Mailbox

Editor:

The cover article about Mail-Well, Inc. in your March issue was written as if we printers are to be worried. I think not.

To me, your article made it clear that the owners are non-printers who sought mergers for the sake of growth. Now what do they do? You suggest they plan to gobble up national accounts.

In my experience, however, there's nothing that can beat the good old local printer who can walk into the client's office and work out details of the next printing project. And many of my clients are branches of larger corporations; they grimace at the prospect of going to their "corporate printer" out East. "Takes too long, costs too much, and they don't understand us here, locally" is often the lament.

And just how will Mail-Well integrate its diverse amalgam of shops—envelope converters, commercial shops, and label companies? I don't know any one client who needs an integration of these disparate printing products. Think about it: those that buy labels rarely need much else, and so on.

I'm sorry, but I feel that Mail-Well grew recklessly like my Great Dane puppy and now can't walk very well as an adult, especially since the company has gone public and needs to show profits to investors.

I for one am kind of relieved to know that this clumsy giant will be trying to get all the big accounts and leave the many, many more regional and local accounts to those of us who still offer personal service and printing craftsmanship.

Bob Lippi, PrintNet (a Proforma company)

Monterey, Calif.