News

Martin Lovatt - 21 November 2008

"However, the union has warned that it will not give in to demands that would lead Cooper Clegg to gain an unfair competitive advantage in the industry."

Well if any advantage could be achieved then I think we would all be dancing from the rooftops. What do the union hope to gain? My job is at risk along with 85 others, Jesus, no-one wants to loose their job but lets please get it over with and try to move forward.

Les Dalton has proved his commitment with his own money. He didnt do that to fail. As a union member and employee I hope CC will come through this tough time.

Douglas Richardson - 21 November 2008

What a dissapointing but totally predictable article, if both MR Wood and Mr Sibbald maintain their lack of vision and concern for the employees of C.C. I predict despite the suggested levels of redundency CC has a very limited life span and this statement could be applied to several other major players.

So here are a few of my thoughts for what they are worth.

For Mr Wood:

Please understand reducing headcount on this scale will never resolve your cost base problem long term. Of course I understand savings to the cost base have to be made but the way forward is to sit down with your employees \(without the involvement of any outside influences) and discuss initiatives that can reduce your cost base without major job losses and far more importantly create a viable house agreement going forward.

For Mr Sibbald:

What a ridiculous position to take, when your job is nice and safe, talk about "dead heads".

Where was your concerned position for the rest of the industry when as an example "Polestar" were re financed, I did not hear your Union crying "foul" unfair to other Printers.This type of luddite leadership from your Union if allowed to prevail, will undoubtedlyl finish off those other Companies that are so vunerable at present.

Good news for the european competion.

Don't take my word for it look at what happenned to a once thriving Gravure industry in this Country in the 60's and 70's.'

For the CC employees:

Guys, if you want to enjoy long term employment you will have to accept that many of the old industry "untouchable practises" have to be re-thought.

It is a simple fact that our industry has always overpaid itself to levels that all Companies cannot survive on.

Please also accept that your sales force are not going to suddenly find new contracts that are 30% more lucrative.

Your long term future lies in your hands, trust me when I say, "your union's national officers are not interested in your long term employment".

Sit down with your local local management and work out a deal that can protect your current headcount,a package that you can all live with and deliver a truly sustainable cost base going forward.

Ignore outside influence,in particular ignore the nonsense spouted by Mr Sibbald,look after your jobs and your long term prospects and remember if you cannot work with your New Owners you will all be unemployed and unfortunately the rest of the Industry will dance on your grave.

Good luck

Doug Richardson

Nirav Morvan - 21 November 2008

£0.79 that is how much your thoughts are worth. Bring back Colin.

Darrel Crowley - 21 November 2008

Sad news. Thoughts are with all the employees of Cooper Clegg. I hope it's not too painful a process.

Simon Biltcliffe- Webmart - 21 November 2008

In the blog on BGP, Dolly intimates that Pindar were losing £200k/month whilst owning CC. Taking out 100 people will close that gap and make a profit assuming the same productive GP is created. A neat trick if you can do it- I can't see how but then again I don't know the sites workings.

Assuming there was a fair bit of standing time and this can be filled it has a fighters chance but it will be made or lost on press utilisation as one thing is for sure - the return/hour is unlikely to go up. Assuming the sales are there then it will literally be a matter of their future is in their own hands on the presses.

We will try to help with filling the presses as there is work out there but it is a hard market to sell into.

Simon Biltcliffe

MD

WEBMART

www.FreePrintSales.com

Ian T. Cooper - 21 November 2008

Excuse the cynicism but it is probably in your interest that CC survive now that the £/Euro makes it more difficult for you to make your high margins placing work abroad.

Printers have only themselves to blame and that includes me in the past but having taken all the risk in the past with high investment we allowed Publishers/Print Buyers and print brokers like you \(nb lower case) to claim all the benefits. There is no way for printers to go except asking the employees to donate blood in the forlorn hope that they can survive until better times come. However that is a forlorn hope.

The next few weeks are going to be "interesting" with possible developments at CC, BGP and Wyndeham. Looking at Wyndeham's financials it is easy to see why the country of Iceland is bust.

