Printers leery of e-commerce auctions

A spirited debate about the pluses and minuses of participating in Internet reverse auctions.

Pw 16042 Plga1

At its recent Fifth Annual Technical Conference, members of the Packaging and Label Gravure Assn. (Springfield, OH) had a spirited debate about the pluses and minuses of participating in Internet reverse auctions.

Brent VanScoik of O’Cedar Brands, Wayne, NJ, explained why he and his company use them, and Steve Haransky of e-Breviate, an auction company, talked about how bidding in reverse auctions is done. In the session at the Clearwater Beach, FL, meeting, Mike Keegan of Gilbreth said he felt the auctions could drive the prices of products to unrealistically low levels. Later, Avery Dennison’s Norman Dow related an anecdote about one packaging printer that was badly burned by its inexperience in auctions.

At the meeting, the PLGA also presented its 2002 printing awards with Nordenia USA, Inc., winning the Best-of-Show Award for Clorox Fresh Step Crystals. In the photo, Nordenia’s Richard Keser (left) accepts the award from Norman Dow, PLGA president. —AO


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