Can the "Last Mile" of Manufacturing—Sewing—Be More Automated? Frank Henderson Says Yes

Published: December 16, 2019

A third-generation family-owned company in business for 50 years, Henderson Sewing Machine Company has changed with the times, according to CEO Frank Henderson. With sewing—the "last mile" in textile manufacturing automation—still requiring significant manual labor, Henderson talks about the challenges of automating textile sewn products and the progress that is being made.

GLGA President Provides Advice for Printing Companies in Sourcing Fresh Talent

Published: December 16, 2019

Senior Editor Cary Sherburne discusses industry workforce issues with GLGA President Joe Lyman. He outlines the new skills that are required by HR professionals to recruit new talent to the industry and to educate potential employees about the modern, technologically-based nature of the industry today.

Frank and the Future of the Printing Press (Part 2)

Published: December 13, 2019

In part 2 of a two-part series on the future of the printing press, Frank visits Dallas, Tex.’s Summit Direct, which has one of the largest arrays of printing equipment—offset and digital—Frank has ever seen. He talks with president John Barber and VP of Business Development Mike Robinson, VP of Business Development, about their equipment portfolio, including the Konica Minolta AccurioJet KM-1 inkjet sheetfed press and the different kinds of work they are running on it.

Attracting New Talent to Textile Manufacturing Starts with 8th Graders at the Manufacturing Solutions Center

Published: December 12, 2019

Dan St. Louis describes the work being done over the last 30 years at the Manufacturing Solutions Center to help create and maintain jobs. As part of the Catawba Community College, the group, among other things, hosts tours of its facility and selected manufacturing plants for 8th graders to encourage them to seek jobs in the industry.

Kevin Cushing Provides an Alliance Franchise Brands Update

Published: December 12, 2019

Kevin Cushing, President of the Marketing & Print Division of Alliance Franchise Brands. provides an update on the company's franchise activities in print and signs, as well as its dual branding initiatives with an Allegra and Image 360 franchise under the same roof with a target to reach 100 of those dual-branded operations. He also talked about the various programs Alliance Franchise Brands has to help franchisees with exit strategies and to help new entrepreneurs enter the Alliance Franchise Brands family as well as new product offerings within the network.

Warren Werbitt Says, “We Don’t Need to Be Policed”

Published: December 11, 2019

WhatTheyThink's print evangelist Warren Werbitt exposes the dark underbelly of FSC/SFI/PEFC chain of custody certification, designed to prove that printers are sourcing paper from environmentally sustainable sources. Thanks to auditing fees, $87 million leaves the printing industry each year, and what is gained? The ability to use a logo…which no one uses anymore. He proposes that the industry should come up with its own accreditation and keep the $87 million.