Weeks later, the aftermath of Katrina, one of the most powerful hurricanes to strike the United States, is still visible all over the Gulf Coast. While some people have been allowed to return to their homes, many others are still homeless and wondering what the future will bring. The printing industry in the area has been affected but companies are looking forward to a strong recovery even if it’s a long time in coming.

Ed Chalifoux, Executive Vice President at Printing Industries of the South, Inc. in Nashville, Tennessee, has been talking to people who own or manage member printing companies in the affected areas. Speaking of the printers in the New Orleans area, he said, “I’ve talked to a handful. Some have extensive damage, others not so much.”

The printers in the Biloxi area sustained the most damage it seems. Their facilities are “still destroyed,” he said. The printers whom he has spoken with who had plants in that area are still trying to decide what they will do and whether they will rebuild. He characterizes the situation as a long struggle.