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    Caution, long-winded blog-post!

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    This blog-post is not about Textura, per se, but about “PlanSwift”, a
    company most reprographers are familiar with and one that was acquired by
    Textura in early 2013.  This blog-post
    shares with our blog-visitors information about PlanSwift’s business and, in
    particular, reveals how much Textura paid for PlanSwift.
    On February 14th, 2013, I posted a
    note on the Repro 101 Blog entitled, “Textura Acquires PlanSwift”. 
    If you wish to read that previous blog-post,
    you can access it by signing on the the IRgA web-site (at
    www.irga.com), then go to the Repro
    101 Blog, then enter “PlanSwift” in the search box, or you can
    access it by clicking on the link immediately below, then scroll to blog-post
    (on Feb 14th) that was Textura’s Press Release about its acquisition
    of PlanSwift.
    I attended the ERA Convention that was held in
    Hilton Head, SC in the fall of 2011. 
    That ERA Convention had a mini trade show, and PlanSwift was one of the
    exhibitors.  I had heard of PlanSwift
    before that, but that was the first time I had had an opportunity to meet
    anyone from PlanSwift.
    If you are not familiar with PlanSwift, here’s
    a link to PlanSwift’s web-site:
    One of the testimonials (among many) from a
    PlanSwift user says this:
    “Eliminating
    the hassle of handling the printed plans is a huge benefit and time saver”.
    At the bottom of the testimonials page,
    PlanSwift says this:
    PlanSwift takeoff software,
    estimating software is the most widely used takeoff software in the
    construction industry, with the price of construction materials now days it
    make sense to get the best estimate possible. The days of manually doing
    takeoffs are in the past
    , jobs come fast with furious deadlines for quotes,
    using our software will allow you to quote more jobs faster with accurate
    pricing according to your digital takeoffs hence leading to less waste,
    more income, and a better bottom line.
    The deep recession experienced by the A/E/C
    Industry, and by Reprographers as well, was caused by a financial crisis that
    led to a virtual halt (or, at the very least, a huge slowdown) in A/E/C
    Industry activity.  Reprographer revenues
    from printing plans on paper (and specs as well) took a nose dive.  But as we Reprographers know, A/E/C customer
    adoption – of technology products and services which enable “less printing” –
    has grown, continues to grow and will continue to grow in the future.  More and more Reprographers are reporting
    that their A/E/C customers are “printing less per project.”  When an A/E/C customer adopts “digital
    take-off” as the business process for estimating the cost to build projects
    (general contractors and sub-contractors all have estimating departments), that
    means that there won’t be as many sets printed as there were before the digital
    take-off method was adopted.
    PlanSwift’s business is expected to grow and
    it fit interestingly well with Textura’s “construction project management
    offerings”, hence the reason why Textura acquired PlanSwift.
    I took the time to read Textura’s S-1 Statement to find out how much
    business PlanSwift brought to Textura’s table and to find out how Textura paid
    for PlanSwift.  I was pretty sure that
    that information would appear in Textura’s S-1 …. and it was.
    Note this paragraph at the beginning of the S-1 document:
    The information in this preliminary prospectus is
    not complete and may be changed. These securities may not be sold until the
    registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is
    effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities
    and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction
    where the offer or sale is not permitted.
    Okay, here we go with the details, and please note that this information
    does not appear in any particular order.
    All of the information below comes directly from this document:  “Amendment No. 4 to Form
    S-1 REGISTRATION STATEMENT”. 
    Evidently,
    this document was filed with the SEC on June 5th, 2013.
    Our
    revenue growth (this refers to Textura’s growth) has been driven by an
    increase in the number of construction projects being managed on our solutions,
    the aggregate client-reported construction value of such projects, and the
    number of organizations using our solutions. In addition, the acquisitions of GradeBeam
    and Submittal Exchange contributed to our revenue growth in fiscal 2012 and the
    acquisition of PlanSwift contributed to our growth in the second quarter of
    fiscal 2013.
    Our
    acquisition of PlanSwift on January 31, 2013 generated $1.0 million of revenue (and
    increased the number of organizations by 1,673) in the six months ended March
    31, 2013.
    In another part of the S-1
    it says this:
    PlanSwift
    In
    order to generate an accurate bid for construction work, the plan drawings must
    be reviewed and an accurate determination of dimensions, such as the length and
    height of a wall or the square footage of an area, and of units, such as the
    number of electrical outlets, must be made. This process is referred to as
    take-off. Prices per unit, wastage rates, and other factors can then be applied
    to take-off results, and by adding other costs such as labor, overhead and
    other items, a complete estimate of the cost of the work to be performed can be
    obtained.
    PlanSwift
    provides advanced functionality that enables users to perform complex take-off
    tasks from digital plans, and to use the quantities thus determined as the
    basis for estimation of material, labor, and other costs associated with a
    project. This approach replaces and improves the traditional method of manual
    measurement and unit count from printed plans and the use of paper or
    spreadsheet-based methods for estimating costs. Take-off and estimating is an
    activity performed by subcontractors, material suppliers, manufacturers, and
    general contractors.
