What do you think will be the greatest opportunity for and threat to printers next year?
I think the greatest opportunity that printers have in the forthcoming year is to embrace the changes that are happening throughout the industry and make the best of them… and conversely the biggest threat to printers lies in not doing so.

Our industry has changed dramatically, some would say has become almost unrecognisable in the past few years, but those that will continue to survive and prosper will be the ones that have been prepared to adapt and look positively to the future. Some practices of yesteryear belong to yesteryear and it is imperative that business models develop to mirror the climate of today. At Buxton we constantly examine the way we run our business so that we may improve our overall operating efficiencies and believe that this has contributed to our success to date – and firmly believe that it will continue to stand us in good stead for the future.

What do you believe is the most under-recognised aspect in printing that is likely to become more important in 2010?
The most under-recognised aspect in printing is the wealth of knowledge that lies with the people working in the industry, some of whom have worked all their lives in print. Sadly with the demise of so many companies across the board, there is a very real danger that this wealth of experience and expertise will be lost forever. While long service certainly does not automatically correlate to great knowledge – in some cases it can actually impede growth and development! – I do believe that in many circumstances there is no substitute for experience.

In 2010, there will be fewer printing companies looking after fewer publishers and the factor that will make one printer stand out above all others is the ability to do the job. All printers put ink on paper but the much vaunted added value will actually, I believe, be something far less tangible: the confidence in the knowledge of the printing company to do the job.

How important do you think Ipex will be?
Judging by the exhibitor list, there is certainly no shortage of interest globally, which has to be good news for the print industry as a whole, but whether such an event is being seen as an opportunity for corporate sabre rattling or whether there is a genuine sense that spending times are just around the corner remains to be seen. The printing landscape is undoubtedly changing. At Buxton, we firmly believe that there will be a general consolidation within each of the sectors of our industry and this may result in some surprises. There are a lot of thriving industries in the Far East and I think Ipex will afford them the ideal opportunity to showcase their businesses and as such this may well result in a shift in overall buying patterns. It will be interesting to observe how those who traditionally have been the key industry players will respond.

What can the industry do to increase its profile next year?
The print industry has had more than its share of casualties in 2009 and sadly I believe that there will be yet more as we move into 2010. I think that the single biggest favour the print industry can do to positively increase its profile is to let those companies that keep being resurrected die a dignified death. Everyone deserves a second chance – not least all of the countless employees who find themselves suddenly, through no fault of their own, out of work – but there are some in our industry that appear to be serial offenders with only their own interests at heart. They do not serve the industry well.

Those of us who are passionate about putting ink on paper – and in spite of everything there are still a lot of us – deserve better: we are part of a great tradition and we should be looking to the future to safeguard our industry for generations to come.

What will you do differently next year?
Very little! At Buxton our strategy is simple: we print magazines. We believe we have developed a formula that works for us: we stick to what we’re good at and strive to build upon our proven track record with the intention of becoming even better. Winning the PrintWeek Printing Company of the Year Award was a massive boost for us but also gives us a lot to live up to so there’s absolutely no room for complacency. By continuous self analysis our intent is to improve our overall operating efficiencies so that we can continue to offer the best in terms of price, service and quality for our customers.