Ex Band Manager Keeps In-plant in Tune

BACK IN the early '80s, when he was touring with rock legend Elvis Costello, John Barron didn't give much thought to the world of printing. He was the road manager for a band named Sussman Lawrence—well known in the Twin Cities at the time—trying to help his high school buddies make it big.

"We toured with Blondie and Elvis Costello, and had some fun on the road," reflects Barron, now director of Printing & Mailing Services at the University of St. Thomas, in St. Paul, Minn.

In his six years as road manager, he mastered the art of "creative problem solving," a skill that's come in handy many times in his subsequent career.

"You've got to think on your feet, and make something happen," he explains.

Barron has certainly made a lot of good things happen in his 16 years at the university. From streamlining mail procedures to consolidating copier contracts, he has saved the University of St. Thomas countless thousands of dollars.

Back in 1986, though, Barron had other priorities. After six years of rockin' and rollin' he was ready to move on. He returned to the University of Minnesota, where he had been studying mechanical engineering in his pre-band days, and enrolled in business finance courses. But after graduation, he found few job openings in the turbulent economic climate of 1988.

"I had to 'settle' for a job being basically a gopher at my brother's father-in-law's printing company," Barron says. "It was difficult for me, because I knew nothing."

In his three years at Ambassador Press, he learned all about film stripping, keylines, match prints, Dylux proofs, typesetters—"all the old school stuff," he says.

In 1991 he was hired by Bolger Publications, a commercial printer, as a second shift production manager. Here, he managed 27 employees and got experience preparing budget reports, forecasting production requirements, cutting purchase orders, and perhaps most importantly, he became acquainted with the methods of W. Edwards Deming.

"I learned statistical process control and the Deming theory," Barron says. These lessons in empowering staff, eliminating fear in the workplace and doing tasks right the first time stuck with him, and paved the way for his next job opportunity.

In 1994, Barron's wife Elizabeth, a University of St. Thomas employee, noticed a job posting for the in-plant director's position. Barron applied and got the job.

"What they liked was that I had this quality training," he says. The university was impressed by his experience assembling teams to solve problems.

"A lot of managers aren't used to doing things that way," he notes.

Mailing Upgrade Saves Big Bucks

Though he had no experience with copiers or mail, Barron plunged right in. The first major change he implemented, which remains a source of pride, was to install an MCS PrintStation Pro imager, which allowed the in-plant to inkjet addresses and barcodes directly onto mailing pieces. Combined with the addition of PostalSoft list management software, the department could now sort mailings electronically before printing, and start getting postal discounts. Barron says this saved more than $100,000 in the first year.

His next move was to add a Standard Horizon suction-feed collator/stitcher/trimmer.

"Suddenly we were able to offer our customers glossy paper," he remarks. "It gave us more credibility."

Through his first couple of years, Barron had been monitoring the copier situation on campus. Seven different copier vendors were being used, each with a different lease, none of which were coterminous. Realizing that there was a better way, he began trying to convince management of the need to switch to a single vendor. It took a lot of work, but eventually he brought this about, a major cost savings for the university.

Later, he negotiated an agreement to end the leases and pay only for copies. He implemented Equitrac software to control and track on-campus printing.

Barron also brought digital color printing to the university. First came a Lanier copier/printer in 1999, then a Xerox Docu–Color 12, followed by a DocuColor 6060 and finally, in November 2009, an iGen3 90 digital press. He also introduced online ordering using PagePath's MyOrderDesk.

"We now find that the overwhelming majority of all orders received are done using that system," he notes. People can also use it to order toner and other supplies for their printers, he adds.

Three years ago, the in-plant added wide-format inkjet printing with a 42˝ HP Z6100 to address a huge demand for posters and banners. More recently, Barron added a Roland VersaCAMM SP-540i, a 54˝ solvent-based printer.

"We realized that there was an application for more outdoor signage," he explains. He plans to use it to do vehicle wraps in the spring.

In his time at the in-plant, Barron has built up the shop's insourcing business. Last year the shop brought in $190,000 from outside customers.

"That's proven to be a real nice way for us to fill our capacity," he says.

His most recent success, though, came in September when the in-plant, after many years of asking, was granted the right of first refusal from the board of trustees.

"It's just been fantastic," he proclaims, noting that he sees this as a vote of confidence in the in-plant's quality and service.

The next step, Barron says, is to increase the amount of variable data printing the in-plant does. The shop has purchased DesignMerge Pro VDP software.

A bicycle racer for 13 years, Barron maintains his cycling interest both by coaching a collegiate women's racing team and running a side business called Velostuf, which buys and sells vintage racing bikes and parts. That business carries him to swap meets all over the world—to places far beyond anywhere he traveled in the rock band road manager days of his youth.