    In another part of the S-1
    it says this:
    In
    addition, PlanSwift competes with several take-off and estimating solution
    providers including On Center Software, eTakeoff and Cloud Takeoff;
    trade-specific take- off solutions such as ConEst (for electrical trades); and
    the estimating capabilities or modules of enterprise resource planning
    solutions such as Viewpoint, the Sage family of products, CMiC Open Enterprise
    and eCMS.
    In another part of the S-1, it says this:
    Acquisitions
    On
    January 31, 2013, the Company acquired certain assets and assumed certain
    liabilities of PlanSwift, LLC (“PlanSwift”). PlanSwift is a developer
    and distributor of software with take-off and estimating capabilities for use
    in the construction industry. Its solutions expand the Company’s suite of
    solutions, especially in the bid estimation process.
    A summary of the purchase price for the
    acquisition is as follows:
    (Note,
    I’ve added three zeros to the numbers)
    Cash
    consideration
     $989,000
    Notes
    Payable to PlanSwift
     $1,214,000
    Issuance
    of 539,000 shares of redeemable common stock
     $7,898,000
     $10,101,000
    (Note, add three zeros to the numbers in this paragraph)
    The
    purchase price remains subject to a customary post-closing working capital
    adjustment payable in cash, and 81 of the shares issued at the closing are
    subject to an escrow arrangement for a period of 18 months after the closing
    for purposes of indemnification claims by the Company against PlanSwift under
    the acquisition agreement. The notes are payable in two equal installments on
    June 28, 2013 and December 31, 2013, or upon completion of an initial public
    offering. Within ten business days following the completion of an initial
    public offering, one unitholder of PlanSwift has the right to require the
    Company to repurchase $1,500 of stock of the Company (based upon the price at
    which shares are offered in the offering) that was issued in connection with the
    PlanSwift acquisition. In addition, in August 2013, August 2014 and August
    2015, PlanSwift (or the unitholders of PlanSwift, if the shares are distributed
    to them) has the right to redeem, on each such date, up to one-third of the
    shares of common stock issued to PlanSwift in exchange for a non-interest
    bearing note payable if the Company does not complete a qualified initial
    public offering (one which results in the shares of common stock being listed
    on the New York Stock Exchange or similar exchange) by such date. The fair
    value of the common shares issued to PlanSwift on the acquisition date are
    classified outside of stockholders’ deficit as of March 31, 2013, and if the
    shares are not redeemed, it will be reclassified to stockholders’ deficit as the
    redemption option lapses over a two and a half year period or as a result of
    the completion of a qualified initial public offering.
    The
    fair value of the redeemable common stock issued to PlanSwift was comprised of
    the fair value per share of the Company’s common stock as of January 31, 2013
    of $14.24 and the value attributable to the redemption feature of $226. Using
    the Probability Weighted Expected Result Method (“PWERM”)
    methodology, the value of the Company’s common stock was estimated based upon
    analysis of the Company assuming various future outcomes, including an initial
    public offering at various dates, a sale of the Company, as well as the
    continuation of the Company as a private enterprise. The fair value per common
    share was based upon the probability-weighted present value of these expected
    outcomes, as well as the rights of each class of preferred stock, common stock,
    convertible debentures, options and warrants. The fair value of the redemption
    feature was determined by probability-weighting the fair value of the put
    right, as calculated under the Black-Scholes model, for each scenario
    contemplated in the PWERM analysis.
    The total purchase price has been
    allocated as follows:
    (Note, I’ve added three zeros to the
    numbers)
    Identifiable intangible assets
     $4,570,000
    Goodwill
     $5,988,000
    Deferred revenue
     $(485,000)
    Other current assets (liabilities),
    net
     $28,000
    Net assets acquired
     $10,101,000
    The
    Company believes the goodwill reflects its expectations related to economies of
    scale and leveraging of the PlanSwift solution with existing and future
    solution offerings. Goodwill is deductible for tax purposes. Identifiable
    intangible assets consist primarily of technology and customer relationships,
    which are being amortized over a period of three and five years, respectively.
    Revenue
    of $994 and a net loss of $10 related to the PlanSwift acquisition are included
    in the Company’s results of operations from January 31, 2013. The Company has
    not disclosed pro forma information related to the PlanSwift acquisition
    because this information cannot be prepared without unreasonable effort.
     – – –
    – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
    Blog Publisher’s two final comments:
    As to PlanSwift’s sales:
    The “SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA” in the S-1 sets forth
    Textura’s “sales for the six month period ending March 31, 2013”
    In a “note” one
    page later, it says, “the acquisition of PlanSwift contributed
    $1.0 million of revenue for the six months ended March 31, 2013.”
