Printing Beyond Borders

PRESIDENT DWIGHT D. Eisenhower had a dream of developing a program that would promote international understanding and friendship. So in 1956, Eisenhower founded People to People, basing the organization on his idea that direct contact between ordinary citizens from different parts of the world can encourage cultural understanding and world peace. Eight U.S. Presidents have served as the honorary chairman of People to People International. Since it's inception, People to People Ambassador Programs, based in Spokane, Wash., has served as People to People International's global educational travel provider. It is responsible for organizing and promoting travel opportunities aimed at bridging cultural and political borders by providing interaction, access and unique experiences. Its Marketing Production Systems department is charged with the task of recruiting and retaining students, athletes, educators and professionals interested in educational travel opportunities.

"95 percent of our business is generated by direct mail," says Greg Marcinkowski, vice president of Marketing Production. "We are driving some of it to the Internet, but we are going to continue to get more sophisticated with our direct mail programs."

People to People Ambassador Programs has offered travel opportunities for nearly 50 years, boasts more than 400,000 alumni, and has destinations on seven continents. In 2008, more than 40,000 delegates traveled to 49 different countries. The company relies on its in-plant to send its message to thousands of clients per year.

"We create various letters sent to delegates, which includes letterhead artwork that coincides with the campaign," explains Kristi Veale, communication set-up supervisor. "We could have up to several hundred different letters with variable data."

People to People employees believe that educational travel is always going to be popular and serves a vital function; however participants have to have some disposable income to take part.

The downturn in the economy has caused People to People to become more diligent and aggressive in securing new contact names. Still, even as the company has seen a drop off in travelers, the number of direct mail pieces the in-plant is sending out has not changed.

Trio of Digital Presses

To handle the workload, the 40-employee in-plant counts on a team of three Xerox iGen3 110s. It utilizes PrintNet GMC software, which gives the shop the ability to quickly set up, process, output and maintain its direct marketing applications. The in-plant installed the trio of iGens in April 2007 when it moved into its new 40,000-square-foot facility.

People to People's in-plant ranked ninth on In-Plant Graphics' December 2008 list of the largest shops according to sales and 30th when broken down by employees. The shop's annual $15.7 million budget includes paper and postage.

"The majority of work that we run on the iGens are letters, so the only color on there is the two colors of our logo and then black for the letter itself," says Katy Mattana, document, print and inventory supervisor. "And we print manuals for the teachers and delegates that are traveling, and those graphics have to be color accurate."

In 2007, the organization built a new headquarters close to the Spokane Airport. The in-plant shed its former 10,000-square-foot space, upgrading to a facility that includes a warehouse, print shop, laser department and inserting, sorting and fulfillment areas.

Along with the iGen3s, the company brought in a Xerox Nuvera 144 with a GBC Fusion Punch, a Duplo System 5000 bookletmaker, a Halm Jet envelope press, and various other new machines.

"Almost all of the equipment, except the offset presses and one of the inserters, was new when we moved in," Mattana recalls. The shop uses its three two-color, 11x17˝ ABDick 9910 offset presses strictly to print envelopes.

Based on the way People to People sets up its campaigns, jobs could be a short run of just a handful of letters or runs of up to several hundred thousand pieces. The in-plant excels at campaign mailings that include variable data information.

"There is not a mail shop out there that could handle the workload based on our requirements," contends Marcinkowski. "So flexibility is the key. The corporation recognizes that we have a very special niche."

Being nimble is a priority for the shop.

"We are very adaptable to last-minute changes—much more than if we were sending work outside," adds Paul Bruhn, production technical manager. "We are constantly changing things on the fly."

A Major Mailer

Housing printing and mailing in the same facility allows the in-plant to pass along postage savings to its parent company and provide quicker turnarounds, Mattana notes. She also feels that work is produced with a higher rate of accuracy, pointing out that envelopes are addressed using intelligent inserters.

"Within the organization, everybody understands the expertise and capabilities that we have within the production area," Mattana says.

The mail team uses Intelligent Mail barcodes and invisible ink to scan and track returned undeliverable mail. In-line cameras on the four custom-built intelligent inserters bring "read-and-print" capabilities.

"I think this makes us unique because there is no other shop in our area set up like this, and we are one of the biggest mailers in the Spokane area," Mattana maintains.

The in-plant also handles the shipping of apparel to the delegates, which can number in the thousands per season, adds Linda Goodrich, shipping and PrintStream supervisor. In 2008, People to People's in-plant mailed and shipped more than 16 million pieces from its facility.

Since the company's mailing campaigns follow the American school cycle, work at the in-plant is cyclical and often comes in huge chunks. Letters are sent at the beginning of the school year, and then followed up later with additional information.

"We have blitzes in our capacity throughout the year, which means unless we invested significantly, we wouldn't be able to handle it in-house," Marcinkowski confesses.

The shop must also be ready for just about any situation that could affect its travelers. When fears of the Swine Flu swept the globe earlier this year, People to People's in-plant stepped right up, sending out an e-mail blast to delegates that recently returned from a trip as well as all delegates that will travel with the company in the next few months.

"We have had some sleepless nights," Mattana concludes with a laugh. IPG