Kovalsky Stars At Constellation

Although he dabbled in many fields, Dan Kovalsky found his niche in printing. Now he couldn't be happier.

Daniel Kovalsky didn't grow up dreaming of being a printer. But now, as supervisor of Print & Imaging Services for Constellation Energy Group in Baltimore, he wouldn't dream of doing anything else.

Kovalsky, 48, was born in Johnstown, Pa. His family moved to Maryland when he was five, and he's lived there ever since. He graduated from Brooklyn Park High School at age 17 and found a job changing truck tires for Kelly-Springfield until he was 18.

Once he was old enough, his father, an electrician for a metal product manufacturer called Koppers Co., got him a job running a small press in the company's in-plant. He found that he enjoyed the printing business.

"I was most fascinated with the academic variety associated with printing," Kovalsky says. He found the chemistry, physics and other aspects of printing most stimulating.

Around this time, Kovalsky discovered another field that captivated him—cabinetmaking.

"I loved working with wood," he remembers.

Kovalsky took some time off from both professions to join the National Guard. Upon his return, he went back to Koppers for a short time, and then went into business for himself—as a cabinet maker.

Although his business did well, the work was seasonal. So, in 1974, he made an important decision.

"I saw an ad in the paper for a press operator for Baltimore Gas and Electric," he recalls. The idea of a steady job with benefits appealed to Kovalsky, so he went to work for BG&E's in-plant.

"I only wanted to stay there for a short time, less than a year," he says. But when he saw the possibility for advancement, Kovalsky decided not only to stay, but to return to school to improve his opportunities.

BG&E paid his tuition to the Visual Arts Institute, where he earned a certificate in photolithography. He then went on to Catonsville Community College, earning a certificate in printing management. And even though he admits college was never a priority in his blue-collar family, he is now close to getting a BS degree in management studies and communications from University of Maryland, University College. He plans to seek a masters in communications.

"It's always been a desire for me to get a degree," he states.

Kovalsky became supervisor in 1985. Since then, he has overseen many changes. Starting in the mid-'80s he and his staff gradually converted the 30,000-square-foot in-plant from analog to digital prepress, eventually adding direct-to-film capabilities. The shop added three presses, including a four-color, 40˝ Heidelberg, and expanded its bindery. It recently installed a T/R Systems Cluster Printing System with two Minolta color printers and one black-and-white device.

The Big Test

The 20-employee in-plant underwent its biggest test a few years ago when the company did a cost-efficiency comparison between the in-plant and 11 outsourcing firms. This was a tense time for the in-plant; if it didn't prove it was cost-efficient, it would likely be closed. Fortunately, the shop had been working hard to mesh its printing and prepress departments to create a more smooth, efficient workflow.

"We knew there were enormous cost efficiencies if we could get this process perfected," Kovalsky states.

Because of the shop's teamwork, its use of outsourcing when appropriate, and its digital prepress capabilities, the in-plant proved it was the best option. The in-plant saves the company from 10 to 42 percent of what outsourcing would cost, depending on the job category, Kovalsky says.

The in-plant has received several awards from the Printing Industries of Maryland, on whose board of directors Kovalsky now sits.

After 26 years with the BG&E—which now reports to Constellation Energy Group—Kovalsky is gearing up for an exciting, yet unpredictable future. With the deregulation of the energy market, there is more competition in the industry. Kovalsky doesn't know what the future holds for his in-plant, but he is looking ahead toward the possibilities of e-commerce and direct-to-press technology.

One thing is certain, though: Dan Kovalsky loves his job. "It's very rewarding," he says. "It's absolutely the right choice for me."