Editor’s Note: IRgA Managing Director Ed Avis interviewed Tim Horn, VP of sales for KIP and the vendor representative on the IRgA Board of Directors, in late December. What follows is an edited transcript of that interview.
Avis: What do you see coming down the road in reprographics in 2015?
Horn: We see the industry as a whole migrating towards color. There are a lot of factors, such as the value of color in CAD documents and the dropping price of color, driving that change. At KIP we plan to offer some new technology in this area in 2015 – this will be our focus for the year. We believe KIP will have a very strong viable stake in developing color in the wide-format industry. Based on current industry data, electrophotography will maintain the largest portion of the small and large format printing market for the foreseeable future.
Cloud platforms are an emerging trend that will play a significant role in image storage, access, and transfer, enabling digital file interaction anywhere at any time within the design process using screen technologies. Screen technologies will reduce printing while increasing the demand for selected images to be printed in color.
Avis: How long have you worked for KIP, and where were you before?
Horn: I joined KIP in 2001. My interest in wide-format really began in the late ‘80s when I was introduced to the Mita 3648. I became fascinated with wide-format printing because it allowed me to see the future of product design and the design of communities. By the late 1990s I was working at IKON, where I started the wide-format program. IKON was selling KIP products, so when their wide-format program underwent some changes, I found my way to KIP.
Avis: Tell us about your rise at KIP.
Horn: I began as the regional sales representative covering Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and the Carolinas. After two years I became southeast regional sales manager, and about four years later I was named vice president of sales for the southern region.
It was an important era of growth for KIP. We introduced HDP technology, and then the KIP 3000, which became one of the best selling wide-format products in history. It was a captivating time.
In 2009 I moved to the West Coast to prepare for coming product launches. I remained there until 2012, when KIP moved me to the company headquarters in Novi, Michigan to become national vice president of sales.
Avis: What do you consider your greatest career achievements?
Horn: As I’ve gained more experience along with a broader viewpoint, I’ve realized that the most important achievements are really the relationships you develop as you go through your career. I’ve met some of the finest people in the world within this industry. I cherish the relationships that this experience has provided. I still have many years to go and look forward to finishing my career in this industry with these people.
Avis: You’ve been on the IRgA board for about two years now. How do you feel about the direction of the organization?
Horn: I see the association as playing an important role in reconnecting the industry as it recovers. I think the IRgA website is a platform for a global exchange of information, ideas, and a vendor resource for members. Everyone struggled for a number of years about what purpose the IRgA should serve, and I think we’ve found that purpose.
Avis: What do you do with your free time?
Horn: I have very little of that these days. However, I really enjoy fly fishing, and I’ve been able to develop that hobby living here in the Midwest. My favorite spot is the Pere Marquette River, and locally I fish on the Huron River and in Lake St. Clair.