A Big Win in Vegas

Let's clear one thing up right off the bat.

"I don't gamble," declares David Pearson.

It may seem an odd admission from the director of Print and Mail Services at Station Casinos, one of Las Vegas' most popular casinos for locals. But for Pearson, his 16 years at Station have been more about bringing gaming opportunities to others through printing and mailing monthly rewards booklets and other direct mail pieces.

Still, Pearson did roll the dice back in 1996 when he made the risky decision to leave his home in lush Lynnwood, WA, and move to the Nevada desert in search of new scenery and new opportunities. He had been working in Bank of America's mailroom in Seattle, a job that started out as a summer position that his mom had lined up for him after he graduated from high school.

"It turned out to be something I really liked," Pearson says. It was the largest mailroom on the West Coast at the time, he says, and in the five years he worked there he gained an increasing number of responsibilities.

But over time, Washington's dreary weather wore him down and left him longing for the sun. So he researched his options and decided that Vegas offered the best opportunities.

"The economy seemed to be growing faster in Vegas," he explains. So he left his home and ventured south. Once there, his mailroom experience quickly got him a job at the iconic Stardust Resort and Casino where he handled mail presorting, addressing and inserting. It was a much smaller operation than he was used to, but working on the Strip was an exhilarating experience.

"It was definitely more exciting," he confesses.

The shop added a Pitney Bowes DocuMatch mail system—the first one west of the Mississippi—and after gaining some experience on the machine, Pearson heard some news that would change his life.

"I heard that Station Casinos was buying 10 of them," he says, and would be starting a new in-plant. Intrigued, he met with Mitch Halpern, who was spearheading the project.

"We talked about it and felt I was the right fit for helping them start this," he reveals.

So in 1999 Pearson moved to the brand new in-plant as an operator. His mail experience quickly proved invaluable, and he was soon doing a little of everything, putting in long, hectic hours. The in-plant was buying offset-printed shells and adding the variable information with the DocuMatch systems. Things were going well. And then tragedy struck.

In 2000, Halpern passed away, leaving Pearson deeply saddened.

"We were kind of like brothers," he confides. "We were really close. He impacted me in so many ways."

For one thing, Halpern taught him the importance of building relationships and treating people fairly and with respect, lessons he has never forgotten.

Onward and Upward

Pearson was promoted to manager of the department, and the next year he became director. In the years since, he has strived to keep up with technology, eventually installing a Xerox iGen3 and then an iGen4 to print the rewards booklets, self mailers and post cards used by the company to promote its entertainment opportunities. Pearson feels the next step for his seven-employee, three-shift operation will be a production inkjet press, and he is keeping his eye on the technology. He is pleased that Station Casinos has been so supportive of his efforts.

"If you don't have that buy-in from the top, you're not going to get anywhere," he remarks.

With variable data printing comprising 100 percent of the in-plant's work, Pearson is now looking to start printing some of the static documents that Station currently outsources, like brochures, rack cards and menus. He also has plans to get a wide-format printer to produce signage and posters.

"We're looking at everything that's being farmed out now," he says, "and trying to pick and choose what are good applications for the equipment that we have."

Pearson has no regrets about his decision to become an in-plant manager. He always wanted to run a business, he says, and that's basically what he's doing, while enjoying the benefits of working for a large company.

"We're looking at everything that's being farmed out now, and trying to pick and choose what are good applications for the equipment that we have."

"For me this has been perfect," he says.

He lauds Station Casinos as a great place to work. Despite being located several blocks away from the casinos, he says, "we get all the perks of being part of a larger company." These include team member discounts on amenities like movie tickets, free meals in the casino's dining room and occasional tickets to events like the Ultimate Fighting Championships.

After work, Pearson enjoys hobbies like photography and web design. He recently earned a certificate in web design from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. "It's something that really interests me," he says.