‘Always Innovative’

IF AN in-plant’s success is measured by its growth, Auburn University’s CopyCat operation is a big winner. Much of this can be attributed to Glenda Miley, who has grown the shop into a full-service, state-of-the-art facility in her 13 years there.

“Every year we have done better than the year before,” she attests. “We are always innovative, never stagnant. We stay on the cutting edge.”

Born in Montgomery, Ala., and raised in that area, Miley started her graphic arts career while still in high school. She worked summers as a copyreader with Books Inc., a company that turned hardcover books into paperbacks.

After studying English for a few years at Auburn University, she took a position with Craftmaster Printers, where she did coding and typeset work. When the company upgraded to Macs, she started doing on-screen corrections, then moved into the design department.

After two years, though, she decided to start her own company. She formed Miley Advertising and Design, headquartered out of her house.

“I had a baby and needed a job that I could do from home,” explains Miley. “I set up camera-ready jobs for people to take to a printer.”

She did this for two years.

“I might have continued doing that for a while but a friend told me about a university job that I would be perfect for,” she says.

That job was with Auburn, as an assistant in-plant manager. The manager was more involved with the business side of the operation and wanted someone to handle the print side. Miley was a perfect match.

When she arrived, the in-plant was run like a quick print shop. It had four walk-up copiers, a large Xerox 5090 copier and some binding equipment, all tucked into a tiny space. Within six months, she convinced the higher-ups to buy a networked color copier.

“The in-plant was the first client to have a digital color copier in the area,” she says. “It was a major addition for the in-plant.”

Miley continue to add equipment, thanks to the great support she received from the vice president of the department, who felt the in-plant should be on the cutting edge of technology. Before her first year was over, the space was filled to capacity. New space was obtained in a separate part of the building to open a student service center, and the existing location was devoted to production.

“Things were more spaced out and there was room to grow,” she says. “I wanted to do so much.”

Her enthusiasm was rewarded in 1993 when her boss left the in-plant and she was promoted to manager.

STUDENT WORK FORCE

The in-plant now produces full-color hardback books, course packs, manuals, posters, vinyl banners, CDs and promotional products. It has four full-time employees and 20 student workers and prides itself on keeping those students with the shop throughout their entire college career. Employing students helps to cut costs, and the students offer a lot of ideas, says Miley. The shop is student-run from 5 p.m. until it closes at 10 p.m.

CopyCat also employs a student to handle marketing. An intern is trained in every area of the business and is then charged with bringing in new business. The in-plant’s recent “Message in a Bottle” campaign successfully got the word out about the shop’s capabilities.

“We’ve come such a long way,” says Miley. “Any job we take in we can do from start to finish. We do no outsourcing. People are amazed at our capabilities.”

Her biggest challenge, as manager, is making a profit. She says it’s a big job to make people on campus want to use the in-plant.

“We have plenty of competition from the outside,” she adds. “It’s our job to keep our customers happy.”

To keep up with changes in the industry, Miley enjoys attending in-plant conferences, where she says she picks up many management tips and is able to share her own experiences. She says she has built a strong network of colleagues.

“I’ve always wanted to be in the printing industry,” continues Miley. “It’s a very stressful job, but I love it so much. CopyCat is me. It’s like my own business. I’ve taken ownership.”

Miley and her husband of 25 years, Michael, have three children. He and the two youngest are involved in Tae Kwon Do, and the family travels around the country for tournaments. She is also active in her church and with her children’s school activities.IPG