From the Editor: A Homecoming in NM
I WAS very excited last year when I learned the 2010 In-Plant Printing and Mailing Association (IPMA) conference would be held in one of my all-time favorite places, Albuquerque, NM. Over the years, several family members have moved there, and I've visited more than a dozen times, so going there last month for the conference was like a homecoming—in more ways than one.
Though the spring heat wave that greeted me caught me a little off guard, I had a great time, visiting family, hiking among the cacti in the foothills, and eating at one of my favorite restaurants, El Pinto, along with the entire conference group. It was great to sit in the outdoor patio area, enjoying enchiladas and talking with in-plant friends.
In an economic climate that's seen numerous travel restrictions, it was encouraging to see so many managers at the IPMA conference this year. Nearly 100 of them made the trip to New Mexico to enjoy one of the best conferences in years. From the colorful opening reception, featuring brightly costumed dancers (struggling to keep dresses in place in a sudden strong wind storm) to the final awards banquet, during which both the University of Oklahoma and the University of North Texas were crowned Best of Show winners, the conference was an exciting, informative affair.
As I noted in my conference review (page 24), conference organizers lined up a stellar cast of speakers, including three of the industry's most well-known pundits, Barb Pellow, Bill Farquharson and Howie Fenton. I enjoyed making a presentation of my own, in which I not only discussed trends in the in-plant industry, but regaled my captive audience with lighthearted tales of my past experiences in Albuquerque. I just couldn't resist.
Since I rarely take a business trip without visiting a few local in-plants, I broke away from the conference for a few hours one day to tour both the University of New Mexico's in-plant and the shop at PNM, New Mexico's largest electricity provider. At UNM, I met with Theresa Anderson and Debra Fondino to see their all-digital operation, where they print everything from programs and exams to checks. Though they don't have the right of first refusal, they have an advocate in their boss, who will question departments that send work to outside printers and try to persuade them to use the in-plant next time.
At PNM—definitely the only in-plant I've ever visited that sits on a bridge above a city street—manager Mike Mucher showed off the seven-employee shop's new Konica Minolta bizhub Pro C65hc and HP Designjet Z6100ps wide-format printer. In addition to printing, the shop produces DVDs on its Rimage 7100, and scans and archives company records on a Canon scanner. Mike told me the in-plant even insources digital print jobs from local commercial printers on occasion.
Though I was in Albuquerque almost a week, it still went by too fast. I was glad some managers stayed longer to see some of the awesome sights in the "Land of Enchantment." I know I'll be back. IPG
- People:
- Bill Farquharson
- Howie Fenton
Bob has served as editor of In-plant Impressions since October of 1994. Prior to that he served for three years as managing editor of Printing Impressions, a commercial printing publication. Mr. Neubauer is very active in the U.S. in-plant industry. He attends all the major in-plant conferences and has visited more than 180 in-plant operations around the world. He has given presentations to numerous in-plant groups in the U.S., Canada and Australia, including the Association of College and University Printers and the In-plant Printing and Mailing Association. He also coordinates the annual In-Print contest, co-sponsored by IPMA and In-plant Impressions.
