Adding Services Brings Respect to Ohio University In-plant

Ohio University has moved beyond printing. The additional services it provides have made it a more crucial part of the university.

By Bob Neubauer

Ohio University Printing and Graphic Services has been doing a lot more than just printing lately.

Thanks to several initiatives coordinated by Director David Kasler, the 15-employee in-plant is now handling laser engraving, heat transfer printing, fulfillment of university gift orders and—perhaps most unique of all—a program that creates handmade wooden gifts from fallen university trees.

"If all you're providing is printing and copying...I think your days are numbered," notes Kasler. "Because those are things that they feel they can buy outside just as easy."

These new services, he contends, not only give the in-plant a good reputation, they make it more crucial to the university, reducing the possibility it might be outsourced.

Of all the non-print services the in-plant provides, the "Arbor Gifts" program, Kasler says, is the most ambitious. The in-plant coordinates the removal, drying and storage of campus trees, then contracts with artisans to create a variety to wooden gifts, ranging from gift boxes and mantle clocks to wooden chests and rocking chairs.

University departments clamor for these items, particularly the University Advancement department, which uses them to thank trustees and major donors, who are pleased to get gifts made of university wood.

"We're giving them a part of campus," Kasler says.

The Arbor Gifts program has thus tied the in-plant directly to the university's financial situation.

Modest Beginning

The program got its start when an economics professor named Jan Palmer began photographing fallen trees on campus, then hiring craftspeople to make things from them.

"The problem was he had no way to promote the project, no way to market the gifts," Kasler says. The professor offered his idea to Kasler, who took it and ran.

When a new student center was being built, Kasler asked for all the trees from the site.

"I ended up with 50 huge trees," he laughs.

He sent them to a local sawmill where they were cut into rough boards. These were kiln-dried and stored. Meanwhile, Kasler researched wooden gifts and attended woodcraft shows to find artisans. He supplied them with the wood and they returned it in the form of high-end gifts.

The in-plant has so far obtained more than 80 trees that were removed due to damage or because of construction projects—trees that were previously sold and made into pallets. The in-plant coordinates everything from the hauling of trees to the mill to the promotion, personalized engraving and shipping of the final gifts.

The best part, he says, is that at the end of the fiscal year, the in-plant will give a portion of the proceeds back to the university to be used to replant trees and aid in other campus beautification projects.

Making Their Mark

Another niche the in-plant has developed is laser engraving of wood, leather, glass and acrylic items. Using a 60-watt LaserPro Explorer, with a rotary attachment, the in-plant personalizes items like steins and plaques. To celebrate the recent inauguration of the school's new president, the shop engraved 100 clocks and 300 pens, which were given to attendees. Kasler says the response to this service has been overwhelming.

The in-plant also provides fulfillment services for gifts commemorating the university's bicentennial. It coordinates the manufacturing of gifts, order entry, billing and shipping. Items include limited edition Wedgewood plates, music CDs, books, ornaments, posters and more.

In addition, the shop sells promotional gifts through a company called Kaeser and Blair, and Kasler serves as the buyer for most of the soft goods sold at the campus gift store. Almost all of these goods (shirts, pants, shorts, mouse pads, etc.) are decorated by the in-plant using a heat-transfer process.

Despite dabbling in so many projects, the in-plant's print shop is as busy as ever. It runs Scitex CTP equipment and a pair of two-color presses—a 20x28˝ Komori and a Ryobi 3302, which it uses to print four-color process work. The shop has won several awards for its quality work. It also uses two Xerox Nuvera printers and a Xerox 6060.

Printing and Graphic Services has partnered with the university's College of Business on an internship program that gives business students hands-on sales experience. A four-student team serves as the in-plant's sales force, earning college credit at the same time. This has helped link the in-plant with the university's educational mission.

Kasler is proud of his staff for chipping in to make these various projects successful. He has been able to utilize the skills of his employees in many ways. His cutting machine operator, for example, is one of his main woodworkers, creating boxes and even a desk for the Arbor Gifts program. He also has an illustrator on staff who does more than just design brochures.

"If you want a portrait painted of a major donor, all I need is a picture of that person," Kasler says. His illustrator will do the rest.

In short, Kasler is looking for every way possible for his department to serve the university's needs.

"You have to provide a great, great service," he says—one that clients will not be able to do without. "It's all about the service you provide," he says, "and that's how we survive."