Speaking at the group's worldwide user conference in Tucson, Arizona, Cushing said the Pindar-owned network must shape and lead trends, rather than just respond to them, and urged centre owners to transition from print services to the broader remit of marketing services providers.
Integrated cross-media marketing techniques and the use of social media channels featured prominently in the busy agenda at the event.
"I honestly believe these next few years present the greatest opportunity of our Alphagraphics careers," Cushing stated.
"Globally, the traditional printing industry is in a state of rapid contraction and we have not been immune to that – our network sales are 20% below where we were three years ago. But Alphagraphics was also the only US brand in our industry to grow its number of locations in 2009."
The franchise has just fewer than 270 centres worldwide, the majority in the US, although it has expanded into Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and China. In the UK it has eight, and Pindar chairman Andrew Pindar said it was "revisiting the structure and model" in a bid to boost UK centre numbers.
Overall network sales last year were $246m (£162m) and there are ambitious plans to double the number of centres worldwide. "A lot of people converting are either from independent print shops or people who have expired agreements with other franchises," Pindar said.
Alphagraphics could also potentially be a beneficiary of the current unrest among a number of UK Kall Kwik and Prontaprint franchisees, even though franchising protocol means it will not actively court them. "We can't contact people from rival chains, they have to come to us," Pindar explained.
In his keynote speech, Cushing unveiled market research that identified a potential market opportunity of some $150bn-$180bn for its franchisees in the US alone. "Just 1% of that is six times the size of the network today, and you could cut this number by 10 and still realise it is a humungous opportunity," he said.
In a rallying call to franchisees, he added: "We are moving forward with a plan of substance and durability. Our customers like our service and quality, and they like us as people and consider us a partner. Create and reinforce your image as a leading business that is so much more than a print shop."
