Outsourcing of printing? (page 2)

wha happened?

Mexico is becoming an option again as the Chinese middle class has grown, raising the wages with it.

Whatever the least expensive method of printing will be, that's what they will use. Current Bethelitles, start hitting Monster.com

It wouldn't surprise me if the WBT$ don't provide the PDFs and give specific and threatening instructions as to how each congregation must arrange printing for themselves. Specific types of paper and how elders must oversee it in case a 'Flock book(TM)' needs ring binding.

That way each congo can keep a track of their own literal-trash needs and pay themselves. No money = no literal-trash.

What a loving provision

We would be most happified!

The Song Remains The Same

@punk - they already *do* provide the PDFs - on jw.org - so they are half way to your proposal already .

Maybe the ultimate model is to have each pioneer carry a handly little pocket printer and print 'on-demand' at the doorstep? Surely that would pay back pretty quickly in terms of nearly everything... No JW print shops/employees/expensive machines/buildings, and no need to buy materials as the pioneer would have to buy the paper and ink himself from Walmart/PC World, but still donate to the WT each meeting/week for the privilege. All the cost and time is shifted to the poor door-to-door salesman! That effectively wipes out magazine and tract printing costs completely... and nobody wants a whole bible so they can just print the relevant verse/paragraph as needed!

Oh, I hope I didn't give them any ideas...

fulltimestudent

Thnx for that info, Lynnie. India makes a certain amount of sense for the WTBTS. Labour costs may be cheaper than 'free' JW slave labour and paper/ink will not cost more. Shipping facilities are likely to be good also, with transport and wharfage likely cheaper.

The one negative that may influence their decision is the latent hostility toward Christianity that exists in the Hindu world. So i think that wha happened's suggestion of Mexico has a certain practicality also.

More! labour costs are becoming less important as automation and robotics become more common. Its robotics that may lead to an increase in local manufacture in the USA. But it wont mean more factory jobs. If something does need human involvement Asia is still the place. Not China, though. As far back as 2005 the Chinese authorities started discouraging low-end manufacturing and pushing local business toward more complex products. For example, China now produces more motor vehicles than the USA. It will soon be the biggest truck manufacturing nation in the world as Volvo trucks (Volvo cars are now Chinese owned) and Daimler Benz have both entered into joint ventures with China's biggest local makers.

Another sign of the times, Foxconn which has over 1.5 million has stopped hiring and training new Chinese workers as it plans to bring more automated factories into priodction.

I agree that China may not permit printing of WT propaganda. But, OTOH, it is not generally known that the largest bible printing factory in the world is located in Nanjing. It's owned by Amity printing and last year printed its 100 millionth copy of the Bible. They print bibles in 90 different languages, including Chinese. Last year government officials were at a presentation celebrating the distribution of 40 million Chinese bibles.

Here's a brief report from Christianity Today:

Quote: "

World's Biggest Bible Publisher? China

Amity Printing Company passes 100-million mark.

Melissa Steffan

Only one company is authorized to print Bibles in China-and it appears to be taking full advantage of the opportunity.

Last week, Amity Printing Company chairman Qiu Zhonghui announcedthat the publisher had printed its 100 millionth copy of the Bible in July.

The milestone means China is now the biggest publisher of Bibles worldwide.

Chinese government spokesperson Guo Wei said, "The Chinese government respects and protects religious freedom and will continue to support printing and publishing Bibles in China."

Amity Printing began as a joint venture between the United Bible Societies (UBS) and the Amity Foundation in 1988. The company currently is based in Nanjing, China, about three hours from Shanghai.

End Quote.

Web Reference: http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctliveblog/archives/2012/11/china-amity-printing-foundation-100-million-bibles.html

Rattigan350

When are they going to outsource congress?

moggy lover

Oddly enough, some years ago, I heard something along the same lines. The Watchtower used to be located in a beautiful hill station called Lonavla where they maintained a large missionary home, office, and printery. Also located here were several translators who spent their days translating the English Watchtower literature into various local languages. And there were the printers.

But sometime around 2005, I believe, the Watchtower sold these pemises, and moved to a smaller office in Bangalore, where they no longer maintain a printery. The various language congregations were advised to contact commercial printers if they had literature requirements, while special pioneers would still be involved in the translatiing, albeit no longer at the Indian Bethel HQ. The cost for this printing was to be borne by the local congregations.

My understanding is that, much to the embarrassment of the Watchtower, the commercial printers were more efficient, and hence more competitive in price, than themselves!

designs

Being at Bethel use to be one of the lures used to keep families dedicated to the Org.. Knorr made a big deal out of it, his personal little kingdom. Technology, economics, and the internet changed all of that.

When you can be in a foreign Bethel home with a printer and see hungry people outside and do nothing for them except offer a magazine I think the message sinks in you are just in a scam job.

slimboyfat

When are they going to outsource congress?

What as in sexual intimacy or as in the German word for conventions?

on the rocks

The Indian Branch is in a complex of 40 acres with their own power generator.....and many are eager to be in the bethel.

jeremiah18:5-10

It wouldn't surprise me if they started emailing pdf's of study articles, ltboe and invitations, etc to the coboe with instructions to print as needed. They could just put all else on their website and require publishers to print for themselves as needed and to simply direct interested people to the website for further info. Thus they would totally eliminate any need for printing facilities. At the same time they could and would continue to ask for and require donations for technology upgrades artwork etc. They shhep are so programmed to donate they probably would never recognize the difference and would just keep on giving.

Oops guess I should've read all posts above before posting. Sorry for the repeat. Punk hit my same thought.

Outsourcing of printing?