In-plants serving non-profit organizations are passionate about their organizations' missions. by Cheryl Adams What's the biggest difference between corporate in-plants and those of non-profit organizations? Besides the obvious (lower salaries and fewer funds for new equipment), there's one very unique and powerful distinction: dedication to the mission. Corporate in-plants contribute to the bottom line of their parent companies' profitability. Non-profit in-plants contribute to the greater good of mankind. "I want to be known as a peacemaker. I want to give someone a helping hand and give them a better chance in life. I want to build rather than destroy," declares Mike Chapman, manager of
Mike Chapman
For Warren Fraser, there's a certain magic about living so far away from the rest of the country. "I can look out my office window and see the Alaska Range," says Fraser, manager of Printing Services at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. "If you want to be [in a place] with clean air and wilderness close at hand, but still live in a city that has a university and has cultural offerings...then there are some advantages
In-plants have traditionally been stuck in cramped, out-of-the-way places. Those who have moved into larger, brighter facilities report a world of benefits. Rodney Dangerfield couldn't get it. Aretha Franklin just wanted a little bit. And Monica Lewinsky never had much to begin with. Respect. Everybody craves it, but for many in-plants—stuck in the basement like vegetables in the crisper—respect and pleasant working conditions can be hard to find. Often in-plant facilities are too small, with low ceilings, bad lighting and no windows. While managers may not like this, some feel it comes with the territory. "The term "print shop" implies a dingy, dumpy
Mike Chapman, print manager for Habitat for Humanity International, has moved his in-plant into a new facility that's three times as large. LOOKING FOR work straight out of high school, Mike Chapman consulted a friend whose father was a manager for a local Atlanta print shop. He took an entry-level position there, and immediately knew that he had made the right decision. "Once I got printing in my blood I knew I wanted to be a printer," recalls Chapman, now print manager for Habitat for Humanity International. But in between his first job and his current one, he did a bit of traveling.