Leveraging Our Purchasing Power to Navigate a Tight Paper Market
It’s no secret marketers have been feeling the squeeze of a tight paper supply. The size of the North America pulp and paper market was $64.32 billion in 2021, with the U.S representing $59.54 billion of the total, as reported in Fortune Business Insights, April 2022 Market Research Report. North American production capacity of uncoated freesheet paper declined from 8.3MM tons in Q1 2018 to 6.5MM tons in 2022, while coated freesheet capacity declined by 48% since January 2017, down to an estimated production of 2 million tons in 2022.
Transforming IWCO to Elevate Our Clients’ Marketing Performance
I’ve been saying since I joined the company as CEO, and it’s never been more true: it’s an exciting time at IWCO. I’ve spent the majority of the last few months meeting with teams across our platform to discover what’s working, where we can improve performance for our clients, and how we can continue to […]
APTech Sponsored Amplify Show Coming to Minneapolis
During my more than 30 years in the print industry, I have seen direct mail as a media form constantly evolve and change. You must adapt and grow with the advances in technology, or be left out in the cold (and I am not just saying that as a resident of Minnesota.) As a board member of the Association for Print Technology (APTech), and VP of Operations at IWCO Direct, I feel it is important to share information on the new technology, latest trends, and events in the print industry with our valued clients.
Our 53 Year Legacy is Only the Beginning: Our Plans for 2022 and Beyond
Happy Birthday to IWCO! 53 years is no small feat, and after spending just a few weeks here, I can say our legacy is built on the knowledge of the experts who make up our team. As the new CEO of this great company, I’d like to thank all my new colleagues for their warm […]
Maintaining Focus on Our Environmental Footprint in a Weird Market
The forces influencing today’s print industry and related sustainable printing efforts are complex and often confusing for printers and their clients. Key factors include electronic media, technology and innovation, environmental regulations, global economics, and increasing use of mobile and interactive platforms by consumers. Sustainable printing methods are becoming more and more popular as individuals and […]
Where is the Paper Market Headed in 2022?
In 2021, the direct mail industry saw rapid and consistent change. Key influences of these changes included a shift in the U.S. remote workforce, global supply chain disruptions (particularly the paper market), and national labor shortages, which drove evolution as companies looked for new ways to reach consumers. We expect this period of rapid change […]
We Are Ushering in A Golden Age of Color Accuracy and Consistency
Companies invest tremendous resources into developing the colors that represent their brand. With brand identity such an important matter, it’s no surprise they demand color accuracy and consistency across all their materials. However, this can create quite a challenge when various pieces are produced on different equipment, which are all calibrated differently, not to mention […]
IWCO Direct Recognized for Sustainability Efforts
We were recently honored to learn that IWCO Direct was recognized by Canopy, an international environmental non-governmental organization (NGO), for our sustainability efforts and continuing to prioritize forest conservation and low-footprint, sustainable paper sourcing throughout the challenges of the last year.
Accelerating Speed to Market for Direct Marketing Campaigns
The goal of any marketer is to achieve greater marketing ROI by “hitting the mark” with relevant, personalized messaging to drive response with cost efficiency. An increasingly important component of production efficiency is to develop marketing communications as rapidly as possible across all channels. Obviously, e-delivery (email, web, SMS/MMS) affords the opportunity to go quickly […]
The Benefits and Challenges of Cellular Manufacturing for Direct Mail Production
My posts for SpeakingDIRECT often highlight new technologies IWCO Direct is exploring or capabilities we are adding, but innovation and efficiency aren’t just driven by the equipment we employ. Processes and workflow can be just as important in ensuring IWCO Direct maintains its leadership role.