From The Woods To The Web
From his humble beginnings in Alaska, Larry Jablinske has worked his way through a very technology-focused industry.
by CHERYL ADAMS
When SAFECO Publishing Services won Best of Show in In-Print 2000—the very first time it entered the contest—no one was more pleased than Larry Jablinske, assistant director. The honor was just one more milestone in Jablinske's long career.
Growing up in Anchorage, Alaska, Jablinske saw lots of snow, muddy roads and long summer nights. When his family moved from its log home in the woods to Seattle in the early 1960s, nine-year-old Larry quickly took to life on the Puget Sound.
Over the years, he developed a love for sailing and dreamed of someday piloting his own boat. That dream is now a reality for Jablinske, whose favorite pastime is sailing his 30-foot vessel to the nearby San Juan Islands.
"That's one of the things I like most about Seattle: It's close to the water and mountains," he says. In the winter, Jablinske enjoys tackling the ski slopes nearby.
Early Start In Printing
When he was young, Jablinske dreamed of being a musician. But fate steered him in a different direction. His interest in printing/publishing was sparked in high school, after taking a class in photography, then another in graphic arts. As an intern at a copy center, he earned elective credits that helped pave his way to Washington Technical College.
There, Jablinske studied graphic arts and worked as an apprentice press operator. After completing the program, he came to a stark realization: "Running a press wasn't my thing." So, he switched to a job in the photolithography department. Though he enjoyed it, we wanted more challenges.
"That's when I decided to get into management," he says. But because he was at a union shop, he couldn't make a managerial move. So he left in pursuit of management opportunities, a quest that spanned the '80s. His experience ranged from estimating/scheduling at a small print shop, to managing the large in-plant at Seattle First National Bank.
In 1994, Jablinske was hired by SAFECO Insurance to manage the company's large, though antiquated in-plant.
"The first thing we did [in 1995] was evaluate, then automate our prepress with Macs and a Scitex workflow," says Jablinske. "But our presses were ancient, and we were limited to two-color capabilities. So the higher-end work was still going to outside vendors. By November, we installed a six-color Mitsubishi and started moving into high-end work."
In the years that followed, Graphic & Printing Services replaced all of its older, single-color presses with newer, two-color models. Bindery equipment was also replaced, and new capabilities (including stitching) were added. In recent years, a new Scitex system replaced the original one, installed in 1995, and new digital proofing systems have also been added.
Promoted To Assistant Director
Technology isn't the only thing to change at SAFECO. Jablinske was promoted three years ago, from manager of Graphic & Printing Services to assistant director of Publishing Services. As assistant director of the 92-employee operation, Jablinske's responsibilities include not only running a print facility, but overseeing electronic publishing functions.
"We're creating Web forms that are intelligent," Jablinske says, "with interactive prompts that guide you in filling out the form. Rather than being a stagnant document, the Web form tells the user what to do. We've been doing that for a little over a year now."
A big part of Jablinske's job as assistant director is to move Publishing Services "from print to the electronic world," explains Jablinske. "We're finding that the electronic side is growing substantially. So, we're offering Web publishing services [for document creation] and, to some extent, intranet site development and design."
Tasked with justifying the in-plant's expenses (and ultimately its existence), Jablinske performed a "cost vs. cash flow" analysis. In the five years he's been tracking it, he reports, Graphic Services has saved SAFECO more than $17 million compared to outside vendor costs.
"We're very proud of this," he concludes.
