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Vol. 3, No. 7 | February 20, 2008
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Industry News [[HOT TOPIC]] U.S. Print Industry vs. Economic Downturn Here's some good news to report in early 2008, despite the shaky economic times facing our country and our industry. According to an article by Caitlin Fitzsimmons in printweek.com, which looks at things from the European perspective, the "smaller U.S. print industry [is] in better shape to face economic decline." Intrigued? Read on: The U.S. printing industry has come through the "carnage and consolidation" of the past decade intact and is in a good position to weather an economic downturn, according to the Industry Measure 2008 Printing Forecast. The sector saw some severe casualties over the decade, with litho printers shrinking 25% from 18,087 in 1998 to 13,570 in 2005, while pre-press establishments dropped 45% from 3,142 to 1,717 over the same time period. The repercussions of this is a smaller spend on equipment. According to the report, the U.S. print industry is outlaying less money on equipment now than it was in the mid-1990s -- $4.9 billion in 1998, compared with $2.4 billion in 2005, with prices not adjusted for inflation, according to U.S. census data. The report argued that the U.S. printing industry, while smaller, is healthier than it was in the mid-1990s, but warned that "economic turmoil could have a 'trickle-down' effect and short-circuit whatever progress the industry has made in the past several years." Digital printing, web-to-print, multi-channel marketing and environmentally friendly printing will remain hot in 2008, while online proofing, wide-format printing and variable-data printing are gaining in prominence. The trend for offshore outsourcing has peaked and is on the decline, while integrated automation and JDF are firmly on the backburner, the report said. Digital printing is now the number one sales opportunity for printers, after hitting a new peak in autumn 2007, with 41% of printers identifying it as a growing market. In spring 2007, more than half (51%) of U.S. printers performed digital printing in-house, while another 16% offered digital printing but outsourced it, according to an Industry Measure survey. LED Inventor Brightens Up Hall of Fame The inventor of the light emitting diode (LED) will join the inventor of the original light bulb, amongst others, when he is inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame this year along with a handful of fellow brainiacs. Nick Holonyak Jr., formerly of the General Electric Company and later with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, developed the first practical visible-spectrum LED in 1962 and is widely seen as the "father of the light-emitting diode." In 2008, he will enter the same hall of fame that welcomed Thomas Edison when it first opened in 1973 in Akron, Ohio. Created by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the National Council of Intellectual Property Law associations, the hall was established as the "premier not-for-profit organization in America dedicated to recognizing, honoring and encouraging inventions and creativity." Previous inductees have included scientists who developed photovoltaic silicon solar power cells, transistors and the television remote control. "Think for a moment, of the impact of LEDs," said Richard Herman, chancellor of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "Today, they are ubiquitous, in games, household products, medical equipment, automobiles and countless other applications." And of course, in signage. Digital Signage Abroad and At Home Daktronics Inc., of Brookings, South Dakota, will supply European outdoor advertiser JCDecaux SA with 20 digital billboards for installation in the United Kingdom. Daktronics officials describe the project as the largest deployment of roadside digital screens in Europe and a significant step in the growth of digital outdoor advertising on that continent. The digital billboards will replace scrolling displays currently in use at various locations throughout London. Each measures approximately 6 meters wide by 3 meters high, or 19 feet wide by 9-feet-6-inches high. The network is scheduled for completion in April. In other digital signage news, Van Wagner Sports and Entertainment, a sports marketing and media sales organization, recently supplied digital court-side signage at the 2008 NBA All-Star game held in New Orleans, as well as its signature rotational signage systems for the 2008 NBA All-Star Jam Session. As part of its agreement with NBA Entertainment, Van Wagner supplied and operated approximately fifty feet of its DLP Courtside Digital Press Table signage. Van Wagner designed customized scorer's tables for the DLP systems located courtside at the New Orleans Arena, and provided sixty feet of rotational signage modules at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center for use during the All-Star Jam Session. "We were thrilled about this opportunity to build on our long-standing relationship with NBA Entertainment," stated John Haegele, CEO of Van Wagner Sports and Entertainment. "The NBA All-Star Game has always been a fun and highly anticipated highlight of the professional basketball season. We looked forward to providing a unique and dynamic in-game signage platform that both enhanced the fan experience and showcased the NBA brand and partners during all of the marquee events of All-Star weekend." In addition to the NBA All-Star 2008, Van Wagner Sports and Entertainment provides signage for 15 NBA teams and has DLP Partnerships with 9 NCAA Division I schools as well as the ACC Men's Tournament, ACC Women's Tournament, and the SEC Tournament. Cree to Acquire LED Lighting Fixtures, Inc. Cree, Inc., designer and manufacturer of LED solid-state lighting components, recently announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held LED Lighting Fixtures, Inc. (LLF) in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $77 million, plus up to an additional $26.4 million over a three-year period. LLF is pioneering the development of LED lighting retrofit products, having developed a viable, energy-efficient, "no-compromise" LED down light for general illumination. This product is being used in commercial and residential applications and is based on the combination of Cree's lighting-class XLamp LEDs and LLF's patented color-mixing technology that produces both very high efficiency and superior color quality. Cree executives hope the acquisition will expand the company's market opportunity