    And, in one of the
    paragraphs on the page that shows the allocation of the purchase price paid by
    Textura for PlanSwift, it says this, “Revenue of $994(,000) and a net loss of $10(,000)
    related to the PlanSwift acquisition are included in the Company’s results of
    operations from January 31, 2013.”
    The PlanSwift
    acquisition was effective January 31, so it looks like PlanSwift’s sales
    revenues for the two month period Feb 1 through Mar 31 were $1.0 million,
    meaning revenues of around $500k per month.
    So, unless I’ve misread something,
    it “looks like” Textura paid $10 mil for a business (PlanSwift’s business) that
    was generating around $6 million in annualized revenues, and it also looks like
    PlanSwift was operating around breakeven.
    Textura’s S-1 Registration Statement:
    As to the S-1 I
    pulled the information from for today’s blog-post, I’ve stored a copy of it in
    my Google Docs Library, so, if you want to look through the S-1, you can click
    on this link:  (it’s a large file, so
    you’ll have to give it time to load):

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    An article, titled, “Protecting Your Most Valuable Assets”,  was posted yesterday on Big Picture and was
    authored by Marty McGhie.
    I believe that Marty’s thoughts about this
    subject are “right on”, and I’d like to suggest that my blog-visitors read
    Marty’s article.
    LINK to article:

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    June 2013
    GBC has launched its new line of Spire wide-format
    laminators, available in Spire I, II, III, and IV Series.
    The Spire I series includes Spire I 54C, a 54-in.
    entry-level cold laminating system with a 1.375-in. mounting gap, foot pedal,
    and speeds up to 16 ft/min; the Spire II Series includes Spire II 64Ct,
    a 64-in. mid-range cold laminating system complete with top heat assist, a
    2-in. mounting gap, and speeds up to 16 ft/min; and the Spire III series
    includes Spire III 44T, a 44-in. thermal laminating system featuring
    full top and bottom heat, a 2-in. mounting gap, cold capability with heat
    assist, and speeds up to 17 ft/min.
    All models are equipped with laminating and mounting
    features for tradeshow graphics, backlit and rigid displays, and vehicle
    graphics. The laminators are capable of mounting to thicker substrates and
    finishing at variable speeds of up to 30 ft/min, plus feature accessible
    control panel for easy adjustments, all-steel construction, and custom
    configuration with optional add-ons.
    Spire I 64C, Spire II 54C, Spire II 64C, Spire III 64T,
    and Spire IV 64T are also in the group of 8 new laminators.
    GBC

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    (June 2013)
    The X-Press 1000K flatbed and the X-Press 1000HK hybrid
    models
    CET Color has launched its K-Series of UV
    printers, comprising the X-Press 1000K flatbed and the X-Press 1000HK hybrid
    models.
    Both printers offer Kyocera printheads that deliver
    five-level grayscale imaging and true 600-dpi resolution; they feature 2,656
    nozzles/heads and print 4.25 in. with each pass.
    Both models can accommodate media up to 60 x 120 in.
    Available inksets are CMYK and CMYK + White.
    Top print speeds are 800 sq ft/hr in Production mode; 669
    sq ft/hr in Standard mode.
    CET COLOR

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    UPDATE, JUNE 6, 9:50 AM EASTERN TIME:  I JUST NOTICED THAT TEXTURA’S IPO HAS BEEN INCREASED TO 4,500,000 SHARES.  THAT OBVIOUSLY MEANS THAT THERE’S BEEN EXCELLENT DEMAND FOR TEXTURA’S IPO SHARES.




    On Sunday, June 2nd, I posted a note on the blog
    that Textura (NYSE: TXTR) was set to complete its IPO on Tuesday June 2nd.  Evidently, the IPO kick-off date was changed
    to today.  But, don’t be surprised if the
    IPO kick-off date is moved to next week.
    It’s very interesting that firms such as iSqFt and
    SmartBidNet and Newforma are mentioned as competitors but there’s no mention,
    at all, of firms in the reprographics industry who offer solutions that compete
    with Textura’s software products.
    Very brief description as to
    how Textura describes its business:
    We are a leading provider of on-demand
    business collaboration software to the commercial construction industry. Our
    solutions are focused on facilitating collaboration between owners/developers,
    general contractors and subcontractors.
    From a page on NASDAQ’s
    web-site, here’s how Textura describes its competition:
    The intensity and nature of our competition
    varies significantly across our different solutions. We face competition both
    from point solution providers, including traditional software vendors and other
    on-demand software vendors, and from enterprise resource planning and project
    management solution providers that may address several functional elements of
    our solutions, but that may not be designed specifically for the construction
    market. We also compete with internally-developed and maintained technology
    solutions.
