“Competitors – many, experts – not as much”: Prinpoint holding their own in the highly competitive printing market
Large-format printing is an industry where the decisive factor is often not just print quality, but also the ability to produce large volumes in a very short time, adapt to technically complex orders, and carefully select the most suitable materials for each solution. It is precisely in this segment that Printpoint has been operating successfully for 12 years, specialising in large-format printing services for advertising, interior design, and public events.
“We print the things that cannot be printed at a traditional print shop due to size or order specifics,” says Juris Abatnieks, CEO of Printpoint, briefly describing the company’s operations. Printpoint’s clients are mostly advertising agencies, which in turn serve a wide range of commercial clients—companies, shopping centres, retail chains, organisers of sports and other events—and manage advertising campaigns for various brands across the Baltics.
The company is located near Ķekava and currently employs 12 people. Its revenue has grown by an average of 15–20% annually in recent years. The only exception to this was the Covid-19 pandemic period, when growth slowed temporarily. A few years ago, the acquisition of a competing company and the takeover of its client portfolio also brought about more rapid changes in this stable growth trajectory. Exports currently account for approximately 10–15% of the company’s operations, primarily through collaboration with clients in the Baltics or by serving the needs of international brands in the Latvian, Lithuanian, and Estonian markets.
As the company’s CEO explains, exports in the large-format printing industry are limited by high production and logistics costs, as well as fierce competition in the international market, so the company’s growth is primarily based on specialisation, speed, and the ability to fulfil complex orders in Latvia and across the Baltics.
Although competition in the large-format printing industry is fierce, Mr Abatnieks emphasises that there aren’t that many companies in Latvia capable of delivering both high volumes and a wide range of services, and technical expertise at the same time.
“There are many competitors, but not many experts in this industry. I estimate that there are around 400 large-format printing companies operating in Latvia overall. This is largely driven by the relatively low barrier to entry in the industry—it is possible to start operations with a small number of machines and relatively modest initial investments. However, most companies are small players with one or two printers or they operate as intermediaries. “In contrast, there are only about ten to twelve companies in Latvia of Printpoint's scale that are capable of handling large volumes, providing a wide range of services, and fulfilling complex orders in a very short time,” he says.
As an example, the CEO cites a recent large-format printing project for a major sporting event, for which materials covering thousands of square meters were printed within a week, alongside orders from other clients. “Not just any company can handle such volumes in such a short time,” notes Mr Abatnieks.
One of the company’s strengths is also its in-depth knowledge of materials and their applications—Mr Abatnieks previously worked at one of the world’s largest manufacturers of adhesive films, and this experience helps in selecting the most suitable materials and technologies for a specific solution for every client.
In a highly competitive environment, attracting new orders depends on partnerships built over years, customer trust, and the ability to offer competitive prices. This, in turn, is largely determined by efficient and well-thought-out production processes, including automation. With the support of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, Printpoint has acquired an automated cutting machine, which has significantly reduced manual labour and allows a relatively small team to handle even larger volumes in less time. The company notes that tasks in certain processes, which previously took about half an hour to complete manually, can now be completed in 5–10 minutes with the help of the automated equipment.
“Many companies with similar revenue employ far more people. With a smaller team, thanks to a well-thought-out selection of equipment, we achieve just as much. And the newly acquired equipment also makes a valuable contribution to this,” notes Mr Abatnieks.
At the same time, the company continues to develop its internal management and data accounting processes, and one of these initiatives will be implemented in the near future using state support tools offered by LIAA. Printpoint plans to implement a company management and order processing system that will allow for the quick and standardised preparation of price and solution proposals for clients, the transfer of orders to production, and the automation of daily document flow, including the preparation of delivery notes and other necessary documentation.
Looking to the future, the company reveals that Printpoint is currently looking into beginning manufacturing a new, more export-oriented product. Mr Abatnieks is not revealing the details of the plan for now due to competitive considerations, but he notes that there is already demand for such a direction and that it could help the company increase its export potential, which is typically limited in the large-format printing industry.
Information material prepared with the support of the Recovery Fund. The author is solely responsible for the content of this publication. The views expressed herein do not reflect the official position of the European Union or the European Commission.
