Dear Henry,
I too am an immigrant to Canada, familiar with all the hardships, joys, and humorous irrationalities associated with that experience. So, we at least have some common ground from which to begin our discussion. I hope you will understand, then, when I say all of us should think carefully when making any assumptions about immigrants. I applaud you for wanting to engage in intelligent discussion based on facts. The “facts,” are these: a powerhouse, efficient, competitive organization that is driven to win is moving to Canada. It happens to be from the U.S., but it could be from anywhere. If this company is successful here, it may have substantial impact, detrimental to some, on our market. The nationalities, or ethnic origins, of existing trade house owners are not “facts” that are relevant to this discussion or to the outcome of this turn of events. We all want to see a thriving printing industry, and we all want to see Canadian businesses excel. But the winners here will be printing companies that run good businesses that are responsive to their customers, regardless of where they come from.

Dear PRINTCAN: Stop being politically correct. Do NOT edit my remarks about the ownership of GTA's "big three" trade shops. I found what you did offensive. I myself am an immigrant to Canada so let's stop the silliness and get your head out of the sand. The fact is that [the big three ] are ALL run/owned by non-Canadian born people like myself. Political correctness is juvenile and has no place where intelligent debate is solicited. Facts are facts. We are not in Soviet Russia or Communist China, are we?
[Editor's note: We have removed the names of the trade shops Henry mentions because we do no know where their owners were born. Please also see the next post from the editor in response.]

4OVER is going to take over all of Canada. They have a website with such low wholesale prices to the public. All print shops, brokers and re-sellers will get hit hard by this company. They should not be allowed to have a website for the public with lower prices than you can get from an actual trade printer. We are going to have to go into different careers because these guys are too big and all you people will never win unless we stick together and fight these guys from selling wholesale to the public. This is really not fair.

I agree with Brian 100%, a simple Google search under 4over clearly shows their back-end attempts (redtagprintsale.com) at going directly to the end user at wholesale prices...something that will eventually kill the resellers. Obviously someone from 4over will come on soon and tell everyone that no they are trade only, blah blah blah. But it seems that many of the Toronto trade shops (gang run guys) all have online portals aimed at the direct client. Take it for what its worth, I guess.

I was wondering...is Mr Comely - a writer and artist - a reseller of print and therefore a potential client to trade printers? Just wondering...

You are right.

I have Printer Gateway's flyer on my desk and am disappointed by the obvious racial profiling that is dominant in the cartoon profile of the American print executive. Shameful.

We have been dedicated to the fight against both issues mentioned. Over the last six years we continue to bring new tools solely focused on our resellers' best interest...drive more business. The message is attacking unethical practices like using web storefronts to steal business from smaller, retail quick printers who rely on the wholesale market to thrive and survive. We take this seriously and so should you. You can't be a wholesaler and and retailer without violating a basic foundation of trust. Perhaps you should visit Printer Gateway and look into this more closely as it is a major issue. We have your best interests at heart, unless you are actually commenting under a fake name in an effort to downplay this message...the truth with come out and we are going to continue our fight for resellers!!!

If Brian wants to start a plant in LA or Chicago would anyone in the US care? No, as they are a nation of free enterprise. Lets focus, Brian, maybe on the fact that US printers have been in Canada for years.  They were one of the original gang-run printers and they happen to do it very well. A very impressive company that gets it. Learn to compete and be better.

We love comments on PrintCAN and welcome input from readers. We also love debate. But just a brief reminder that, as we'd like to steer contributors away from remarks that can cause damage, we do edit the comments. Let the debate continue. Question: How will 4Over change the market in Toronto?

Who are these "powerful American competitors?" In the GTA market the 3 big trade printers are [not run by Americans]. The biggest threat to printers is not "marauding giant U.S. trade printers" but the onslaught of electronic media and the internet. Mr. Armstrong needs to funnel his anti-Americanism at another target. Also, his scantily-dressed staff did not impress this attendee of Graphics Canada.

Right on!!!!

Printer gateway sees that 4over is going to be taking over a large portion of trade printing and realizes that quality will be an issue. I would be worried if I were Brian too. So if an American company with the cash to start up with some decent equipment wants to move in and take them out, all the power to them. More jobs. I'm sure a better product would make the employees feel good about themselves too.

I appreciate Mr. Armstrong's efforts here, and his point is well taken. It should be pointed out however that, at least in my opinion, the greater threat is local "trade printers" that misrepresent themselves as "trade only" and sell direct.