    Our current principal competitors include:
    • CPM. We face limited competition due in
    large part, we believe, to the complexity of the required solution, the
    specific needs of the construction industry and the absence of third-party
    solutions that provide our lien waiver functionality. Competitive solutions
    that may address part of our functional capabilities include GC Pay in the
    North American market and ProgressClaim.com in Australia; enterprise resource
    planning solutions both specialized to the construction industry such as
    Viewpoint, the Sage family of products, CMiC Open Enterprise and eCMS and other
    non-specialized solutions, such as JD Edwards Enterprise One, and various
    solutions offered by Oracle and SAP; and document management solutions such as
    Aconex.
    • Submittal Exchange. We face competition
    from several project management solution providers, in particular from those
    that are specialized in the construction industry. Such competitors include
    Meridian Systems, Newforma and Procore Technologies.
    • GradeBeam. We face competition from other
    invitation-to-bid systems for commercial construction, including iSqFt and SmartBidNet. Certain project management and enterprise
    resource planning solutions also have invitation-to-bid or bid management
    functionality.
    • PQM. PQM is most often being used to
    replace paper-based processes or to establish prequalification processes that
    do not currently exist. Available alternatives include in-house solutions using
    online form submission tools, invitation-to-bid systems and vendor review and verification
    services.
    • Greengrade. We face competition from other
    LEED submission management technology solutions including LoraxPro and GreenWizard.
    Greengrade also faces competition from services provided by many specialized consulting
    firms, architecture firms and construction management consultancies.
     * In
    addition, PlanSwift competes with several take-off and estimating solution providers
    including On Center Software, eTakeoff and Cloud Takeoff; trade-specific
    take-off solutions such as ConEst (for electrical trades); and the estimating
    capabilities or modules of enterprise resource planning solutions such as
    Viewpoint, the Sage family of products, CMiC Open Enterprise and eCMS.
    The principal competitive factors in our
    industry include solution functionality and scope, level of integration with
    other enterprise systems, ease of implementation and use, performance,
    security, scalability and reliability of service, brand, reputation, domain expertise,
    relationships within the construction industry, and financial resources of the
    provider. We believe total cost of ownership to be a lesser factor for most
    general contractors; however, cost is a significant factor in competing for subcontractors.
    We believe that we compete favorably with our competitors on the basis of these
    factors. However, some of our existing or potential competitors may have
    greater financial, technical, marketing and other resources, and there is no
    assurance that we will be able to continue to compete effectively.

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    Blog Publisher’s comment:
    I’ve highlighted (using bold green type) comments in the
    report that relate to residential and non-residential development activity.)
    Federal Reserve Beige Book: District-by-District
    Summary
    The Federal Reserve’s latest “beige book” (June 5th, 2013) report Wednesday said overall
    economic activity increased at a “modest to moderate pace” in most of the
    nation. The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas “reported strong economic growth” in
    its district, the Fed said. The following is a district-by-district summary of
    economic conditions for early April through May 24:
    National
    summary:
    Overall
    economic activity increased at a modest to moderate pace since the previous
    report across all Federal Reserve Districts except the Dallas District, which
    reported strong economic growth. The manufacturing sector expanded in most
    Districts since the previous Beige Book. Most Districts noted slight to
    moderate gains in consumer spending and a moderate increase in vehicle sales.
    Tourism showed signs of strength in several Districts. A wide variety of
    business services expanded, and transportation traffic increased for producer,
    consumer, and trade goods. Residential real estate and construction activity increased
    at a moderate to strong pace in all Districts. Commercial real estate and
    construction activity grew at a modest to moderate pace in most Districts
    .
    Overall bank lending increased since the previous report. Credit quality and
    deposits increased, while credit standards were largely unchanged. Agricultural
    conditions remained mixed across Districts, as weather patterns varied. Overall
    activity in the energy sector was flat, and mining was down.
Hiring increased
    at a measured pace in several Districts, with some contacts noting difficulty
    finding qualified workers. Wage pressures remained contained overall, although
    several Districts reported a modest or moderate rise for selected occupations.
    Districts reported level prices to mild price increases; some manufacturers
    raised prices and some increases for input prices were noted.
    Boston: First District business contacts
    generally report year-over-year increases in economic activity, although
    some—notably in software and information technology services and staffing
    —indicate the pace of growth is slowing. Retailers mostly say demand is
    recovering well after weather-related softness during the winter; manufacturing
    contacts’ sales are also ahead of last year. With only a few exceptions,
    businesses are not hiring much beyond replacement. Aside from food, input
    prices are generally said to be unchanged, although a few manufacturers have
    raised their own prices. The outlook is fairly positive, with most respondents
    expecting the current pace to continue or pick up.
    New
    York:
    Economic
    activity in the Second District has continued to expand at a moderate pace
    since the last report. Price pressures have abated somewhat among
    manufacturers, though they remain more widespread in the service sector;
    contacts continue to report that selling prices are steady to up modestly.
    Labor market conditions continue to improve, and businesses increasingly report
    difficulty finding well-qualified workers. Retailers report that sales were
    tepid in April but picked up in early May, and new automobile sales have remained
    strong. Tourism activity has been mixed but generally robust. Commercial and
    residential real estate markets have strengthened further since the last report
    .
