Florida In-plant Finds Success by Embracing Innovation

When it comes to in-plant operations that embrace innovation successfully, Seminole County Public Schools’ Print Solutions division stands apart. Based in Sanford, Florida, the in-plant is a self-sustaining operation that serves the entire county’s K-12 school system, with six full-time and two part-time employees running two eight-hour shifts per day.

According to the operation’s manager, Christina McDonald, “The operation services the parent organization and is also open to the public. Our primary work focuses on classroom learning materials, campus beautification, and providing continuity of district branding. Our primary goal is to be the go-to source for all things print, signs, graphics, and promotional products for our parent organization and community.”

The in-plant operates out of a 4,000-sq.-ft. space, plus an additional 2,000-sq.-ft. warehouse. Its equipment list is impressive (see sidebar) but getting to that point didn’t happen overnight. Thanks in part to attending PRINTING United Expo, McDonald and her team were able to get ideas for new services and equipment, and eventually add these capabilities to the shop.

The Seminole County Public Schools Print Solutions team poses near the HP 365 Latex wide-format printer. Back row, from left: Luis Feliciano, Zach Brown, Jean Rodriguez. Front row, from left: Stefanie Spaulding, Kat Thompson, Christina McDonald, Mike Munch, and Matthew Lucas.

The in-plant started looking at upgrading its fleet about five years ago, McDonald says, starting with both the monochrome and color production presses, which weren’t as efficient as the newer options. The result, she notes, was that the in-plant saw production output increase by more than 200%, while turnaround times decreased by as much as 500%.

It would have been easy to stop there, to make the case that the in-plant was far more efficient and productive than ever before, but that’s not what McDonald and her team did. Instead, in 2024, they again upgraded their color production equipment to further increase productivity, while adding the capability to produce finished booklets at scale. The in-plant also added equipment that could handle additional types and weights of substrates, including metallics, which opened new opportunities, such as invitations with clear, white, gold, and silver elements.

PRINTING United Expo

Matthew Lucas laminates a job on the new Revo Flex laminator.

And then came PRINTING United Expo, where their attention shifted to the bindery.

“Following the PRINTING United Expo, we installed the Revo Flex laminator,” says McDonald. “That machine has a very small footprint but a massive output. It has saved us thousands of hours in labor. Prior to that acquisition, small-run lamination was being trimmed by hand and large-run orders were being sent out to a finishing company.

“We then acquired the PBS 2800 Koilmatic tabletop electric automatic coil inserter/crimper,” she says, “and we can now output over 400 coiled booklets per hour.”

But that wasn’t the only equipment and software she and her team saw at the Expo.

 
Mike Munch runs the PBS 2800 Koilmatic tabletop electric automatic coil inserter/crimper.

“[Another] purchase made as a direct result of PRINTING United Expo was the Hemtek ST 40mm [welding machine],” she says. “This beauty is saving our staff hundreds of hours in labor and reduces our supply costs. No more hem tape.

“We also acquired Onyx Thrive [RIP software] after using Flexi for many years. This transition has given us a lot more control of color management,” McDonald continues. “We are also looking to purchase a Duplo DC-618 [slitter/cutter/creaser] thanks to seeing several demonstrations of this device at Expo and other events.

“The Expo also gave us much insight into wide-format products that we were not previously considering, insight into inkjet production press options, apparel distributor relationships, and we are considering a potential future establishment with Sage.”

In fact, she notes, wide-format printers are next on her list of equipment she wants to add to her operation after being able to see it in action at the Expo. In the next 12-18 months, she hopes to be able to add a wide-format flatbed printer/cutter to further expand what she can offer to the schools and community she serves.

Kat Thompson and Luis Feliciano use the Hemtek ST 40mm welding machine to hem a banner.

Joining the Alliance

PRINTING United Expo turned out to be a terrific event for the team, McDonald notes, exposing them to new equipment and ideas they hadn’t even been looking for. McDonald notes that she joined the PRINTING United Alliance when she registered for the Expo, intending to attend the educational tracks offered at the event. But, she laughs, that didn’t go exactly as planned.

“There was so much to see at the show, I didn’t get to attend any sessions,” she admits. “I definitely will recommend dividing and conquering the Expo with several staff members in the future — there is just so much to see.”

McDonald plans to dive further into other Alliance offerings, since she has barely “scratched the surface” when it comes to membership perks. She would love to see more local networking opportunities with other Alliance members in the future.

The team gathers by one of the main production devices.

“The amazing thing about this industry is everyone wants to help everyone,” she says.  “We’re always growing and learning in this industry together.”

The combination of the right equipment and the right people means that McDonald and her team have been able to embrace learning and experimenting, always trying new things, or seeing what else they can do with what they already have on hand. She enjoys getting out and seeing what others in similar positions are doing as well, learning from their mistakes and successes, and sparking ideas for more things she could try herself. And that, she notes, is the biggest piece of advice she can offer to her fellow in-plant managers.

“Always look at opportunities to think outside the box,” she stresses. “Just because that material was meant for this application doesn’t mean it can’t be used for another. Continue to find ways to improve productivity and efficiency — you can do more with less if you have the right tools. Most importantly, have fun, stay creative, and always find ways to make your services relevant to your clients.”