Message from the President Re: Paper Supply
A Message from the President
March 24, 2022
Dear PIAG members,
I’m reaching out today about the paper shortage that’s affecting nearly every printer in Georgia and throughout the U.S. It’s a stressful, challenging situation caused by a frustrating combination of supply chain disruptions, misalignment between capacity and demand, changes and difficulties in the paper industry, and ongoing labor shortages.
Unfortunately, there is no quick fix. The most optimistic projection I have heard from folks in the paper industry is that things will start to improve in the 3rd or 4th quarter, but some say it may be next year.
Printers I’ve talked to that appear to be weathering the storm all recommend the following:
- Plan ahead and stay current on lead times
- Communicate early and often with your suppliers – they are critical partners in your success
- Be flexible by seeking and using alternatives
- Remain patient and professional
PIAG’s objectives are to help our members and the industry. We have taken several steps to do so:
- PIAG and our 12-sister regional print industry affiliates sent a joint letter to the paper manufacturing and distribution community emphasizing our united strength and calling on our friends and business partners in the paper industry to help our printer members mitigate the impact of this challenging situation.
- PIAG is offering webinars to members on the paper shortage. A well-attended session titled “Paper Problems” by Scott Hidler, President of Clampitt Paper covered causes of the current problem and the outlook for 2022. Slides are available to download, and the full webinar will be rebroadcast on Thursday, April 7.
- PIAG is working to get you as much information as possible. We recently launched a paper shortage resource page with the latest news and updates.
- We continue to provide timely information through the Pressing News e-newsletter and the PIAG LinkedIn page.
We will continue to keep you updated.
As always, please feel free to contact me at 678-816-1164 or jon@piag.org.
Sincerely,
Jon Krueger
PIAG President & CEO