Finnish figure hobby is internationally rare phenomenon. Reading books and filled the library of the scour has been the tradition from parents to children.
the book press of in turn has been a respected profession, which has made a long career. Then came the digitekniikka and everything changed.
ink-stained hands have been almost unnecessary, when one no longer needs the paper to the printed schedules, forms, let alone dictionaries. Hard covers bound novel pressing again is largely shifted to the cheaper costs behind the Baltic countries.
– hard cover-line machine of the nurses that is, hard covers drivers were already used to in Finland, few in number, but highly professional troops. Before they fit in one bus, now together in a cab, entrepreneur Juha Manninen describes the start of the change.
Manninen is a long line of printing entrepreneur and publisher, who was accompanied by about ten million paid digital weight construction Juvalle a few years ago.
the price difference between the gulf of Finland south of the weight is not a percent decrease, but rather multiply.
Juha Manninen
Bookwell Digital company crashed over a year ago, when expensive equipment is not functioning effectively enough as at times.
It was, however, something unique. I was the first person who saw how huge the plane of the wheel and push from inside of me ready books and there was not a single soul – not anyone, Manninen describes his feelings when everything worked.
the Weight, however, was spinning only half the pace, which ate profitability, and consumed the entrepreneurs money. New capital is obtained, and so the front was bankruptcy.
– the price difference between the gulf of Finland south of the weight is not a percent decrease, but rather multiply. In finland, book printing cost, at worst, three times more, Manninen said.
Bankruptcies and acquisitions
Manninen partners experience bankruptcy is one of hundreds, which the Finnish printing sector has been facing over the last couple of decades. Since 2003 there have been nearly three hundred.
according to Statistics finland, Harri little fabric / Yle
Almost 20 years ago Finland was still a good 1300 weight companies. Last year there were only a few of the more than 870, so the bankruptcy in addition to happened to company stores or companies is not only found continuous. Weight companies the number of employees in the same period of time decreased to less than half.
–Acquisitions much has been done in just the last few years. Companies have sought to acquire broader shoulders in order to work the market more effectively and to get the price level to a level that is competitive also with neighbouring countries, the printing Industry association director of Elias lodge up there said.
One of the most active player in mergers and acquisitions have been red and black-the group that purchased the last years, several weight company, most recently in July this year in Tampere and Vantaa to Lahti book weight.
– We want to be the last of Finland still remaining actors, among them, red and black weight side the director of Jari Avellan said.
New business specialising
of Course, the book press of the is not the end of the world sector, after all, the companies still left several hundreds and operating the exchange to accumulate more than a billion a year.
the Remaining companies are beginning to think about new business, which survive in the competition of diminished orders. Although digitalization has taken the industry from a whole bunch of jobs, for is that they also created.
the bay located in the mark print is a little over a decade invested digipainamiseen and other product development million in calculating the amount of euros. The company employs twenty people.
mark print Oy ceo Mikko Ilomäki follow the screen digipaino the operation of the machine.Jyrki Ojala / Yle
– Perusbulkin press in competition is fierce, but digipainaminen growing all the time. We are specialized above all, UV-printing, which can be obtained at the time impressive special effects. Digipainaminen is also ecological, no paper wasted, mark print Oy, ceo Mikko Ilomäki i tell you.
UV printing colors dry will immediately be ultra-violet light. Ultra-violet light to dry the ink practically instantly, when the print is accurate and the color from spreading.
Ilomäki take anyway into the future with reasonable confidence. In his opinion, the statistics give the area maybe a little too negative a picture.
–Acquisitions still taking place and the operators are reduced, but in 2008, the big drop is bottoming out.
the big Dipper press domestically
Finland’s only hardcover books a large scale press company is the big Dipper in Keuruu book weight. It weighs about six million books a year. The number is a fair one-fifth of Finland’s entire annual book sales.
Also in keuruu, it has been necessary to adapt to industry change. The biggest weight no longer needs to start every book, but very often enough for a smaller machine.
we’re going more and more in that direction, that the first editions are very small. There is no longer one of the three thousand pieces of weight, but done, for example, one thousand copies printed, and then five hundred pieces of items, if the book sells, the big Dipper printing of the ceo Marko Silventoinen tell.
the big dipper of the printing press, naturally, the big Dipper published by books, but offer their services to other publishers who want to print their books at home.
Is the beginning of the economic solution?
the book printing in Europe is very fragmented. Companies are largely small, only a few people in employment weights. Therefore, the problems are similar, although there are some differences.
the Graphic Industry union leader Elias lodge up there.Jyrki Ojala / Yle
– the Whole of Europe is seen in the focus areas of the sales declines, because the digitalization has changed the market demand. In sweden the overall economic development has been with us more positive and, moreover, weakened the crown has benefited local businesses, Elias lodge up there told me.
in Europe there ensued in a new kind of cooperation with a printing of among the, while the weights have to be stored to work lack.
the Question is kind of the beginning of the economy, which would come ashore in the printing industry. A single platform operator could take advantage of excess capacity throughout Europe. Thus, companies would be able to lift the own weight of their machines utilization levels. This action may be sometimes seen in Finland, Elias lodge up there said.
Subscribe Yle newsletters!
Get Overeating the best content straight to your inbox! Order as many letters as you want!
Proceed to order
