Semper Survey Shows Print Revenue Growth

Staffing agency Semper International has released its annual “Industry Insight Survey” for the printing and graphics arts markets, showing a year-over-year increase in revenue and the number of companies considering diversification. And unlike the previous decade, no respondents said that they planned to decrease staffing levels. Respondents were culled from Semper clients and prospects.

Of respondents:
• 64 percent of companies expect continued sales growth;
• 29 percent named upgrading technology a leading threat to their business, along with technology (28 percent), and operating costs (13 percent);
• 57 percent are considering diversification (a 5 percent increase from the previous period). Top categories were direct mail (24 percent), wide-format printing (20 percent) and web-based media (25 percent);
• And 55 percent of respondents reported an increase in quarterly revenue, with an average increase of 20 percent

Not all the results were rosy, however. “Recent macro indicators have tempered our excitement, leaving us wondering whether we are on the cusp of a full-fledged recovery, or if the markets have a bit more bad news in store for us before they return to their pre-recession strength,” Semper analysts wrote.

The survey was crafted by a third-party agency, Cvent, to temper potential bias. The company did not report a response rate.