Features Profiles
Spotlight: Loredo Rucchin, founder and CEO, Jukebox

Loredo Rucchin is CEO and founder of Jukebox that has offices Vancouver and Toronto. With his team of expert printers and skillful designers, Rucchin (now in his mid-40s) aims to inspire, celebrate creativity, and equip customers with unique, trend-setting products. Jukebox offers offset printing, book publishing, screen printing, spot UV, letterpress, and sticker printing.

What is the state of the print industry today, in your opinion?

LR: The last few years have brought the print industry to its knees, leaving it in a grim, unfavourable state. The industry is at a turning point. We are in a make-or-break situation, and for many businesses, this volatile period will break them.

Inventory and supply chain issues are at the forefront of the problem. In a competitive industry like the print industry, many companies cannot simply push up their prices or tell customers to wait. It is all about ‘printing on demand.’ If your company cannot do that, a customer will find someone who can.

We also need to factor in the long-term impact of rising fuel prices and how it will affect the everyday cost of business. If your company relies on vendors and suppliers that transport goods or uses a delivery service to assist in daily operations, you will see an increase in service fees. Additionally, the cost of labour will rise. At the end of the day, customers will bear the brunt by paying more for print products and services.

Lastly, with the escalating war in Ukraine, we will see global inflation, shortages, and uncertainties across all industries. There will be a substantial rise in debt as people try to keep up with price hikes and disruption to regular economic activity.

What attracted you to the print industry?

LR: For a long time, everyone offered the same products and basic paper, so it was easy to get into the industry and quickly become profitable. Today, the print industry has plenty of untapped sectors, and I see an opportunity to grow and thrive within those spaces. With the constant shifting in the print industry, there has been a lot of uncertainty. But for forward-thinking, agile, and adaptive individuals, there is much opportunity and success to be found.

How can the industry attract more young people?

LR: The answer is simple: Hire young people! Jukebox is powered by a team of young professionals who drive our production and customer support teams. Currently, 75 per cent of our employees are between 20 and 30 years old.

In such a competitive landscape, how can printers win more sales?

LR: You need to appeal to an international market. Many print companies rely solely on local business, and by doing this, they are limiting themselves from international sales opportunities. Appealing to the global market immediately increases the chance for more sales. It is as easy as ensuring your website and staff can handle international online orders. Also, invest in a diverse range of machinery as it allows you to offer a broader range of products, which will enable you to generate more sales. Lastly, ensure your website is powered by Amazon Web Service along with SAP technology.

What are some of the biggest opportunities in the print industry?

LR: The most significant opportunity in the print industry is to scale your business by investing in reliable machinery that is always operational. You can add considerable value to the production and quality of the products by adding a digital press to your workflow. Some printers allow you to create textured and raised effects to print on thick stocks including synthetics and paper boards up to 22 pt, which will open up new business opportunities.

What do you think is the most exciting thing about print today?

LR: Each day comes with its own challenges, but more importantly, new opportunities, products, and technology. One of the most exciting products to come out of our workshop at Jukebox is our perfect bound books. As a business, we can now assist writers, photographers, and other creatives to publish books and magazines with ease. 

Rucchin’s responses were edited for length. For more Q&A Spotlight interviews, please visit www.printaction.com/profile.