    Finally, credit conditions improved across the board, with bankers reporting
    increased loan demand, widespread narrowing in loan spreads, and declining
    delinquency rates across all loan categories.
    Philadelphia: After many months at a generally
    more modest pace of growth, aggregate business activity in the Third District
    has accelerated somewhat to a moderate pace of growth during this current Beige
    Book period. In
    particular, the growth rate of residential construction
    , general
    retail sales, general services, staffing services, and tourism appears to have
    accelerated somewhat from a more modest rate of growth
    to join auto
    sales and existing home sales at a moderate growth rate. Commercial real estate leasing continued to
    expand at modest rates, while commercial real estate construction continued to
    expand only slightly.
    Manufacturing appears to have declined
    somewhat after expanding slightly last period. Loan volumes at Third District
    banks resumed growing slightly across most categories, while credit quality
    continued to improve. General price levels, as well as wages and home prices,
    were reported to have increased slightly overall – similar to the last Beige
    Book period.
The overall outlook for growth has improved slightly since the
    last Beige Book to anticipate a continuation of the current moderate pace of
    growth. Despite
    lingering uncertainties, contacts expressed greater confidence in the
    underlying strength of the economy, especially as the housing market recovery
    begins to gain strength.
    Firms are more comfortable reinvesting
    where necessary; however, many continue to hold off on major expansion plans of
    capital and labor until the recovery gains more momentum.
    Cleveland: The economy in the Fourth District
    grew at a moderate pace since our last report. Manufacturing orders and
    production were steady or higher. The momentum seen in residential construction since the
    beginning of the year, including multifamily, has been maintained. In
    nonresidential construction, projects are moving very slowly from the
    development to the construction phase.
    Retail sales were below our
    contacts’ expectations during April, while new motor vehicle sales posted
    moderate gains on a year-over-year basis. Conventional and unconventional
    natural gas and oil production was flat, and drilling has declined during the
    past few months. Output at coal mines trended lower. Freight transport volume
    exceeded projections made at the beginning of the year. Demand for business
    credit increased more slowly, whereas large numbers of consumers continue to
    apply for auto loans.
Hiring picked up in the manufacturing and freight
    transport sectors. Reports by staffing-firm representatives on the number of
    job openings and placements, primarily in the service industries, were mixed.
    Wage pressures are contained. Input and finished goods prices were stable,
    apart from increases in construction materials and natural gas.
    Richmond: Economic activity strengthened
    modestly across the District, however growth was constrained by softness in
    manufacturing, federal spending limits, and unusual weather conditions. Retail
    sales flattened, although auto sales generally remained strong. Business was
    also strong at most non-retail services firms, but tourism in some areas fell
    below expectations as a result of an unseasonably cool spring. Banking
    conditions were mixed; residential mortgage demand increased, commercial
    lending varied, and competition for business was sharp. Residential real estate prices strengthened.
    Commercial real estate construction also improved, with positive reports across
    the District.
    Heavy rainfall and fluctuating temperatures delayed
    spring plantings, but forage crops were developing well. In the energy sector,
    demand continued to shift from coal to natural gas. Labor markets were uneven,
    although many employers plan to increase hiring in the months ahead. Reports on
    prices and wages were mixed.
    Atlanta: On balance, Sixth District business
    conditions improved modestly in April and May. The outlook for most sectors
    remained positive as contacts anticipate further improvement in activity for
    the remainder of the year.
Most retailers noted an increase in sales activity
    since our previous report. The hospitality sector continued to be a bright spot
    for the District as occupancy and room rates and revenues remained solid. District real
    estate activity continued to strengthen from positive but uneven sales growth,
    rising home prices, and declining home inventories. Commercial real estate
    contacts have seen improvements in construction since the beginning of the
    year.
    Manufacturers cited growth in new orders and production.
    Bankers asserted that the demand for new loans remained weak. Hiring activity
    was positive, but muted. Prices continued to remain stable and most firms
    indicated having little pricing power.
    Chicago: Economic activity in the Seventh
    District again expanded at a modest pace in April and May. While most contacts
    remained optimistic about growth prospects in the second half of the year, many
    also expressed a greater sense of caution due to elevated uncertainty over the
    economic outlook. Growth in consumer spending increased slightly, while growth
    in business spending slowed. The decline in manufacturing production growth
    flattened out. In
    contrast, construction picked up, led by continued improvement in the
    residential sector.
    Credit conditions eased somewhat. Cost pressures
    were steady, and wage pressures remained moderate. Corn, soybean, milk, and hog
    prices increased, while cattle prices were stable.
    St.
    Louis:
    Economic
    activity in the Eighth District has expanded at a moderate pace since the
    previous report. Recent reports of planned activity in manufacturing and
    services have been positive, on net. Reports of retail and auto sales over the
    past three months have also been positive. Residential real estate market conditions have continued to
    improve, and commercial real estate markets have also improved.
