Another
Printing Scam
In tough times it's tempting to take on jobs that come
in over the Internet from an unknown party; but be careful of scam artists
looking to take advantage of the current economy which has some
printers scrambling for any kind of work. The latest scam was busted by an
alert pair of estimators in New York who smelled a rat when an email came
in from a "Mr. Green" with a Yahoo! account seeking estimates on
70,000 copies of an 8 1/2" x 11" full-color flyer. The red flag
was (as usual) the request for the printer to pay for shipping up front of
the 28 cartons to a Paris, France address, with the promise that "Mr.
Green" would reimburse them on
his credit card. Fortunately, the company insisted that "Mr. Green" be
responsible for payment of the shipping, and as a first-time client, also
required he make full payment via wire transfer, not credit card. With those
two policies in place, the likely scam artist was never heard from again.
The lesson here is it pays to be suspicious and exercise caution when dealing
with a new client.
--Excerpted from the 'Editor's Notebook' column in the February, 2010 issue
of Printing Impressions magazine.
30
States Seek to Limit Health Care Reform
Thirty
state legislatures are trying to use the legislative process to limit, alter
or oppose national health care reform, according to a report from the National
Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). The report, State Legislation Opposing
Certain Health Reforms, 2009-2010, noted that the two main provisions of
health care reform that states are worried about are a single-payer provision
and mandates that would require the purchase of insurance. In general the
NCSL found that the measures seek to make or keep health insurance optional
and allow people to purchase any type of coverage they might choose. According
to the NCSL, as of late January 2010, formal resolutions or bills had been
filed in AL, AK, AR, FL, GA, ID, IN, IA, KY, LA, MI, MN. MO, MS, NE, NH,
ND, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, UT, VA, WA, WV and WY. Also, seven additional states
been reported to be considering future actions. The Democratic-led Virginia
Senate passed a bill on February 1 that makes it illegal for Virginians to
be required to buy health insurance. Follow the latest news in health care
reform at www.printing.org > Government Advocacy > LegislativeActionCenter.
Adobe
Pulls Plug on Print Provider Program
Effective February 4, 2010, Adobe has discontinued its
Print Service Provider Program. Per Adobe, "This decision is based on
membership numbers that are no longer sufficient to sustain the activities
and technology investments that can deliver upon the program's initial goals." Adobe
will maintain its relationship with Printing Industries of America, allowing
PGAMA members to purchase software at a 15% discount. To access this discount
go to http://www.printing.org/page/3537. Member login required.
Environmental
Certification Updates
Printing Industries of America is continuing
its effort to eliminate or increase the sales cap for FSC
Group Certification. In October 2009, the Forest Stewardship
Council (FSC) issued a proposal for a $5 million sales cap
under its Group Chain of Custody program. In a letter sent
to FSC-US last week, the organization reiterated the growing
resentment printers have towards the FSC program, and included
specific printing industry statistics in terms of business
size, sales and profitability. While Printing Industries'
initial proposal of no sales cap was not well received, FSC-US
did include an option to increase the sales cap to a $15
million sales threshold.
Meanwhile in other certification news...
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) released a new standard
in January, SFI 2010-2014 that includes several revisions.
SFI supports a comprehensive, independent certification program
that works with environmental, social, and industry partners
to promote responsible forest management in North America,
and responsible fiber sourcing worldwide. Major revisions
include:
*Improving conservation of bio-diversity and addressing issues
such as climate change and bio-energy
*Strengthening SFI fiber sourcing requirements, which broaden
the practice of sustainable forestry and avoid offshore sources
*Complementing SFI activities aimed at avoiding controversial
or illegal offshore fiber sources
*Expanding requirements for logger training and support for
trained loggers and certified logger programs
The
Privacy Threat
While we worry about "do not mail" legislation,
privacy legislation is probably a bigger threat in the long
haul. Much of the cost-effective power of direct mail comes
from the ability to target recipients who are likely to be
interested in the product or service, and not wasting money
on those who are not. Federal Trade Commissioner Pamela Jones
said, "Data collection, aggregation and use, as well
as re-use, sale and re-sale are driving the creation of online
and offline digital dossiers. Capturing data reflecting individual
interests and habits is an enormous and growing business-evidence
that consumer privacy is under siege." There is not
a hint in her remarks that she understands or cares about
the value to a market economy of efficiently providing information
about choice to consumers. For Ms. Jones' full comments,
go to www.ftc.gov/speeches/harbour/091207privacyroundtable.pdf.
