We were exhibiting at the Grafik’Art Show in Montreal in late April. All in all, the crowds were good and it’s always exciting to meet readers and advertisers face-to-face in conversation. See our show report on page 30.
Congratulations to Karl Belafi and Karl Belafi Jr. from KBR Graphique Ltd. for acquiring the distribution rights for KBA products for all of Canada (except British Columbia).
Nearly $1.5 million has been secured from the federal government for the Canadian Printing Industries Sector Council (CPISC). The money will be used to address skills development issues within the printing industry. CPISC has developed national standards that are being used to guide print education and in-house training programs across Canada. Half of the employees in the Canadian printing industry are over the age of 45 and companies need to replace retirees with skilled employees. Please also note that CPISC’s 2009 forum is upon us and will be held at the Renaissance Hotel in Vancouver on Friday June 12 from 8 am to 3 pm. Jeff Taylor, CEO of Hemlock Printing, along with several other key speakers, will be presenting. For more information go to www.cpisc-csic.ca or call 1-888-688-0293.
With all the doom and gloom in the media lately, it’s great to see that Transcontinental’s Marketing Communications has signed a number of high-profile new clients totaling over $ 2.5 million in new business. Way to go!
Please take note of the Chicago Show in September. Print 09 is running September 11 – 16 at McCormack Place. For more information visit www.print09.com.
Non-conforming and sub-prime mortgages represent 5% – 6 % of mortgages in Canada compared to a huge 22% in the United States. Last month, Prime Minister Stephen Harper told CNBC that Canada had avoided the sub-prime mortgage problem. Like other nations, Canada is coping with the global recession, but we are in a better position to weather the storm than other nations. Our conservatism has been our strong point.
I was at a meeting with Benjamin Tal, Chief Economist for CIBC, and he reported that while he was in New York and Washington last fall, he said the chance of the whole economic machine falling off a cliff was frighteningly real. He felt that Ben Bernankie’s ability to stay cool during the financial crisis and correct the situation, helped to ride out the economic storm – a storm that could have done far more damage than many experts will ever know. He insisted that we will come out of this painful recession by the end of the year. So the message is…hang in there until Christmas!
Until next month, enjoy our great spring and summer weather – and as always, stay positive and stay focused.