    Lending
    activity at a sample of large District banks was little changed during the
    first quarter of 2013. Prices, wages, and employment levels over the past three
    months have stayed the same or increased for a majority of contacts across the
    District.
    Minneapolis: The Ninth District economy posted
    moderate growth. Increased activity was noted in consumer spending, tourism, commercial
    construction and real estate
    , professional services and
    manufacturing. Residential
    construction and real estate grew at a fast pace,
    the energy and
    agriculture sectors were steady and mining decreased. Labor markets tightened
    since the last report, particularly in the western part of the district. Wage
    increases were generally modest, and overall prices were stable, with some
    exceptions noted.
    Kansas
    City:
    The Tenth
    District economy grew at a modest pace in late April and early May, while
    expectations for activity over the summer months strengthened further. Retail
    sales and tourism activity increased since the last survey, but automobile and
    restaurant sales declined. District manufacturers reported modest growth with
    an increase in production, shipments and new orders in May. Robust growth
    continued in the residential real estate sector, while commercial real estate
    activity improved modestly.
    Slightly higher loan demand and
    improving loan quality led to improvements in the District banking sector.
    Falling crop prices and rising production costs limited farm income growth,
    while the brisk pace of farmland price appreciation moderated slightly.
    District drilling and mining activity held steady, though energy contacts
    expected oil and natural gas drilling to accelerate over the next few months.
    District contacts from most sectors reported moderate price increases,
    particularly for food, building supplies and raw materials. Wage pressures and
    labor shortages picked up slightly, but were limited to skilled positions.
    Dallas: The Eleventh District economy
    expanded at a stronger pace over the past six weeks than in the previous
    reporting period. Manufacturing activity increased overall, and many contacts
    were more optimistic in their outlooks. Retail sales activity improved during
    the reporting period, and auto sales held steady. In the nonfinancial services
    sector, demand for accounting services was strong, legal firms reported modest
    growth, and most transportation services firms noted improvement. Staffing
    services contacts said demand was steady. The housing sector continued to improve, with further gains
    in sales and construction. Office and warehouse leasing activity remained
    steady.
    Financial institutions noted modest growth in loan demand,
    and energy activity improved during the reporting period. Drought conditions
    worsened across the Eleventh District. Prices remained stable at most firms,
    and employment levels were steady.
    San
    Francisco:
    Economic
    activity in the Twelfth District expanded at a modest pace during the reporting
    period of early April through late May. Price inflation was subdued for most
    final goods and services, and upward wage pressures were limited overall.
    Retail sales were a bit soft, while demand for business and consumer services
    was mixed. District manufacturing activity rose on net. Production and sales of
    agricultural items increased modestly. Residential real estate activity expanded robustly, and
    commercial real estate activity trended up, although somewhat unevenly across
    geographic areas.
    Contacts from financial institutions reported
    slight increases in overall loan demand.

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    This afternoon, while sifting through some
    information I found on the Internet, I could not help thinking of the
    expression:
    You can’t keep a good man/woman down!
    Here’s what that expression means:
    (humorous):  “something that you say which means that a
    person with a strong character will always succeed, even if they have a lot of
    problems”
    In this case, the “good man” is Richard
    Bartlett
    , a guy I met, many years ago, when I was in the reprographics
    business in the Washington, DC area.  At
    the time I met Richard, we were actively looking for acquisitions, and we met
    with Richard to express our interest in acquiring his northern Virginia
    (Fairfax, VA) reprographics business, which was then known as Nova Blue.  He had no interest in selling, so nothing happened.
    Quite some
    time ago, I posted articles on the Repro 101 Blog about Nova Blue Reprographics
    filing for Chapter 11 (Bankruptcy Reorganization).  At some point, a Trustee took control of Nova
    Blue Reprographics and, after a few months of operations under the Trustee’s
    management of the business, the Trustee completed a sale of Nova Blue
    Reprographics’ assets and business to ABC Imaging.  (I also reported that transaction on
    Reprographics 101.)  The sale of assets
    included Nova Blue Reprographics’ operations in the “Northern Virginia” market
    area.
    Apparently, Richard Barlett is a perfect
    example of the expression, “you can’t keep a good man down”.
    He continues to be in the reprographics
    business …. In other areas.  His current
    operations include:
    Nova Blue Network, LLC d/b/a “FREDDY BLUE”, which operates in the
    Fredericksburg, VA market area:
    LEADERS IN PLAN
    TECHNOLOGY
    SPECIALIST IN FINE
    IMAGING AND MEDIA SERVICES
    BLUEPRINTING
    SERVICES / EVERYTHING DIGITAL
    and – – – – – –
    KISS BLUE”,
    which operates in Kissimmee, FL market area:
    FLORIDA’S
    SPECIALIST IN BLUEPRINTING SERVICES
    AND WIDE-FORMAT
    COLOR REPRODUCTION, SERVING
    KISSIMMEE, ST.
