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"When I came here, it was primarily a quick copy type shop," May reflects. "There wasn't any high-quality printing being done."

In 1990, the in-plant added the first of two Omni Adast two-color presses and started doing four-color work. Demand increased, so the shop installed a 29˝ four-color Sakurai press in 2002. Just four years later, May added another one, a 26˝ Sakurai 466SIP two-over-two convertible perfector. The presses allow the in-plant to play a crucial role in helping the university increase its enrollment: "We're constantly printing recruiting materials," May says.

Cost-saving Initiatives

Still, despite the shop's success with four-color, May is most proud of some of his other initiatives that received university-wide buy-in. For example, he established a cost recovery system for student computer lab printing to eliminate waste and save money. Using Pharos Uniprint software, the in-plant now manages 96 printers in 48 computer labs, plus 25 in other public locations.

"Last year we returned in excess of $170,000 to departments through this program," May proclaims.

He also successfully introduced copier fleet management to a campus that had previously been purchasing copiers from eight different vendors. May created the RFP, and the contract for about 600 machines was awarded to Océ Imagistics. May's copier program is saving UA about $300,000 a year, he says. The program was honored as one of the best in the country by the Southern Association of College and University Business Officers.

What's more, May shrewdly negotiated his in-plant's production equipment into the contract. So now the shop pays only a click charge for its Océ 6150 monochrome printer and its Konica Minolta 650 color unit.

In addition to printing, May oversees mail processing, on-campus paper sales, sign making and academic publishing, in collaboration with the book store. May is proud of how efficiently his in-plant runs. He's quick to credit his employees for this: "I'm very proud of the professionalism and the expertise of our staff," he lauds.