August 31, 2011. Diluted earnings decreased from $0.97 per share to $0.81 per share for the six months ended August 31, 2010 and 2011, respectively.
The Company, during the quarter, generated $19.0 million in EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) compared to $22.2 million for the comparable quarter last year. For the six month period ended August 31, 2011, the Company generated $40.9 million of EBITDA during the period, compared to $46.0 million for the comparable period last year.
Keith Walters, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, commented by saying, “Overall the operational results for the quarter were as expected. Print continued to deliver steady revenue levels and operational results, while margins in our Apparel division were compressed some, due to higher raw material costs. Our Apparel raw material cost, on a comparable basis, was up approximately 50%, with continued increases expected over the next six months as the impact of the higher priced cotton makes its way through inventory. What wasn’t expected was the softness in the market during the last quarter. Whether this is just a temporary situation or one we will have to manage for an extended period of time is unknown. As we indicated previously, manufacturers’ ability to navigate through this period of higher cotton costs was dependent upon many factors, one being the continued economic recovery. The current softness in the marketplace will make this an even more challenging task for all concerned. The new manufacturing facility in Agua Prieta, MX is fully operational and all production has now been transitioned from our Anaheim, CA facility to this facility. So while many challenges have been negotiated to date, many challenges and uncertainties continue to mark the short term landscape. However, as always, we will remain vigilant to the task at hand.”
“Printgraphics Acquired By Ennis”
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
Press release from the issuing company
Ennis, Inc. (“Ennis”), has acquired all of the stock of Printgraphics, Inc. as of October 1, 2011. Printgraphics has two locations, Vandalia, Ohio and Nevada, Iowa, both of which will continue producing their current products and services. Printgraphics has been a leading wholesale manufacturer of fully integrated document solutions for over 33 years and is now recognized as the 21st largest and 14th fastest growing company in our industry. Paul Curry, President of Printgraphics, will continue in his role and noted, “We are extremely pleased to announce that Printgraphics has become part of the Ennis family of companies effective October 1, 2011. Ennis is one of the largest and most highly successful printing resellers in the industry. The acquisition of Printgraphics by Ennis will ensure the continued growth of the company into the future by allowing us to take advantage of their vast network of suppliers and economic strength.” ”It is also important to note that our customers will essentially see no change in their daily interaction with Printgraphics. The Ennis business model will allow us to operate as an autonomous business unit. This means our name and all of the associates at Printgraphics that have earned your trust over our long history will continue to be here to serve you now and into the future.” Keith Walters, Chairman, President and CEO of Ennis also noted, “We are very happy to have Printgraphics join the Ennis organization. We are delighted to have Paul and his team continue to work with the Printgraphics customers and continue their fine tradition of quality products and service. As we have done with our other acquisitions, Printgraphics’ customers will see no change in their daily interaction with Printgraphics.”
The other day, I posted an e-mal I received, from ARC, about ishipdocs Version 2.0
Someone later visited Reprographics 101 and posted a comment; this comment indicating that a product called “fileapartment” would be another alternative (for file sharing.)
I visited this web-site:
https://www.fileapartment.com/
And, just one comment: To support Reprographics 101 (that’s this blog), I occasionally have the need to share “files” associated with various articles posted on this blog. I’ve been doing that by using “Google Docs”. The nice thing about “Google Docs” is that it is very simple to use and, even better, it’s free. So, I find myself wondering, “why would I want to pay to use fileapartment, when I can use Google Docs for free?” There is more to ishipdocs than just file sharing or file transmission – ishipdocs does link to a print-partner network. I can’t say the same thing about fileapartment.
Whatever happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, except for the valuable information you learn about the MPS business!
Managed Print Services Association Sponsors Special Workshop for MPS Professionals
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
The Managed Print Services Association (MPSA) will sponsor the first small group MPS workshop January 16, 2012 in Las Vegas. This unique gathering follows the intimate format successfully used by the “no rules MPS” peer group meetings in 2011. Participants praised these previous workshops for their open forums and fresh, honest discussions. Now, through the sponsorship of the MPSA, the next workshop will be open to any active MPS professional with two or more years of experience and who engages with end-user clients on a daily basis.
Registration is free for members of the MPSA, “no rules MPS” and LeopardONE, and $149.00 per person for non-members.
Small Groups Allow More Personal Interaction
Networking is a powerful way to learn more about any craft, and this intimate workshop setting takes that interaction to a new level. The workshop is a true small group experience. The venue focuses on content, substance and discussion, without the distractions and scheduling commitments of a larger professional conference.
”The small group workshop format of the previous no rules MPS workshops received very positive feedback from attendees. Now MPSA is making this discussion-focused, peer-to-peer experience available to a broader community of MPS professionals. Participants are encouraged to ‘come as they are’ for a relaxed interactive, but intense experience,” said MPSA President, Joe Barganier.
