There has been a tremendous evolution in the world of printing and ink, and this year, the National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers’ (NAPIM) 104th Annual Convention emphasized “Succeeding Through Change” as its theme.
 
The convention, which was held at The Biltmore Miami in Coral Gables, FL from April 5-8, looked at a wide range of topics, from environmental pressures on brand owners and on single-use printing, new regulatory mandates and the concepts behind resiliency and innovation.
 
April 6 Session
 
The NAPIM Annual Convention began with a keynote talk by Scott Burrows on “Vision – Mindset – Grit.” Burrows was a star football player at Florida State University who, as a result of a car accident, was diagnosed as a quadriplegic. After six months of intense physical therapy, he progressed further than anyone could have imagined. Through hard work and dedication, he regained some of his abilities.
 
“My life changed in a few seconds,” said Burrows. “You have a clear choice – either to be bitter and frustrated or be better in the face of adversity. Focus on things you can control and accept what you can’t change is a mindset. People view the impossible as nothing more than an excuse to not try. You have to take accountability, let go of the past and begin the upward fight, and have to be willing to fail but not willing to quit.”
 
NAPIM then held its Annual Meeting and State of the Industry Report, which was presented by John Jilek Jr. of Ink Solutions and Bryce Kristo of INX International.
 
NAPIM’s officers for the coming year are president Jim Leitch of Wikoff Color; VP Knut Fenner of Colorcon, No-Tox Products; treasurer Gregg Dahleen of Central Ink; and secretary John Copeland of NAPIM.
 
As for the State of the Industry Report, NAPIM estimates ink sales at $4.58 billion, up from 2017 ($4.3 billion), led by packaging printing. Kristo noted that raw materials remain the top concern for ink companies.
 
“In terms of market issues, ink companies are most concerned about raw material cost, raw material availability and government regulations,” said Kristo. “Internal concerns are health care, transportation and finding and keeping experienced workers.”
 
“Ink companies say printers value quality, price and support,” added Jilek. “Suppliers say ink companies value price, quality and support.
 
April 7 Session
 
Ralph Nappi served as moderator of the NAPIM Conference session on the next two days. The April 7 session began with Aleen Bayard of Transformative Consulting, who discussed “When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Tougher,” a look at the nature of resiliency.
 
“Resilience can be built – it is not an innate trait,” Bayard said. “You have to identify what you can control; trying to control what you can’t is a recipe for frustration. You have to accept change. Leadership requires taking a realistic look.”
 
Bayer’s Guido Schmitz was up next with his talk on “Using a Holistic Design Approach to Drive New Product Design.”
 
He noted that 42% of consumers have used a product more frequently because of the packaging, and 65% have tried something new because of the packaging. He added that 78% of technologists are more than 58 years old.
 
“Holistic means I have to understand everything from the beginning,” Schmitz observed. “Brands have to be authentic and unique.”
 
Jim Lammers of Dart Container followed with an excellent talk on “Emerging Trends, Opportunities and Threats In The Food Service Packaging Market.” Dart Container is the world’s largest manufacturers of foam cups and containers, which is currently under pressure for environmental reasons.
 
“The first driver of change is mental overload, and we need to reduce the ‘burden of choice,’” said Lammers. “The second driver is environmental concerns  and the third is economic uncertainty.”
 
Lammers said that Generation Z consumers, who were born from 1997-2006, are more interested in stories to tell, not stuff to show, and prefer more environmentally friendly solutions.
 
“They can ease the burden of choice, with subscription services, voice or personalization, and can ease guilt by rethinking throwaway culture,” Lammers added. “They want what they want, when they want it and where they want it, like delivery and meal kits. There’s interest in a healthy lifestyle and fitness. They don’t know life without a cell phone or waiting to see their favorite show. They live on their phones. Social media is their hub.”
 
Lammers noted that there is a lot of pressure being brought on major companies.
 
“People are starting to have an emotional response to using single-use plastic,” Lammers said. “Some of our customers are voluntarily deselecting EPS foam and plastic straws. Most paper cups are coated in polyethylene. Many are going public with their sustainability platforms and pledges and reducing the use of single-use packaging, focusing on raw materials used in this packaging. They want to get proactive legislation to avoid thousands of city ordinances.
 
“Our goal at Dart is to provide sustainable packaging. We are trying to develop alternative coatings for paper products to polyethylene for easier composting and recycling, We are developing a new polymer. We all need to be thinking about environmental impact,” Lammers concluded.
 