    CLOUD, AND SOUTH ORLANDO
    There’s another expression, very familiar to
    most reprographers, that goes something like this: 
    “once you’ve got ammonia in your
    blood, it’s stays there forever.”
    Well, the days of ammonia are well past us,
    but, now, I’m wondering, does toner have the same effect?  I guess that must be the case!
    While Richard may have had a case of the blues as a result of
    losing Nova Blue Reprographics in the Northern, VA market, his blues of another
    sort, Freddy Blue and Kiss Blue, live on!
    One final note:  it could be that the Richard Bartlett
    involved in Freddy Blue and Kiss Blue is not the same Richard Bartlett that
    lost Nova Blue Reprographics in Northern Virginia, …. but I don’t think that’s
    the case.

  • Kudos to Catherine Monson and her FastSigns team members!

    FASTSIGNS Earns Recognition for Veteran Recruitment Initiatives

    Friday, May 31, 2013
    Press release from the issuing company
    Only Sign & Graphics Franchise Included on 2013 Military Friendly Franchise List by Victory Media
    CARROLLTON, Texas – As a testament to FASTSIGNS commitment to hiring and recruiting veterans as franchise owners an  employees, Victory Media, publisher of G.I. Jobs,has recognized the company as a 2013 Military Friendly Franchise.
    Comprised of the top 10 percent of franchise concepts doing the most to recruit and train America’s veterans as business owners, the 2013 list was compiled through exhaustive research by Victory Media in which thousands of franchises nationwide were polled. Criteria for inclusion on the list include the franchise’s success in recruiting military veterans, non-financial efforts and financial commitment to recruit and retain veterans.
    FASTSIGNS, the worldwide franchisor for the more than 540 FASTSIGNS sign, graphic and visual communications centers in eight countries, is the only sign and graphics company to make the list. In its efforts to actively help veterans find career opportunities, the company is part of the International Franchise Association’s (IFA) VetFran program that provides military veterans with special incentives and assistance to open a franchise.
    All veterans that choose to become FASTSIGNS franchisees can take advantage of specific incentives including a 50 percent reduced franchise fee of $18,250, in addition to reduced royalties for the first twelve months. FASTSIGNS is the only franchise in its industry to offer a 50 percent discount to any veteran without stipulations.
    Currently, 10 percent of the FASTSIGNS U.S. network is comprised of veterans, and an additional two veterans have signed on with the company to open centers in Denver, Colo. and Brandon, Fla. in the coming months.
    “We truly appreciate the sacrifices that our servicemen and women have made for our country,” said Catherine Monson, CEO of FASTSIGNS. “We want to make sure our veterans have every opportunity when it comes to securing a career in franchising. For those wanting to go into business for themselves, FASTSIGNS is committed to offering aggressive financial support and resources that will help them every step of the way. Our experience is that veterans are outstanding franchisees; they have developed strong leadership and execution skills during their service to our country. This is a perfect recipe for success.”
    Daniel Nichols, who served as a sailor in the U.S. Navy and opened his FASTSIGNS center in 2008, is one example of the many military veterans who have taken advantage of the initiatives and support that FASTSIGNS offers.
    “I always wanted to run my own business and after learning about FASTSIGNS through a friend, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for me,” Nichols said. “I was also drawn to FASTSIGNS because they offered a veteran program and discounts through VetFran. I knew I wanted to go with a company that had a proven business model, so I could learn from the mistakes that others had already made without repeating them. In the five years since joining FASTSIGNS, I have received immense support and business consulting advice from the main office. There is always someone available to help me whether it’s with setting goals, providing sales courses or training on new technologies.”
    FASTSIGNS is the largest sign and graphics franchisor in North America and consistently receives top ratings for system growth and franchisee satisfaction, including: certification as a 2013 World-Class Franchise by the Franchise Research Institute, inclusion on the Franchise Business Review’s 2013 “FBR50”, and inclusion in Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 as the No. 1 franchisor in the sign and graphic category.
    With more than 540 FASTSIGNS sign and graphics centers in eight countries, the company provides marketing and visual communications solutions to businesses, organizations and events of all types and sizes. FASTSIGNS offers a variety of sign and graphics solutions – including banners, building signs, digital signage, yard signs, vehicle graphics, decals, trade show exhibits and displays, point-of-purchase signs, and posters – as well as mobile websites, promotional products, interior décor, branding, printing and other marketing services.
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    NRI is one
    of the five largest reprographics services enterprises in the U.S, with offices
    in NY, NJ, MA, PA, Washington, DC, Atlanta, Chicago and San Francisco (and I hope I
    did not leave any out!)
    NRI recently
    launched a new web-site, RETHINKCOLOR, devoted to its large-format color
    business.  Here’s a link to that
    web-site:

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    Interesting article!
