Pitney Bowes

After working in Alaska government print shops for 32 years, Harold Pence is about to retire. By Kristen E. Monte In 1972, Harold Pence began working on his first press, an A.B.Dick 360. More than 30 years later, and on the brink of his retirement, he still feels that printing is in his blood. Pence, Duplicating Services manager of the State of Alaska's Legislative Printshop, was born and raised in Illinois. After graduating high school in 1967, though, he was looking for a change, so he moved with his mother to Douglas, Alaska, a small island across the channel from Juneau. He has been

Here's what's been happening lately at the10 in-plants that top the list. By Bob Neubauer 1. This was a year of major change for the Government Printing Office. In January, Bruce James took over as Public Printer and set about reshaping the 142-year-old operation as an electronic information distribution organization. Under his direction, GPO reached a compact with the President's Office of Management and Budget, which had challenged GPO's right to handle executive branch printing and procurement. A test program with the Department of Labor allows that department to select printers outside the GPO procurement process. GPO also reduced its staff this year

At number 10 on the Top 50 list, John Hancock Financial Services is a mailing juggernaut. By Mike Llewellyn JOHN HANCOCK Financial Services' Document Solutions Group is one big operation. Boasting $19.5 million in annual sales (a 26.6 percent increase from last year) and a staff of 145 full timers, the in-plant jumped up one slot on the Top 50 this year to join the top 10. All of this follows up a 2000 consolidation of the company's four printing and mailing operations together under one suburban Boston roof—and under the jurisdiction of General Director Scott London. The effects of the three-year-old move haven't

By implementing a chargeback system, in-plants can save money, justify new equipment and prove their worth. By Mike Llewellyn IF YOU THINK balancing your checkbook is a chore, try managing the budget at the 52-employee Houston Independent School District in-plant. Steve Blakely, director of administrative services, says watching over the cash is a lot less difficult than it could be, though. That's because the in-plant charges back for every service it offers. Blakely says it's tough to imagine doing business without a fee-for-service system in place. It might come as a bit of a surprise, then, to learn that Administrative Services is relatively

Seeing big money in their mailing operations, these in-plants have invested aggressively in new equipment. By Mike Llewellyn State of Oregon Publishing and Distribution Program Salem, Ore. Manager: Kay Erickson In-plant Employees: 132 Mailing Employees: 25 Mailing equipment upgrades in past three years: Pitney Bowes Series 8 inserter, Secap V300 dual-head ink-jet system For Program Manager Kay Erickson, the purchase of a Pitney Bowes Series 8 inserter and a Secap V300 dual-head ink-jet system translated to an increase in cost savings and an expansion of the in-plant's business. "The Pitney inserter allows the option of cut sheet or continuous. It has given us backup

An unexpected Spring snowstorm and a down economy couldn't keep attendees from crowding the 10th annual On Demand show. By Bob Neubauer and Mike Llewellyn Despite a surprise spring snowfall that blanketed New York City and weakened first-day attendance, the 10th annual On Demand Digital Printing & Publishing Conference went on as usual early last month. The exhibit hall at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center seemed much larger this year, due in part to On Demand's co-location with the AIIM Conference & Exposition. As a result, there were 438 exhibitors, compared with 150+ at last year's show. By the event's second day,

Saddle stitcher manufacturers say time is of the essence in their business, and they're looking to save it on makeready, training, production and, of course, ROI. by Mike Llewellyn "IN-PLANTS, LIKE every business, are being challenged to do more with less," says Mark Hunt, director of marketing for Standard Finishing Systems. But unlike other businesses, Hunt believes, in-plants have a more reliable stream of internal work feeding them. To vendors of finishing equipment, this makes in-plants the ideal customers in slow economic times. "In-plants are extremely important," Hunt continues. "In-plants have always been important, but especially in difficult times because they have their own

Merging with their organizations' mail operations has made these in-plants indispensable. by Mike Llewellyn IF YOU weren't watching, you wouldn't have caught it. Four years ago Carl Johnson's supervisor, who was in charge of the mailing operation, was relocated. It was a small change—a barely noticeable shift in the architecture of Nevada's Washoe County government. But before Johnson knew it, the move had permanently altered the scope of his in-plant. He was given responsibility for the mail operation. The first thing he did as supervisor of mail and reprographics was roll up his sleeves and figure out what kind of equipment he needed. "We

When the going got tough, these in-plants boosted their sales anyway. From free-falling consumer confidence to scandalized captains of industry, it's been a rough year for the U.S. economy. Likewise, many in-plants have reported a drop in revenue, including 19 of those in the Top 50. But 26 other Top 50 in-plants not only survived the crunch, they flourished in it. They have increased sales, expanded their services and now rest on a foundation more solid than it was before the economy turned sour. How did they do it? Basically by keeping their eyes open for new opportunities—and not just printing

With cutbacks everywhere, government in-plants must operate more efficiently. Managers met recently to share their ideas. by Bob Neubauer Government in-plants are travelling a rough road these days. At the recent National State Publishing Association conference, words like "financially strapped" and "hiring freeze" spilled frequently from the mouths of attendees. Yet just as often, discussions centered on solutions to these difficulties, ways to bring in more revenue with new services, and ideas for doing more with fewer employees. This positive outlook and eagerness to overcome obstacles is one of the defining characteristics of the NSPA, and a key reason the association is still going