Based on Groups of 12
Each group will have 12 participants and an assigned leader who facilitates open discussions on pertinent topics chosen by attendees in advance of the event. The leader will summarize the best practices from the individual groups to be shared later with all participants and the MPSA membership.
Participation is limited to the first 120 qualified professionals, and all attendees must participate in the group sessions. There will be a maximum of eight one-hour sessions, each covering a separate topic. Beverages and light lunch will be provided.
Requests to participate can be sent to Joe Barganier at buckeyefenn@att.net
MPS Workshop Details
Date: Monday, January 16, 2012
Location: Harrah’s Las Vegas
Cost: Free for MPSA, “no rules MPS” and LeopardONE members; $149.00 per person for non-members
Meals: Beverages and a light lunch will be provided
Hotel: Special event rate of $69.00 per night at Harrah’s Las Vegas
Deadlines: Participation cut-off is November 31, 2011
Harrah’s special event rate cut-off is December 12, 2011
Workshop topics: January 2, 2012
I’m not sure that I’d characterize this result as a “surge”, but, on the other hand, any increase is good news for reprographers.
-By Jeff Bater, Dow Jones Newswires; 202 862 9249; jeff.bater@dowjones.com
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Construction Spending Aug Jul ! Consensus: !
Overall Spending +1.4% -1.4%r ! -0.4% !
Residential +0.9% -3.3%r ! Actual: !
! +1.4% !
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WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- Spending on construction projects in the U.S. unexpectedly rose during August, according to a report showing a broad-based increase among builders despite the listless economy.
Construction spending climbed by 1.4% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $799.15 billion, the Commerce Department said Monday. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires had projected spending to drop by 0.4% in August.
The surprising surge, following a 1.4% tumble during July, was the third increase in four months.
Yet year over year, construction spending was only 0.9% higher than in August 2010. Builders are reluctant to start projects because the economy is weak. Home sales are near record lows, and municipal governments are grappling with budget shortfalls.
The report showed spending on U.S. residential projects rose 0.9% in August to $246.09 billion compared to the prior month, after falling sharply in July.
Spending in August for projects other than housing increased 1.6%, with outlays rising for roads, churches, and schools.
Private-sector spending on construction rose 0.4% to $510.98 billion. Spending on construction in the public sector surged 3.1% to $288.16 billion, as outlays by state and local governments jumped. Yet for the year, public construction spending was down 6.3%.
The Commerce Department report on construction spending can be found at http:/ /www.census.gov/const/C30/release.pdf
Sorry, but unless you already know about this one – or are willing to stay up late tonight to complete your proposal – it’s too late for this one, because proposals are due NLT 11:30 am tomorrow morning!
RFP – PROPOSAL FOR THE FURNISHING AND DELIVERY OF PHOTO- REPROGRAPHIC AND DIGITAL IMAGING SERVICES REQUIRED BY MIDDLESEX COUNTY CULTURAL & HERITAGE COMMISSION
Please note that all proposals must be received by Tuesday, October 4, no later than 11:30 am, which is when they will be opened and publicly read at the Middlesex County Purchasing Agent’s Office, County Administration Bldg., 3rd Floor, 75 Bayard St., New Brunswick, NJ 08901. Any proposal received after 11:30am on Tuesday, October 4, 2011 will not be given any consideration.
Bids/Proposals (the RFP document)may be downloaded from our website at http://co.middlesex.nj.us/purchasing/publicnotice.asp
Bidders/proposers please submit one (1) original and two (2) copies of the RFP. All submittals must be sealed.
I’ve placed a copy of the RFP document in my Google Docs library; click on this link to access that document:
Just out on http://www.aecbytes.com….
“BIM for Facilities Management ”
An AECbytes Feature Article
Article Summary
This article looks at the current status and future outlook of the application of BIM in the field of FM (facilities management), including the BIM integrated modules of leading BIM applications such as FM:Interact of FM:Systems, which includes BIM integration with Autodesk Revit, ArchiFM for Graphisoft’s ArchiCAD, and Bentley Facilities. It also looks at two other vendors that are developing different technological solutions and services for facilities management and lifecycle management: EoDomus and Onuma Systems.
The field of FM is too vast and diverse to be captured in a single article, but hopefully this overview will be helpful to those seeking to have a better understanding of the potential of BIM in FM, and the technologies and services that are currently available to facilitate it.
Article Link
http://www.aecbytes.com/feature/2011/BIMforFM.html
This is the 3rd Quarter 2011 update to the index of the U.S.A. A/E/C reprographics industry’s sales revenues of “plans-printed-on-paper”.
The A/E/C Repro PPoP Index …..