While I am in ranting mode it is strange that there is little news from Polestar. Despite their re-financing it must be time for them to be requiring more cash.

Finally the state of the industry is surely reflected in the St Ives share price-67p this morning and this is for a very well run conservative company with continuing profits/cash flow and a robust balance sheet. I think I will buy some more shares.

Crows Feet - 22 November 2008

Well put Mr Cooper.

Perhaps if BGP did us all a favour and ceased trading like any other business would in the UK if they were losing £1 million a month then the likes of Biltcliffe would have to put work into Copper Clegg. Webmart must be praying Madjejski holds his nerve, Caley's sustainstable pricing must go a long way to helping Webmarts profits rise each year.

When you hear the likes of Biltcliffe and Caley preach to the industry you have to think, what good have they done for it..??. I just sincerley hope with the pound the way its against the euro that web printers stand firm to print management companies and don't cave in on price.

The Voice of Reason - 22 November 2008

Well said Ian. He makes me sick comming on here spouting off all the time, he's never owned a press in his life.

Arthur Negus - 23 November 2008

This is really worying and my thoughts go out to everyone at CC.

Where does this leave Tewkesbury Printing Company and their folks? How closely are the fates of CC and TPC bound together?

Gerry Anderson - 23 November 2008

There's no good bleating on about how things could or should be. If it doesn't make a profit, it's going out of business. If the proposed changes can achieve that and preserve some of the jobs, that's a result.

doughtfire - 24 November 2008

being a web minder my thoughts go out to all at cc, mr cooper asked for news from polestar all i can say is we are busy busy busy, but no idea if we are making money

Print Spectator - 25 November 2008

I think we all know the answer to that one.

No you're not.

And for goodness sake can we stop spelling like special 8 year olds.

It makes me wince reading some of these posts, the spelling and grammar are bloody awful.

John Graham - 25 November 2008

I posted this on the BGP blog ! I thought you might like to see the views of a publisher. We had a bunch of your Print Week blogs doing the rounds of the publishers e mails and bellow is a good example of what your customers think of your sector at the moment.

" As a publisher we find the print industry quite incredible and a mad space to be in. Why do you beat the hell out of each other all the time? I don't mean price just your attitude as an industry sector.

If this is how you lot opperate as an industry together you deserve everything you get. The lack of respect you show each other is quite staggering. I am sure from what little I know of Bob and co they are trying very hard to compete when far too much capacity pushes down price. What do you expect BGP to do, just roll over NO. They have invested in good kit and as they should, taking this to Market, if you cant compete do what others do and bail out.

In the end we think it is fantastic CC is trying to stay alive we wish them all the luck in the world !

Grey Beard - 25 November 2008

As I said on the Wyndham blog, I feel very sorry for anyone facing redundancies, I hope that the figures are not as bad as reported but that will be of little comfort to those made redundant.

By trying to constantly undercut each other, this industry has been shooting itself in the foot for as long as I can remember. Don't blame the buyers it's the printers that set the price. Do you support your local shop or do you buy from big chains and the Internet to get better deals, have you ever asked for a discount? Unfortunately, this is all human nature and common business practice, and I do not know how you can stop it without stifling competition.

I can only hope for the workers sake all the printers survive and those setting unsustainable prices see the error of their ways.

Alan Partridge - 26 November 2008

Ian and Voice of reason - a bit harsh I think.

Voice of reason, If someone 'makes you sick', who from what I can gather is a very astute and switched on business person within our industry, I think you need to take a good long hard look at yourself instead of being so bitter. I think your words are unjustly strong.

Ian, as you seem to have already recognised, it takes a Print manager and Printer to do business together, one can't do it without the other - why blame the Print manager for this/these transactions?

...and, more importantly, it takes and end user client to make the choice of using a Print manager over a manufacturer for their own reasons. \(they don't just do it to spite you, guess what, it's called healthy competition).

People like you who make such comments really need to wake up and stop moaning about 'print managers/publishers/brokers ruining the industry' - you talk complete garbage and it's getting boring.

And no I'm not a Print Manager I'm a manufacturer...

