Printing's Alive

On this week’s Printing’s Alive podcast, Warren Werbitt and Dave Crysler chat about busy equipment and efficient departments do not always create profitable print businesses. They discuss consistent leadership, rebuilding trust, following the money trail, and making equipment, pricing, and growth decisions based on accurate data and real business needs.

Building Trust and Innovation: Mark Stephenson on OEM Partnerships and Printing's Future

S1 E62 • Mar 24, 2026 • 65 mins

In this episode of Printing's Alive, Warren Werbitt is joined by Mark Stephenson from Fuji to delve into the intricacies of OEM partnerships, focusing on trust-building and decision-making. They discuss the challenges and improvements in OEM-printer relationships, marketing strategies, and the reality of supplier infrastructure. The conversation highlights support for small and medium printers, emphasizing sales transparency and customer relations. Mark shares career insights and discusses the industry's evolution, addressing aging and youth engagement. They also explore leadership challenges, the importance of listening to younger voices, and the benefits of trade shows. The episode concludes with a focus on fostering industry unity and a call to action.

Key Points

OEMs are primarily focused on their business goals, often leading to a disconnect with smaller print businesses that need more tailored support and empathy.
Effective partnerships between print businesses and OEMs require transparency, trust, and a long-term perspective from both sides.
There's a critical need for the print industry to improve training, mentoring, and marketing to attract young talent and better support smaller companies.

Speakers

Warren Werbitt

Host • 62%

Mark Stevenson

Guest • 38%

Chapters

0:00	Introduction by Warren Werbitt and guest Mark Stevenson from Fuji
1:39	OEM partnerships and trust building
7:11	Decision-making and impact of quotas in OEMs
14:02	Challenges and improvements in OEM-printer relationships
18:00	Marketing strategies to promote print
21:14	OEM contracts, negotiations, and biases
23:37	Supplier infrastructure and industry promises vs. reality
26:26	Support for small and medium printers and improving representative quality
28:36	Sales transparency, honesty, and OEM customer relations
34:11	Sales tactics and ensuring customer suitability
39:00	Career insights and industry evolution with Mark Stevenson
42:00	Addressing industry aging and engaging the youth
50:15	Leadership challenges and the importance of listening to younger voices
57:12	Celebrating success stories and benefits of trade shows
1:02:04	Networking in the industry and the role of The Crown pub
1:03:09	Fostering industry unity and a call to action
1:04:48	Conclusion

Transcript

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