Issue link: https://nbm.uberflip.com/i/1490460
5 2 G R A P H I C S P R O • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 G R A P H I C S - P R O. C O M A W A R D S & C U S T O M I Z A T I O N T he drinkware market has grown to become the second-largest market for custom dec- oration after apparel, valued at $4.35 billion in 2021, says Michael Barron, West Coast sales manager for Inkcups. e market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 3.61% by 2027 and reach $5.39 billion. Expansion is fueled by the incredible growth in e-commerce due to COVID-19. Because customers have changed the way they pur- chase things, demand has risen for shorter run sizes and lead times, high quality multicolor graphics and personalization, says Barron. "As many customers sell their products on multiple websites, we have seen the demand for automation in the web-to-print space," he says. JDS Industries offers U V printing and engraving in-house at its facility in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It has three Trotec and four Epilog lasers and three direct printers, so the company produces up to 1,000 cups daily. "I see the drinkware market not as oversat- urated but starting to get people's cupboards full," says Sara ompson, fabrication super- visor at JDS. "At JDS, we still stay ahead of it. We offer new colors, shapes and different ounce options, lid options. We are still trying to keep those unique. Obviously adding any personalization adds some uniqueness to it." e company provides blanks to other com- panies wanting to sell personalized products. e company then fabricates them and per- sonalizes them. CHEERS TO Turning cups and mugs into a business staple B Y P A U L A A V E N G L A D Y C H Paula Aven Gladych is a free- lance writer based in Denver, Colorado. She can be reached at pgladych@gmail.com. (Image courtesy JDS Industries)