An industry leader in UV litho inks says there is a growing need for products that “lessen the environmental impact and increase consumer safety”.
Pat Carlisle, President of Joules Angstrom UV Printing Inks, said in an interview with Ink World that the industry must be “strong and diverse”, while the publications market has shrunk because of the 2008 financial crisis, and the packaging “continues to grow as the economy strengthens and consumers spend more”.
Carlisle was recently made President of the National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers (NAPIM), a US-based group which he said “fills a vital role in representing the ink industry” and is also important in “educating both internally and externally to support the many interests in print” and so cultivate the next generation of ink makers and suppliers.
He began his business in 1999, growing it from a project in his parents’ basement into the “profitable business” it is today, with a workforce of 50 and its headquarters in Ohio. NAPIM provides “a unified voice before government”, as well as to related industries such as graphics arts, a function which Carlisle says is “of great importance to the members. They also receive information and assistance for business management and “resources” such as “seminars, webinars, conferences, bulleting and books”.
The new president aims to increase membership and enhance participation in all aspects and strengthen NAPIM’s relationship to its European counterpart, EUPIA, and other similar associations. Looking ahead, the group’s greatest challenge is change: “we must continue to focus on technological, regulatory, and environmental changes involving our industry and allied industries”, Carlisle stated.