A Bright Future Out There

Tuesday, June 7, 2006 was an historic day for Interprint Inc. At 7:15 p.m. Eastern Time officials cut the ribbon and our new office complex and manufacturing facility was officially welcomed into the world. With that major milestone in the past, we asked president and CEO Bill Hines, Sr. to comment on what he sees looking ahead in 2007 and beyond. While we did not want to limit the discussion we asked four main questions to provide a framework for our conversation.

What are the leading issues as you see them for the industry going forward?

"We keep focusing on the latest technology, and working to adapt new technological advances to our business. It is so important, not only because of some of the efficiencies new technology can provide, but also because it establishes a differentiation factor with our customer. It also comes into play in customer service in terms of rapid response and turn around. Going forward, the powerful capabilities of our new eight-foot press will expand our ability to serve some very specific customers, and increase the expectations they have for us.

Interprint has an incredibly strong growth history. Can you talk about some of your new growth strategies going forward?

First of all, technology, as I said. We've increased our investment in research and development, and created new ways to spread word about innovation throughout the organization, including a new company-wide technical bulletin. We also give wide distribution to the reports on our regular international technical meetings, one of which was held in Germany in November. Second, we will continue to offer the highest level of customer service in the business. I've always said I believe our sales group is second to none—both our inside sales representatives and our account management people. Our goal continues to be to provide our customers with our own special brand of personal service that is simply not available elsewhere. We will also continue to offer strategic marketing and promotion programs aimed at building customer awareness of new products, such as the new Hancock Shaker Village line.

What are the biggest challenges facing the industry?

Most important is to continue to practice our philosophy of exceeding customer expectations. This means we try to foresee ways in which we can provide new, significant benefits to the customer, almost as if we were working right on the floor with them. One that is common to all businesses is rising costs. We work closely with our suppliers and customers to control costs as much as possible without sacrificing quality. This is a constant challenge in our business . We are always focusing on specific productivity issues that relate to costs and production efficiency. Our operations people are continually developing new ways to increase our effectiveness, such as inhouse de- and re-chroming of cylinders.

What is your view of the future of the industry?

Laminate has been the most popular material for countertops for nearly sixty years for several reasons, including the fact that it is both affordable and durable. Now with the strong design emphasis in the industry it is also among the most attractive options. Laminate is now available in thousands of patterns and in an increasing number of specialized and appealing finishes. Laminate for flooring is becoming a sub-industry all of its own. It closely resembles wood, and is capable of fooling even an experienced flooring designer, and of course it is generally more affordable. The level of beauty and durability is achieved through new developments in printing and laminating technology, which have come to the fore in the last few years. As a percent of our business, flooring is growing in double digit figures annually, and I expect this will continue for the foreseeable future.