    PRINT & PACKAGING NEWS, COMMENT & ANALYSIS
    SUNDAY, 26 MAY 2013 18:03, by SABINE A. SLAUGHTER
    Just this week the latest IDC report on
    shipments of large format printers (LFP)
    was announced. While Japan
    with positive year-over-year (yoy) results in terms of units shipped (1.2%) and
    shipment value (1.7%) is doing fine, worldwide the LFP market declined 12% yoy
    on shipments in the first quarter – and this after IDC already recorded a
    decline in the third quarter 2012. While not only Japan, but also the US,
    coming second, recorded growth, the worldwide shipments of 45,900 units in Q1
    of this year in the larger application segment still indicate a contraction of
    5.6%. In the graphics application segment, the decline even was at 20% yoy. IDC
    pointed out that all regions recorded a decline whereby “Latin America has
    been the worse impacted region with a 40% decrease in shipments”.
    Should this tell us something I am asking myself?
    Well, let’s look at the picture: Large format printing moved
    mostly from analogue – screen printing – to mostly inkjet – digital printing.
    This enables printers to act on a moments notice on customer requirements. And
    for some time now, large format printing has been touted as a growth area – one
    that could complement commercial printing businesses while at the same time
    sustain growth for lfp only shops.
    On the other hand, the market for large format printing is also
    an Achilles heel for many printers: Yes, the tendency is there to invest in
    digital LFP and everyone recognizes it. But as in every business there is a
    limit as to how much and how big a market can grow. If everyone would jump into
    this segment, then the competition we already experience in book printing,
    commercial printing and other areas, will just be as big. There is a point when
    a market is saturated and a downward spiral is generated. Early adopters that
    already are in the market as well as pure large format print shops are okay, as
    long as their neighbour will not start investing in the same niche market that
    they are already in. Especially in large format printing customer loyalty is
    high as the variety of digital machines offers each and every customer to
    choose the printer and capabilities that match their orders.
    Several LFP manufacturers have already shifted their focus – or
    better said, enlarged their offerings towards other applications such as
    packaging. But even here we need to distinguish. If everyone now moves towards
    these new applications, then we are building another crowd resulting in a
    downward spiral.
    Every print service provider needs to carefully evaluate his
    choices, his business and then move towards a solution that can differentiate
    him from his peers and neighbours. Offering innovative applications, solutions,
    even services that let him stand out. This does not mean that one should not
    invest in large format printers anymore – in contrast.
    A new shiny digital device that can do what all others in that print
    ship can do, will just cater to higher productivity but will not enable new
    offerings. State-of-the-art printers that can output different offerings should
    be sought. But please beware you will have to have new applications on your
    mind, new products and new offerings. While many of the manufacturers already
    will again show a multitude of applications at Fespa – new and innovative –
    remember that every visitor will see those. And chances are that your
    competitor has seen those too. However, if you do have a certain application on
    your mind – new and your own – then look for a printing device that can realize
    those and go for it. More applications, different applications and most of all
    your services will beat the competition, especially if in addition you are also
    offering personalized products, efficiency and fast turnarounds. The
    manufacturers of large format printers can give us indications etc., but to
    develop applications is the task of the print service provider as he knows his
    clients and what they might require or except as next product in their
    portfolio.
    For years now, offset printers have been told to look at large
    format printing to complement their business and some have invested. However,
    if you are just starting to look at large format and have not yet – up to now –
    offered those services, beware. Your competition will be fierce, as the long
    time market participants will not give up their playing field easily.
    But let’s get back to the initial question: What does the
    decline in large format printer shipments mean? Has the market already peaked
    or is about to peak? Truth is, that digital i.e. non-printed signage is taking
    on more and more room. If you look around at airports, railstations, motorways
    and even garages, fuel stations – digital signage has in most places already
    replaced printed large format products. Digital signage evolves more and more.
    Looking at the recent snow storms in the US, Nemo and Sandy or at the Boston
    marathon bombings where police and other authorities constantly posted updates
    on billboards, informing the population of imminent danger and such, this
    information could not have been conveyed by traditional billboards. Some
    countries, such as Australia, regulating building wraps, Japan regulating the
    amount of digital signage or the UAE where digital signage at roads is
    considered to distract the drivers, have already taken stands for or against
    one of the technologies. However, the more digital devices we are using in our
    cars in our environment, the more we are getting used to it. And while large
    format printing can provide added value that cannot be offered by digital
    signage, the last has other advantages that cannot be catered for by
    traditional printing processes. Even PoS has already adopted digital signage
    conveying messages alongside printed signs in shops, malls and nearly
    everywhere where customer contact can or should occur and engage. It seems to
    me as if each and every of those applications will eventually find their
    “right” technology to benefit from.
    Meanwhile, we will have to look at the whole market in order to
    define ourselves and our offerings so that we can serve our clients and
    customers better with even more diverse innovative products.
    And
    just like in real life we will see a lot of these at Fespa.