This index does not attempt to track “total sales” of A/E/C reprographers. It attempts to track only sales of “plans printed on paper,” which, traditionally and even nowadays, is the core (main) revenue generator for all A/E/C reprographers.
And, by “plans printed on paper”, I mean A/E/C “plans”, large-format, b/w and color, unbound or bound, full-size, half-size, whatever large-format size.
There will be a recovery in the A/E/C industry and thereby in the A/E/C reprographics industry. However, some are saying that even though there will be a recovery in the A/E/C industry, the recovery of sales revenues from “plans printed on paper” may not mirror the A/E/C industry’s recovery, since some are expecting (I guess I should say, some are saying) that revenues from printing plans on paper are being negatively impacted by customers distributing CD’s (or files) instead of distributing “hard copy” plans.
For this index, Q1 2006 is the ground-zero (base) point.
YR– 2006—–2007—–2008—– 2009—–2010——2011
Q1– 1.00——-1.09——-1.10——0.65——0.55—–0.65
Q2– 1.06——-1.18——-0.98——0.65——0.60…….0.61
Q3– 1.08——-0.97——-0.85——0.57——0.60…….0.62
Q4– 0.89——-0.93——-0.64——0.49——0.58
A NOTE OF CAUTION TO PEOPLE WHO’VE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS INDEX! The “index” calculations for periods after Q3 2010 have been slightly adjusted to take into account the effects of an acquisition completed by one of the industry’s supplier/vendors. KEEP THAT IN MIND WHEN YOU “PONDER” THE INDEX NUMBERS.
(This index is based on A/E/C Repro Vendor sales to A/E/C Reprographers)
REMINDER …..
Eastern Regional Reprographics Association (ERA)
Annual Convention
November 3-5, 2011
Where: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
There will be a vendor trade show at this convention!
For more information, go to http://www.eastrepro.com
10 GREAT REASONS TO ATTEND THE ERA REGIONAL IN HILTON HEAD
-You can take a long exercise walk around the Hilton Head area. (I don’t know of any of your who can’t use the exercise!)
-You can play golf. (This one is a convention event.)
-You can play tennis. (I did not see “tennis” listed as a convention event, but, just the same, I’m sure they have tennis courts somewhere nearby)
-Or, instead of playing golf or tennis, you can go surfing!
-You can go fishing! (This one is a convention event.)
-Apparently, the convention hotel is located on the beach. So, for those of you who are a bit hard up, rent a metal detector and look for left-behind jewelry and coins on the beach. Nice way to relax and get a good exercise walk.
-You’ll get to hear Suri give his opinions on the future of the reprographics business and industry. (He’s the “keynote” speaker at this year’s convention.)
Keynote Speaker, Friday November 4th morning
The Future of Reprographics
Presented by K. “Suri” Suriyakumar, Chairman, President and CEO of ARC
The ongoing economic conditions and dramatic downturn in construction activity has drastically altered the reprographics industry. In many cases, once vital businesses have shrunk to less than half their size, and others have simply closed their doors. In addition, our industry is being challenged with disruptive changes in technology, customer workflow, a growing desire for “greener” products and services, and of course, significant pressure to reduce costs while increasing efficiency.
-You’ll have the chance to network with friends, competitors and industry vendors. Networking more important, nowadays, than ever before. You can never tell when a “connection” will lead to an opportunity.
-You’ll get to participate in this year’s “educational” program. (We are never to old to learn something new – always keep an open mind, none of us “know it all.”)
-and, finally, you might get a chance to meet the author of Reprographics 101 live and in-person! Wow, now that’s an opportunity no one wants to miss. (My wife has a different opinion on that.) I’ve been granted a press pass to attend the ERA Convention. If I can make it, I’ll be there.
DART: It’s all connected
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) gets you around Dallas and 12 surrounding cities with modern public transit services and customer facilities tailored to make your trip fast, comfortable and economical. Our extensive network of DART Rail, Trinity Railway Express (TRE) and bus services moves more than 220,000 passengers per day across our 700-square-mile service area.
PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITY!
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REPROGRAPHICS OF ENGINEERING (documents) Solicitation Number: B-1021039 |
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Contact: |
Reginald Valentine (rvalentine@dart.org or 214/749-3452) |
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Procurement Type: |
Invitation for Bid |
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Offers Due: |
10/20/2011 |
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Anticipated Conference: |
10/11/2011 |
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Offers due time: |
2:00 PM |
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Description: DART IS SEEKING FIRMS WITH THE ABILITY TO PR0VIDE REPROGRAPHIC SERVICES IN SUPPORT TO RAIL DEVELOPMENT ENGINEERING DOCUMENTS. Vendors who’ve already downloaded the IFB documents (as of 10/2/11):
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Reprographics 101 