What began as a part-time college job at a prepress company sparked Andy Fetherman’s lifelong passion for print. Nearly 40 years later, Fetherman is the president and CEO of Müller Martini Corp. in North America. His empathetic leadership style has been shaped by decades of industry experience and lessons he’s learned from his own family.

How did your career develop in the print industry, and how have those experiences shaped your current role?

I got my start in the printing industry nearly 40 years ago while working for a prepress company during college. That experience gave me a solid foundation in print production and how the industry operates. After graduating with a degree in electrical engineering, I interviewed with Heidelberg. My engineering background, combined with my hands-on knowledge of print, made me a strong fit, and I was hired on the spot.

After five years as an electrical engineer, Heidelberg relocated to Georgia. My wife and I decided to stay in New York. But by then, the print industry had gotten into my blood, so when an opportunity was available with Müller-Martini, I knew it was the right move.

Since starting with Müller, I’ve held a variety of roles, beginning as a technical product manager and transitioning into sales and product management. In 2000, I began working with our European product engineers on our digital solutions portfolio, helping develop the first wave of automated and digital technologies. Then in 2016, I was offered the role of vice president of sales, selling the solutions I spent so many years helping to design. Six years later, I was asked to serve as president and CEO of Müller Martini Corp. in North America, a role I’m humbled and proud to hold today.

All that experience better prepared me to lead our team, giving me a deep understanding of our customers, our technology and our markets. Just as important, my family has played a pivotal role in shaping the leader I am today. My son, who is autistic, truly has become my mentor. He has taught me how to be less judgmental, more patient and empathetic and ultimately, a better leader and person.

I’m also proud that the average employee tenure at Müller Martini North America is approximately 20 years. It’s a privilege to lead such a dedicated and passionate team.

What are the biggest challenges the print industry faces? How should the industry respond to successfully grow and thrive?

Many printers are being challenged by the onslaught of different regulations and tariffs. For example, in the US, if a book is finished in another country, it can be sent here tariff-free. But, if paper and raw materials are imported from another country, those are tariffed; so, our US customers are getting taxed on the materials they need to manufacture books in their entirety – putting them, at times, at a competitive disadvantage. 

Companies also are dealing with new regulations, such as the EUDR (European Union Deforestation Regulation), which requires them to identify and document the exact geographic origin (geotagging) of the trees used in their products sold in Europe, along with complying with other emerging environmental regulations.

Industry-wide, finding the right talent also is a major challenge right now. Although the industry is doing well, attracting younger generations to work in printing plants isn’t always easy; it’s often not a very glamorous environment. As automation continues to advance, however, I believe that will change. Automated technologies make production less physically demanding, create cleaner work environments and introduce more sophisticated, technology-driven processes that appeal to younger workers.

Additionally, we’re seeing a generational transition in many family-owned printing companies. Younger generations are bringing fresh perspectives and more investment to ensure the companies not only stay alive but thrive. At Müller-Martini, we also have strategically introduced more flexible work schedules and initiatives designed to strengthen our succession plans and support long-term success.

How are AI and automation technology influencing the finishing and binding space? How do you see that changing in the future?

Today, Müller-Martini is using AI in several areas, including everyday business functions such as marketing and data analysis, and in the future, for other customer-based initiatives such as predictive maintenance on our equipment. While we’re actively exploring new AI applications, automation – not artificial intelligence – currently is driving the biggest advances in the finishing industry.

We started developing automated features decades ago, and now they’re the foundation for what we call our “Smart Factory” ideology, which is built on four key pillars:

• Touchless workflows: Automated operations that minimize human intervention.
• Integrated software ecosystems: Digitally connected workflows across the entire shop floor.
• Robotics and specialization: Systems such as the InfiniTrim, a robotic trimming solution capable of processing book blocks of virtually any size for batch-size-one and short-run production.
• Sustainability: Efforts such as reducing material waste, lowering carbon emissions and maximizing overall equipment effectiveness.

Looking ahead, I think we’ll see significant advancements in logistics, particularly technologies that reduce the manual labor involved in the pre- and post-finishing handling processes. At PRINTING United, for example, we’re demonstrating a cobot that automatically removes books from our trimmer and stacks them on a pallet.

What finishing and binding trends are emerging as a result of changes in print technology, customer expectations and production demands?

Across the industry, production runs are becoming shorter and far more personalized. In the direct mail space, for example, personalization is why many organizations are coming back to print. With the influx of digital marketing, personalized printed pieces stand out because they create a tangible connection that recipients can hold in their hands.

In book manufacturing, the focus increasingly is on short-run production and inventory management. Often, if you order a book from Amazon or other online retailers, that book is printed only after it’s purchased. Instead of producing 10,000 copies and storing them in a warehouse, publishers may order 10 books – or 10 batches of 1,000 – as demand requires. That shift is driving the need for automated replenishment programs and more intelligent inventory management.

Which markets/verticals are growing their use of print? What is influencing that growth?

Just this year, Müller Martini Corp. began providing direct sales, service, training and technology support for Hunkeler across the US and Canada. Because Hunkeler’s solutions complement our own, this has opened up new opportunities in markets like direct mail and transactional printing. Digital fatigue is helping fuel renewed interest in direct mail, which is achieving higher hit rates through personalization and other interactive technologies that encourage recipients to take action online.

In addition, the book market has remained steady following its pandemic-era growth. Educational publishing, especially in the K-12 market, is starting to trend back toward books as younger students in particular learn more effectively from printed materials. We also continue to see strength in highly localized publishing, including books created for neighborhoods, homeowner associations and community organizations. It’s an emerging niche, but one with exciting potential.

Overall, I’m very optimistic about the future of print. The industry continues to evolve, and I believe new technologies and emerging markets will create tremendous opportunities in the years ahead.