Even the growing popularity of e-mail and the Internet is not viewed as a threat. Many people still like to have paper copies of their e-mail messages, Fife says, and the Internet is seen as a perfect medium for advertising designer paper products. Geopaper, which accounted for only 2 percent of the company's sales two years ago, this year will generate more than half its revenues. Sales of its traditional sign and lettering products, some of which automation and desktop publishing have made outmoded, continue, but at dwindling percentage rates. The future for us is paper.
Explosive growth poses minor problems for the company.
Geographics' nonunion work force has more than tripled in two years, from 71 in March 1994 to 222 in June of this year. But due to tough U.S. immigration laws, the company has hired from the south side of the border only. Recruiting experienced printers and machine operators to Blaine from populated areas such as Seattle and Portland is necessary at times, but can be difficult, Fife notes. It would be helpful to draw from the pool of qualified workers in the huge Vancouver, B.C., metropolitan area, he says. But that is virtually impossible because of restrictions on U.S. jobs going to Canadians.