The Voice of Reason - 26 November 2008

Mr Partridge

Sorry if I offend but I inherently have more respect for printers who bother to actually go and buy a press rather than an awnserphone

Alan Partridge - 26 November 2008

Well, we all respect people for different reasons, it's down to the individual.

In today's overcapacity, I probably wouldn't say that 'going and buying a press' as you put it, atleast in the area of the industry under discussion was a sensible move. You're obviously entitled to your opinion though so if you think it's a good idea then good for you.

So in other words, you'd respect someone for buying a press and tying a massive amount of dept around their necks, so they can breakeven or make a loss, more than someone who 'goes and buy's an answerphone' as you put it, and creates a successful and thriving business?

Admirable, if a little misguided.

The Voice of Reason - 26 November 2008

Alan

Mr Cooper kept a large number of good people employed for well over twenty years. When he started the eight unit configuration was the best you could get but then you were still at school then. You earn respect, I respect Mr Cooper but not you.

Julie Cook - 26 November 2008

ian hardman - 26 November 2008

As with any take over there is a grey area at the beginning where its do or die . This is the area which cooper/clegg are at now. I hope that unite will be pressing for a "do" out come and not to drag the process down to a point of failure.

Mr Cooper stirred his company through many a ruff patch and he was a man on his own with the support of the directors and work force.

Sadly a company as large as pindar, with its power, assets and boats couldnt , a sad day for pindar !!!

Mr Economics - 27 November 2008

Doug Richardson - some gold dust statements there. Good luck to all at CC - hope you all get some satisfactory results and if there are redundancies they're handled with some compassion, especially so close to christmas.

Alan Partridge - 27 November 2008

Voice of reason, you really are very bitter aren't you.

Firstly, please don't try and make out I was criticising Mr Cooper, this was not the case. I'm sure he deserves a great deal of admiration for many reasons.

You totally miss my point I'm afraid; I was criticising you and your bitter and negative sweeping statements regarding anyone who chooses to operate a service based business in our industry, rather than a manufacturing one.

You're right, I probably was still at school then, but quite what that has to do with anything I don't know? The fact you choose to make such an irrelevant and quite ignorant comment says a lot I think, as does the fact you have no respect for me, even though you don't even no me.

You've gone right down in my estimations.

Richard Head - 27 November 2008

Hello world

Richard Head - 27 November 2008

Voice of Reason - chill out baby!!

You do not come across as 'the voice of reason' but as some stuck in the past type who needs to embrace now.

Quality PM operations do not just peddle print, whilst thrashing suppliers but provide solutions and real value.

Interestingly savvy printers have caught on and are not just selling themselves on a per thousand rate anymore.

So let's keep the peace man

Dick

The Voice of Reason - 27 November 2008

Richard

you've said it right there. Nothing wrong with adding value, its playing the currency game thats a no no for me. Still all thats over for a while now and the PM model will stand or fall on its own merits.

Richard Head - 27 November 2008

Glad you've seen Reason ... Voice of Reason.

As a new joiner to this forum I am hoping my high levels of knowledge about everything will enable me to knock Colin Thompson off his number one spot!

Stay tuned

Dick

The Mighty wind - 27 November 2008

Mr economics wrote:

"some gold dust statements there"

your kidding right?

On a financial spreadsheet it does help struggling companies if they get everyone to take pay cuts and change working practices and the management and employees all sit down together and rebuild "heaven" on earth, but in practice it just gives a dying company a few more weeks/months. It has been tried time after time and always failed.

Selling below the cost of production brings losses. Trying to recover them by making employees redundant and reducing the pay of the poor souls left and then whipping them and the machines in an attempt to redress the balance does not work as a business model ask BGP or Polestar. Blaming unions is also a worn out game, I have no particular cause to defend them but in the recent past they have pretty much laid down, rolled over and allowed there bellies to be tickled and in the case of Tony that is a big belly.

Iron pyrites are often mistaken for gold dust.

Joe Bloggs - 22 December 2008

Come on Simon, nobody can be stay in that spot longer than me. But anyway I will "specially ask for you" when I need you. :)