Housing starts have doubled since 2009, but are still well off what they were at the peak they reached in 2005

My favorite blog for economics information is the CalculatedRisk Blog.  One of the indexes (or, if you prefer, indices) the CR Blog reports on each month is the AIA ABI Index.  Today, the CR Blog had an article that contained a very interesting table.  See below. 

Although Reprographers in major metropolitan markets have, historically speaking, generated most of their reprographics services revenues from printing plans and specifications for “non-residential” projects (with an exception being that apartment and condo projects are not non-res projects but are an important source of plan and spec printing revenues), reprographics services revenues from “res” projects were an important source of revenues for our industry.  When you take a look at the chart below, you’ll notice that housing starts in 2015 are estimated to be double the low point we reached in 2009, but note also that housing starts in 2015 are still WELL BELOW where they were at their peak in 2005.  Our civil-site-survey engineering and land planning customers (many of whom derived a significant portion of their revenues from home building developers) were the first category of customers to feel the slow down that began in 2006 …. and, by the end of 2007, revenues from that category of customers was giving most of us a clear “heads-up” as to what was going to happen in 2008/2009.  Although non-res project strength has increased over the past three years – generating improved revenues for Reprographers (but, certainly not what those revenues were in past years), we still see revenues “are off”, and one of those reasons (not to mention “digitization”) has to do with the “res” market still being well off what it was, in spite of the fact that the “res” business has doubled since its low in 2009.

Source of this table:  CalculatedRisk Blog

Housing Starts and New Home Sales (000s)
	Housing Starts	Change	New Home Sales	Change
2005	2068	---	1,283	---
2006	1801	-12.9%	1,051	-18.1%
2007	1355	-24.8%	776	-26.2%
2008	906	-33.2%	485	-37.5%
2009	554	-38.8%	375	-22.7%
2010	587	5.9%	323	-13.9%
2011	609	3.7%	306	-5.3%
2012	781	28.2%	368	20.3%
2013	925	18.5%	429	16.6%
2014	1003	8.5%	437	1.9%
20151	1110	10.6%	498	14.0%
12015 estimated

HAPPY NEW YEAR

To all of my friends in the Reprographics Industry......

BEST WISHES TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES FOR A HAPPY, HEALTHY, PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR.

Joel

Memjet vs. HP vs. Memjet - another brief update - info from HP's most recent 10K filing

The information printed below - about Memjet vs. HP vs. Memjet -  was copied from:

FORM 10-K

HP INC - HPQ
Filed: December 16, 2015 (period: October 31, 2015)

Annual report with a comprehensive overview of the company

HP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Continued)

Note 16: Litigation and Contingencies (Continued)

Memjet Technology Ltd. v. HP. On August 11, 2015, Memjet Technology Ltd. ("Memjet") filed a lawsuit against HP in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of California. The complaint alleges that HP infringes eight Memjet patents. The products accused of infringement are those that use the HP PageWide Technology, including the OfficeJet Pro X series, OfficeJet Enterprise X series, HP PageWide XL, wide scan printers, and printers using 4.25-inch thermal inkjet printheads, such as HP Web Presses and Photo Kiosks. On October 2, 2015, HP answered Memjet's complaint and asserted a counter-claim against Memjet for infringement of four HP patents. The products accused of infringement include various Memjet OEM printers that incorporate Memjet's printheads and print engines. On November 20, 2015, HP asserted three additional patents against Memjet. The patents asserted by both parties generally relate to inkjet printhead and print system technology. Both Memjet's and HP's respective complaints seek injunctive relief and monetary damages from the other party for alleged patent infringement. On November 16, 2015, Memjet was granted an ex parte preliminary injunction in Germany (State Court Munich), against HP Deutschland GmbH's sale and offers for sale of HP PageWide XL printers. Memjet's injunction request alleges that HP infringes a Memjet European patent. On December 4, 2015, HP filed an opposition and an application to suspend enforcement of the preliminary injunction pending a court hearing and decision. On December 9, 2015, the court denied HP's application to suspend enforcement prior to a hearing. A hearing is scheduled for January 7, 2016.

Reprographics business for sale

Link to ad:

http://www.irga.com/classifieds/business-opportunity/

Lynn Imaging has survived 70 years by re-inventing itself

Article on Lexington-Herald Reader (.com)

http://www.kentucky.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/tom-eblen/article48377500.html