Thanks to its expertise in print and mail delivery, Oregon Publishing & Distribution was tapped to coordinate distribution of personal protective equipment to hospitals and care facilities around the state.

Through its print procurement program, the U.S. Government Publishing Office has facilitated the printing of instructional materials for students, which will be used while they participate in remote learning during the COVID–19 pandemic.

College campuses around the world are shut down due to COVID-19. Students are finishing their courses online. As a result, print work has dried up for most higher-ed in-plants. The materials they would normally be printing for spring activities, including graduation, are no longer needed. Still, some have found opportunities to stay busy.

In the past, managing multiple sites meant traveling to the locations multiple times per month. Today, that just isn’t possible. However, there are ways for leaders to effectively lead remote sites, even when they can’t be physically present. 

In the view of government affairs expert for the printing industry Lisbeth Lyons, the work that Congress must do to stimulate recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is off to a solid start – but is nowhere near close to completion.

In the latest episode of the Impressions Xchange podcast, Elaine Scrima, VP of Operations for GSP Companies, discusses how her company’s continuity plan has helped it weather the COVID-19 crisis a little easier.

The cancellation of graduation ceremonies has created an opportunity for college and university in-plants, like Middle Tennessee State University: the printing of personalized yard signs announcing the graduation of individual students.

Due to COVID-19 business conditions, Domtar will temporarily idle the operations of its Hawesville, Ky., mill and temporarily lay off 400 of the mill's employees. The shutdown will reduce Domtar’s uncoated freesheet paper production capacity by 83,000 short tons.

As part of the company's first-quarter 2020 financial results, Xerox reported a $49 million decrease in operating cash flow and $1.86 billion of revenue. The company is also producing FDA-approved ventilators, antiseptic hand sanitizer, and medical-grade face masks to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

State government in-plants have not slowed down a bit during the COVID-19 crisis. Some have stepped into new areas of responsibility to help battle the virus. This came to light in a recent video conference call that brought together eight state printers.

Lisbeth Lyons, VP of Government & External Affairs at Printing Industries of America, discusses the legislative response in Washington to the pandemic that benefits the printing industry, including SBA assistance such as the Paycheck Protection Program; why the U.S. Postal Service deserves more financial relief as an essential service; and new programs that will likely be implemented at various stages of the U.S. recovery. 

Working from home may be new to some people and, while remaining safe from the virus is the goal, safety from another perspective is important as you need to set up a workspace that is ergonomically sound. Ergonomics is the application of psychological and physiological principles to the design of products or systems.

Though most in-house mail operations have eliminated mail delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic, one in-plant has found a safe way to continue delivering first class mail right on schedule.

Xerox is leveraging its manufacturing capabilities and in-house materials expertise to produce approximately 140,000 gallons of hand sanitizer for health care workers by June 2020.

For the first time in its 55-year history, the In-plant Printing and Mailing Association was forced to cancel its conference due to COVID-19. IPMA President Sherri Isbell talks about this decision and IPMA's plans to provide alternate educational and networking opportunities for in-plants.

In a recent blog, Consultant Howie Fenton suggests there will need to be changes to physical spaces and workflow before a vaccine is released to address the current pandemic.

School district in-plants have become crucial providers of printed educational materials during the COVID-19 shutdown. Des Moines Public Schools has given its in-plant high praise for its efforts.

The world will reopen, although no one is sure when or how. Suddenly restarting a vast number of companies can mean big business for printers. It also provides business development and preparation activities you can pursue right now.

“Here in Palm Beach County, most of our work in the Graphics Division has slowed down,” notes Manager John D.L. Johnson. “It has shown us just how much of our work was event related.” That’s a revelation many other in-plants are seeing as well.

In the third episode of the Impressions Xchange podcast, we talk with Adriane Harrison, VP of Human Relations at PIA, about how managers should respond if an employee tests positive for COVID-19 and how to minimize exposure among your workforce.