by providing direct access to the lighting market and enable Cree to drive retrofit solutions to convert existing lighting infrastructure to energy-efficient lighting, accelerating the adoption of LED lighting. With this acquisition, Cree's business will encompass LED chips, components and lighting solutions. "The combination of Cree's lighting-class LEDs and LLF's lighting-systems technologies should set the stage for Cree to obsolete the light bulb, a 19th century invention that wastes energy and pollutes our environment," said Chuck Swoboda, chief executive officer of Cree. "We believe the market is at a tipping point, with billions of sockets in existing fixtures now addressable with energy-efficient LED lighting. Accelerating this market transformation benefits Cree, our LED customers and lighting consumers." The transaction is targeted to close in early March 2008. LLF will be renamed Cree LED Lighting Solutions. Neal Hunter, chairman and chief executive officer of LLF and Cree co-founder, will rejoin Cree as president of Cree LED Lighting Solutions. The remainder of the LLF management team will continue in their roles within the organization. "Cree is as passionate as we are about moving the lighting market forward and making an impact on energy consumption into the next decade and beyond," said Hunter, LLF chairman and chief executive officer. "This acquisition should make Cree a powerful force for innovation around cutting-edge LED lighting solutions that are unmatched in the industry." Trade Shows Provide Educational and Networking Opportunities Next month is the monster ISA International Sign Expo in Orlando, Florida. But before we get there (we'll highlight the show in next month's edition of SBI Update), let's look at some other conventions and trade shows that might be of interest to those of us in the sign industry. Strategy Institute, a leader in digital signage, in-store TV and narrowcasting education, has teamed up with InfoComm to bring a new event to the professionals in the audiovisual and information communications industries. "InfoComm is looking forward to partnering with the Strategy Institute at InfoComm 08," says Randal A. Lemke, Ph.D., Executive Director, InfoComm International. "Issues related to digital signage are of paramount concern to our attendees and exhibitors, and we believe the Strategy Institute Digital Signage Technology Summit will complement and augment InfoComm's offerings in this growing area of the AV marketplace." The DS Tech Summit, produced and managed by Strategy Institute, will be held on Monday and Tuesday, June 16-17, 2008. The official kick-off for the InfoComm exhibition in Las Vegas will be on Wednesday, June 18. Technology breakthroughs and the drop in hardware costs have now made digital signage an affordable way to communicate way finding, educate employees and delivery public safety messages. Leading corporate, healthcare, education and government facilities, including the National Press Club, Mayo Clinic, Princeton Medical Center, University of Houston Downtown have adopted the technology. "We're excited to bring our model of relevant case studies, real-world solutions and top-notch speakers to help better educate the buyers and advisors on the benefits of digital signage," says David Laird, president of Strategy Institute. The two-day event will cover a range of issues including different systems capabilities for emergency, security, training and entertainment; the newest and best use of technology applications; rollout planning from pilot stage to implementation; vendor and partner selection for success and more. In other show news, the annual Graphics of the Americas arrives this month in Miami Beach. If you want to catch the latest in printing technologies, but don't want to blow thousands of Euros getting to Germany for this year's DRUPA show, then head to Miami Beach for Graphics of the Americas. Run by the Printing Association of Florida (PAF), Graphics of the Americas will be held February 27 through March 1, 2008, at the Miami Beach Convention Center. This year's show focuses on some of the hottest topics in the industry, such as variable-data printing and exploding "brand" security printing issues, such as counterfeiting. The ever-evolving mix of educational conferences also seeks to bridge the gap between design/creative, prepress, and printing, with sessions and exhibits that cover all aspects of graphic design and production. Graphics of the Americas has evolved over the past several years from the premier venue for U.S. manufacturers and vendors to interface with the Latin American graphic arts market (now approximately 37% of the show's attendees), a market that has burgeoned and exploded in the past decade. "In the 80s and 90s, Latin America was seen as the Third World, and no equipment manufacturer paid much attention to it," says PAF president and CEO George Ryan. Since then, however, "they've realized there is an economy down there and it will explode. So manufacturers are now setting up shop." More information on this show can be found at www.graphicsoftheamericas.com.
New Appointments
Alliance Metals, a supplier of painted, anodized and mill finish aluminum to the sign industry, has promoted Todd Roberts to Director, Commercial Operations. Roberts will continue to manage Corporate Operations while also assuming responsibility for overseeing the Inventory Management, Strategic Sourcing, and Pennsylvania Branch efforts. CAO Group has promoted Dr. Gary Maag to General Manager of its Optoelectronics Division, with over-all responsibility for the division's three business units: components, solid state signage, and solid state lighting. Direct Sign Wholesale, manufacturer and wholesaler of channel letter signage, announces the hiring of a new Vice President of Sales, Byron Patton. Patton will oversee the entire Direct Sign Wholesale national sales effort, with primary emphasis on the development of national signage accounts and the buildup of regional sales representatives. FDC Graphic Films is pleased to introduce David Olesinski as Director of Sales. In this capacity, Olesinski will lead FDC's overall sales effort with a continuing emphasis on strengthening relationships with distributor partners.
Meetings and Events
FEBRUARY February 27 - March 1: Graphics of the Americas Exposition and Conference will be held at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Florida. For more information, call 407/240-8009 or log on to www.graphicsoftheamericas.com.
MARCH
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LED Inventor to Hall of Fame
