The beginning of the year is a good time for reflection and looking forward. We have just finished a challenging year for the industry. Two major suppliers, manroland and Kodak, have filed for bankruptcy. Technology marches forward at an ever increasing rate. Industry consolidation is continuing and paper usage is declining.

This may leave you with a feeling of hopelessness, despair and depression. If you are a company leader this does not put you in the mood to inspire confidence with your troops. With this in mind, I thought I would take a minute and focus on what is going right.

Industry Consolidation: The last time we had a big run up in consolidation was when Consolidated Graphics and Cenveo went on a buying spree. There were a number of other consolidators that did not last. This time, things are a bit different. Yes, there is still consolidation. But even with large companies it is more strategic and less driven by the stock market. This time the consolidation is driven by regional companies looking to grow market share and/or gain new capabilities, which makes sense for the industry and our customers. There is a goal in mind to make our industry better, reduce excess capacity and have the strongest companies representing the industry.