A Cigna-ificant In-Plant
Cigna
Charleston, S.C.
STARTING OUT with several small in-plant facilities at locations across the country, Cigna Printing & Distribution eventually centralized into one main printing shop located in Charleston, S.C. This is where the majority of the insurance company's printing work is done today, although there is one smaller in-plant located in Santa Fe Springs, Calif., and a few copy centers spread throughout the nation.
The in-plant serves about 50,000 Cigna employees, according to John Panhorst, who oversees printing in both in-plant locations. The majority of in-house work is black and white, he says.
What's the in-plant's secret of survival? "We do things cheaper," Panhorst insists. "We have no sales department, we select the jobs we take, and we are able to save money."
Panhorst has seen his in-plant grow significantly over the years, with the company spending about $3 million annually on new equipment. Right now the operation is anxiously awaiting the arrival of a new two-color Heidelberg perfector that's set to be delivered next month.
Panhorst falls back on his experience as a commercial printer when it comes to making new purchases. He not only looks for a return on his investment, but he examines how it will positively effect the in-plant. Cigna, he says, wants to know how much value new equipment will bring the company in productivity.
Cigna currently employs over 100 workers at the in-plant. They work three shifts. One major job that the in-plant produces is the company position directory. About 100,000 copies of the 300- to 400-page product are produced, totaling more than 30 million impressions. It is all done in black and white, except for the four-color cover.
Panhorst says a typical job for the in-plant is about a 50,000 run of 150 pages, which will have a turnaround time of three days from film to finished product.
—by Chris Bauer