Protect
Your Business & Employees
It's hard enough to get along when
employees are sick, let alone if you must continue to pay
their salaries while they cannot work. And since the average
employee in the graphic arts industry misses 12 days
of work each year due to sickness or injury, the burden
is not insignificant. That is where the Printer's Disability
Trust disability programs can help. If you want to consider
this valuable employee benefit, call Printers' Disability
Trust at 615-399-3828 or 800-342-5799 and get covered today.
Member
News
Marty
Anson (Bindagraphics) and
Jerry Nocar (Advantage Book Binding) have
been inducted into the The
Binding Industries Association (BIA) 2010 Hall of Fame.
BIA is a special interest group of Printing Industries
of America. The recipients will be honored during
the 2010 BIA Mid-Management Conference taking place May
17-19, 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland. Read more at http://www.quickprinting.com/web/online/Industry-News-and-Trends/BIA-Announces-Class-of-2010-Hall-of-Fame-Inductees/1$12287.
Doloff
Printing was featured
in the article "Interfaces for Web-to-Print" in the February
issue of Graphic Arts Monthly.
Peake Printers was
awarded a GPO job for the National Institute of Literacy.
The announcement was featured in the February issue
of Printing Impressions magazine.
Upcoming
Events
| March 3 |
Webinar:
OSHA Recordkeeping, Noon-1:00pm.
OSHA determines whom they will inspect by collecting
injury and illness data (Form 300A), and companies
with the highest injury and illness rates are at risk
of being inspected. Currently, OSHA has been reviewing
the accuracy of Injury and Illness logs because they believe this data is underreported,
and they are questioning the validity of the downward trend in injuries and illnesses.
Tune in to this broadcast to make sure your Illness & Injury
records are correct so you can avoid an inspection.
Led by Mark Flannery, the director of environmental
affairs at PINE and an authorized outreach
trainer through OSHA. Cost is $55 per connection, per
session for PGAMA members $110 for non-members. To
register call PGAMA, 410-319-0900/877-319-0906 or sign
up online at www.pgama.com. |
| March 15-17 |
National Environmental,
Health and Safety Conference: Printing for A sustainable
Future-at
the Sheraton Indianapolis, Indianapolis,
IN. The
one conference for the graphic communications industry
that intersects the needs of safety, environmental
and human resources. Today's workplace requires
multitasking -- and this conference provides you
with the tools and information to accomplish this
goal! Plan now to attend! More info and registration
at http://www.nehsconference.org/nehs10_site/index.html. |
| March 17 |
Webinar:-Get
A Bigger Piece of the Pie Using Social Media, 1:00-2:00pm.
Discover how being involved in social media can be
a leverage component of the multi-channel communications
you offer clients. Tune in to learn:
· The importance
of social media in your marketing strategy
· What
tools you should be focused on and how to use them
· How social
media can be a part of your multi-channel communication
strategy for your clients
This webinar is geared for entry level
to intermediate levels of social media expertise. It will likely
provide great ideas for advanced users. Cost for members
is $49 per connection, non-members pay $99 per connection.
Call PGAMA to sign up or register online at www.pgama.com. |
| March 24 |
Special
Event: 5th Annual Excellence in Print Awards Gala,
5:30-9:30pm at Martin's Crosswinds in Greenbelt,
MD. Come see the big winners of PGAMA's annual
printing competition, plus enjoy the open bar,
great food, and entertainment.
An essential networking
opportunity! TICKETS NOW
ON SALE: $65
each/$600 for a table of 10. Call PGAMA to reserve
seats, 410-310-0900.877-319-0900 or email Carol@pgama.com. |
| March 25 |
Webinar:
Real World of Lean for Print Managers,
2:00-3:00pm. Over 95%
of the total time it takes to process a printing order
and manufacture a printed product is non-value-added.
Lean focuses on identifying and eliminating all kinds
of waste and non-value-added activities with the goals
of slashing costs, faster throughput, improved financial
performance, and higher customer satisfaction. Tune
in to this webinar and learn:
· What Lean Manufacturing is and how
it is applied to the printing industry
· Management’s essential role in
the Lean process
· Eight sources of waste in printing
companies hidden plant
· The difference between “living
Lean” and simply using Lean tools
· Management strategies for sustaining
Lean successes
· And more
Member cost for this presentation is $99 per connection.
Non-members pay $199 per connection. To sign up, go
to http://www.printing.org/node/5951. |
| March 25 |
Production
Club of Baltimore Paper Show, 5:30-8:30pm
at Martin's West. See
the latest innovations in paper, media, and all
things production. Vendor space still available.
Contact JoAnn at
the Production Club of Baltimore. For more info
visit http://productionclubofbaltimore.org/calendar. |
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