2022 was truly a recovery year after a very difficult business environment during the pandemic. Nowhere was this more evident than in the franchise networks serving the printing industry.

While most pundits will tell you that, in many markets, print is contracting, these franchise organizations have been able to overcome that prediction. And it’s not just that 2021 was such a bad year that double-digit gains meant getting back to 2019 levels—for many of them, 2021 was actually the recovery year, and the gains in 2022 demonstrate real growth.

One caveat, though, when looking at network revenues: According to data from a recent presentation by M&A firm New Direction Partners, the industry averages 12.3% in price increases to offset inflation. As Dr. Joe Webb used to always point out, inflation adjustments are important in analyzing financial results. That being said, kudos to these organizations for navigating through tough times, and coming out ahead on the other side.