Back To Work Amid New Hope for Better Times

By Shaun Meany
The PEiR Group

It has been a busy couple of weeks since returning from the PEiR Group’s Executive Conference in Las Vegas. The economic slowdown seems to be continuing but there are growing signs of optimism out there. Some reprographers are reporting that projects temporarily placed on hold are becoming active again.

Much of the anticipated stimulus money for infrastructure improvements and the like have yet to materialize. Despite these delays there was still some good news on new housing starts.

Economic Report: February Housing Starts Jump 22 Percent - 03/18/09
The construction industry received some good news on Tuesday as numbers for construction starts were released. The numbers showed housing starts increasing in February by 22 percent, that number was bolstered by an 82 percent increase in apartment building construction and is the largest single month gain in 19 years. Also receiving a solid boost was the permitting for the construction of single family homes. That number had a significant increase of 11 percent.

Earlier this year the PEiR Group made a commitment to offer monthly educational webinars and it appears they have been a hit among our members.

Webinar’s Held In 2009:


For those members who missed these webinar’s all of the presentation material is posted on the PEiR intranet library under the category: Webinars

IRgA is Coming:

The IRgA annual convention is quickly approaching and The PEiR Group is preparing to announce and demonstrate several new technologies along with our existing family of software products which include:

• PlanWell Enterprise
• PlanWell BidCaster (new release)
• PlanWell PDS
• EWO
• PlanWell Easy Print for KIP and HP
• MetaPrint
• SubHub

New Products to be introduced at the IRgA include:

• iShipdocs
• MetaPrint Abacus
• PlanWell EasyPrint for Océ
• PlanWell Bridge to Prolog

If you have not made your reservations to attend the conference in Pittsburg, there is still time to register. I know everyone is trying to cut costs but I believe it may be more important than ever before to invest in the reprographic industry by joining with your peers for networking, education and good fellowship.

Last but not least, if you do decide to attend, you will learn first hand how the PEiR Group is preparing the reprographics industry with best practices and new purposeful technologies that meet the needs of today designers, contractors and owner/developers.

I hope to see you in Pittsburg!

Shaun