Frank Romano:  Hi, this is Frank Romano from WhatTheyThink.com.  We’re here at the Museum of Printing with a very special guest.  I’m gonna have him introduce himself. 

Joe Pasky:  Hi, My name is Joe Pasky and I graduated from RIT many, many years ago.  Probably the same time Frank was –

Frank Roman:  No, no, I’m not that old. 

Joe Pasky:  You’re not that old.  Oh, okay.  But I’m visiting here from China; I’m here for three weeks.  And I’ve been in China for the last seven years working with publishers and printers, both in the State and in China. 

Frank Romano:  Now, as I recall, you have worked for a book printer here in the United States and then started researching partnerships with Chinese companies.  And as a result, you discovered the Chinese market.  You have moved there and became a consultant on printing.  So in essence, how would you sort of describe the Chinese printing marketplace? 

Joe Pasky:  The Chinese printing industry is really big.  In the province where I live, which is just north of Hong Kong, there are 2,000 printers in San Jen, 2,000 printers in Dongguan, which is a half an hour up the rail line.  And another 1,000 printers in Guangzhou.  Another half hour up the rail line.  So, in this southern province there/s 5,000 printers. 

Frank Romano:  And what percentage of them do work for other places than China? 

Joe Pasky:  Most of the printers there are export printers, 80% is going to the west. 

Frank Romano:  Fantastic.  Now is it mostly books or other materials? 

Joe Pasky:  Mostly books because it’s a timing issue.  Books have a longer lead time; the short run stuff is normally done locally here in the States.  The long run stuff becomes a shipping problem so that’s done in the States, when you get into the web printing; the economics suggest it’s better here. 

Frank Romano:  So, most of the printing goes on into containers, goes onto container ships and that’s why they’re in that province because of the ports.  Right? 

Joe Pasky: It’s near the port; it’s also next to Hong Kong.  And Hong Kong for what, 50 years, has been the printing hub in Asia when the British were running it. 

Frank Romano:  And how well equipped are they; modern equipment, older equipment? 

Joe Pasky:  All brand of equipment.  It’s rather surprising to go into a printing plant, and every time I got in there’s another new Heidelberg or Mandrill or Komori going in.  I work with one printer that specializes in art reproductions.  And 50% of their product is export, 50% is for the museums in China.  And they have in one plant, 10 Komoris with scanning spectrophotometers, and another plant in Beijing with another 10 Komoris with scanning spectrophotometers. 

Frank Romano:  How about digital printers? 

Joe Pasky:  I see very little digital printing right now.  I think there are some installations.  I do see it in the narrow web.  The people doing labels and things like that.  I have seen them.  Yeah. 

Frank Romano:  Okay with some of the inkjet equipment that’s over there. 

Joe Pasky:  Yes.   And there are – there is some business with photo books that I start to see at the shows. 

Frank Romano:  Oh, that’s interesting.  So, how much does it cost to live in China? 

Joe Pasky:  I live in a very nice section of Schenzhen called OCT.  And around me are three theme parks.  China’s answer to Disneyland, it’s called Happy Village.  And in my apartment, it’s about 100 square meters and I have three bedrooms, two baths, two balconies, a cleaning lady that comes three days a week, 24 hour security guard with buzz in video, cross the street from me are 10 brand new tennis courts, a new sports center with three swimming pools.  Wal-Mart is 10 minutes away, that’s one of 187 Wal-Mart’s in China.  And the brand new subway is another couple of minutes away; it will take me downtown in half an hour.  There’s 25,000 taxis in Shenzhen and recently the company, BYD, which is a battery company and also a car company has got electric taxis out on the highway. 

Frank Romano:  Wow!  Well, I’m still not planning to move to China, but he makes it sound pretty inviting.  In any case, thank you very much and that’s our opinion.  

Next Time….

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