New California State Printer Sworn In

As the largest state printing operation, California’s Office of State Publishing (OSP) has a long and eventful history, dating back to 1850. In recent years, the 135-employee in-plant has been overseen by Acting State Printer Kevin Hannah, but last month the operation got a new leader when David “Jerry” Hill was sworn in as the new State Printer.

Hill most recently served as communications manager at the California Department of Justice, Office of Attorney General, where he managed both the in-plant printing and audio visual media groups for the past six years.

Though other states, notably Washington, have recently downsized their state printing operations, there is no such talk at OSP, Hill says.

“We are currently focusing on growing our operation, and we are looking at collaborating within the state to improve our services,” he notes.

Gradual downsizing over the past two decades has already transformed the operation into a much leaner, more productive operation. In July of 1995, for example, OSP had 540 employees. Today it employs 135. Yet revenues have gone from $56 million back then to $65 million today.

“We plan to increase the amount of work OSP receives from other agencies by collaborating and providing new incremental business that is beneficial to all,” says Hill.

In 2003, OSP began implementing Lean Manufacturing techniques, a successful effort that Hill intends to keep focusing on. The in-plant had been planning to move its plant—web presses and all—to a new location in Sacramento last year, but budget constraints have put that on hold.

Hill—who began his career more than 40 years ago in his family’s printing business—says OSP is upgrading its technology on an ongoing basis. Recent additions include an MBO folder and a computer-to-plate system.

“One of our current focuses…is to create a new Web store for an online system,” he says.

Hill is the creator of the State Agency In-plant Managers’ Networking Group, an in-plant organization that has been meeting regularly at different in-plants in the Sacramento area. The group, which IPG wrote about in June, boasts 35 active members from 25 government agencies all around the state capital. Hill plans to keep the group going.