Mark Faust of Echelon Management International closed the session with “High Growth Levers - How to Accelerate The Growth of Your Business,” where he recommended companies define growth vision, get an agreement of constraints, present options and show at least two paths to your solution. 
 
The evening closed with the Ault Awards Banquet, where NAPIM presents the Ault Award, the most prestigious honor in the industry, as well as its Printing Ink Pioneer Awards. 
 
This year, NAPIM presented Pat Carlisle of Joules Angstrom UV Inks with the Ault Award. The founder of Joules Angstrom, Carlisle served as NAPIM’s president from 2015-17. He received NAPIM’s Printing Ink Pioneer Award in 2013.
 
In addition, NAPIM honored eight industry leaders with its prestigious Printing Ink Pioneer Award:

• Brian Chwierut, raw material category leader, Sun Chemical;
• Daryl Collins, VP of regional operations & marketing, Wikoff Colors;
• George Fuchs, director regulatory affairs and technology, NAPIM;
• David Maternowski, VP of quality, INX International Ink;
• Jean Menard, director of sales, Flint Group;
• Dr. Juanita Parris, global director of materials, applications, and analytical science, Sun Chemical;
• John Sergeant, sales manager, Modern Printing Colors;
• Les Watkins, director - ink vehicle systems at US Polymers-Accurez, LLC

 April 8 Session
 
The final day of NAPIM began with the Technical Associate Members (TAM) breakfast, which featured INX International Ink Co.’s Jon Graunke as the speaker. Graunke spoke about the need for innovation.
 
“It comes down to replication and innovation,” Graunke noted. “Copying is easy but innovation is difficult. Most innovation stalls. It is easy to accept no as an answer. Development and regulatory have converged. We don’t start a project until we go through regulatory. We need to work together, set clear objectives and plan steps to achieve. Get your technical people to talk to our technical people.”
 
Ron Osborn of Wrigley Mars began the final session with his talk on “Partnering for Success in a Changing Environment.”
 
“Today’s consumers' expectations are now headed off the chart,” Osborn said. “They expect full transparency and full knowledge right now.”
 
Osborn noted that food contact materials must be safe and appropriate for their intended use and that suppliers understand their responsibilities.
 
“I have to sell candy and I cannot put a warning on the candy that says the state of California says it contains a chemical that could cause cancer,” he noted.  “So how do we win? We have to have transparency. We have to communicate. We have to collaborate on the solutions. I need to have relationships directly with ink companies, and you should partner directly with the brand owners.
 
“We are developing new and innovative products,” Osborn concluded. “Consumers are demanding packaging that keeps their food fresh forever but with no chemicals. It is challenging.”
 
NAPIM’s George Fuchs followed with an in-depth look at  “The Ever Changing Health, Safety and Environmental Landscape.” He noted that in the early 1970s, the US EPA, OSHA and Consumer Product Safety Commission all were formed. Now the regulatory world is far more complex.
 
“Those were the good old days,” Fuchs said. “We have had to expand our focus in recent years. Today we have a much more global view, since China, EU, Japan and others have their own regulatory structures. The list of excluded materials is growing, and there is a delicate balance between hazard and risk. Companies should prepare for increasing restrictions on input raw materials.
 
“I’m seeing an alarming trend that some companies feel if they are in compliance with the most stringent regulations,” he added. “That is not the case. The US FDA regulations are different from the EU. NAPIM is working on a project with the FDA for getting a guideline on human health hazard of printing inks on food packaging.”
 
National Association of Manufacturers’ (NAM) Chad Moutray closed the conference with “An Update on the U.S. and Global Manufacturing Economic Outlook.”
 
“The US dollar rose 8.8% since Jan. 25, 2018, and has risen 21.6% since June 30, 2014,” Moutray said. “We are at 3.7% unemployment, and expect it to get down to 3.6% unemployment. There are more job openings than unemployed. Real GDP is looking at roughly 2.4% this year. I would say that a recession is not imminent.”
 
In addition, there were a number of activities, including the NAPIM Golf Tournament, Biltmore Culinary Academy Cooking Class, a Thriller Speed Boat tour, a Little Havana Lunch Culinary Walking Tour, Wynwood District Art Tour and NAPIM Fun Night.
 
Next year’s 2020 NAPIM Convention is planned for the Wigwam in Phoenix, AZ in mid-April. For more information, click here.