Letters to the Editor

Editor,

I am writing this long overdue acknowledgement to you in appreciation for all your efforts and your publication's on behalf of in-plant printers. It was with great pleasure I read your recent articles on the Association of College and University Printers and the International Publishing Management Association conferences, both held in Philadelphia this spring. Your support for those of us behind the scenes is invaluable. Your feature on the University of Delaware's outstanding achievement was a well-deserved special tribute to Rodney Brown and his staff.

Thank you for your editorials that keep our value in the forefront of your magazine. I hope you will continue to be a strong voice in our community for many years to come.

Maury Kane

Director, Duplicating Services

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pa.

.

Editor,

I am sure that you have been bombed with e-mails on your article in the March issue of In-Plant Graphics on "The Kinko's Threat." It wasn't long after that article came out that our school district was contacted by Kinko's [Now FedEx Kinko's]. They wanted to do an analysis on the Hopkins School District and our in-plant facility. With a new director of Business Services in place and the school board wanting him to take a look at our Print Services department anyway, the timing was almost eerie.

So, Kinko's came in and spent a day and a half looking at our organization and getting all of the information that they needed to prepare their study. Once they gathered their information they went back to punch the numbers and see how much they could save our district.

Three weeks later they set up a meeting to go over their findings. They had these great little presentation books printed in full color, one sided and spiral bound with the fancy clear plastic covers on the front and back. Upon opening my copy of the overview, I found that was all it was—an overview. Actually, more like an outline of what they found and what they wanted to do.

As they made their presentation, they asked me if I would like to see the numbers that they punched. Of course I would. So, they pulled up a nice spreadsheet of how they came up with how they were going to save our school district a substantial amount of money. They went over it as quickly as they could and then moved on.

As I had anticipated, their biggest solution to saving us money was to pull the plug on our district Copy Center and to remove all of the walk-up copiers that we have out in our schools and send everything to them. They would provide pickup, delivery, online ordering, the works.

Hmmmmm.

Once the meeting had ended, I met with our director of Business Services and we discussed the fact that Kinko's had some good ideas as to how we could save some money. But he agreed with me in saying that we wouldn't be going the Kinko's route. Yes, they did have a few ideas...but why couldn't we implement those ideas ourselves? We had already started looking into some of their ideas on our own.

However, I kept going back in my mind to the spread sheet that they had with all of the numbers. I really wanted to take a closer look at how they arrived at the dollar figure that they were going to save our district.

After giving it some thought, I contacted one of the reps that made the presentation and asked for a copy of the spread sheet. He hesitated and then asked me for a fax number that he could send it to.

Later the same day, I was stopped by our director of Business Services and he informed me that this guy from Kinko's had contacted him about that and told him that if we wanted to get a closer look at the numbers he would like to present it to our school board. (I happened to find out just recently that he actually went over our director of Business Services and contacted one of our school board members himself.) Otherwise, if I wanted a closer look, our director of Business Services or a board member would have to sign a non-disclosure form. Why? Well, apparently there was some "confidential" Kinko's pricing included in the bottom line saving.

HUH? I didn't know that ANY of the information in there was confidential. Especially when a good majority of the numbers that they punched pertained to OUR operating costs, employee salaries, benefits and the like. I didn't recall seeing any "confidential" Kinko's pricing in with the numbers they had punched. It was all news to me and sent up a HUGE red flag.

My question is, how can ANY profitable organization come in and make an offer like that to anyone that already has their own shop? They reel you in with a good price at first, but after that you lose control. You have no control over cost, no control over quality and no control over turnaround time.

After that experience, as an in-plant operation, I would have to be mighty desperate before I outsource any of my work to Kinko's.

Thank you so much for your time, and I

really do enjoy reading In-Plant Graphics. To be honest, I read the darned thing from cover to cover every month! The articles that you print are always very informative, and I have gotten a lot of good ideas from your magazine. Thank you for putting out such a class-act magazine for those of us in the in-plant business.

Laura Shaffer-Munson

Coordinator

District Copy Center

Hopkins School District 270

Minnetonka, Minn.

.

Editor,

I just wanted to drop you a note to let you know that I will be retiring from Principal Financial Group. My last day in the office is November 12th. It was a hard decision but I feel that this is the right time to make the move.

I wanted to let you know that I have enjoyed working with you over the last 10 years and visiting with you at different conventions. Particularly, making 1995 Manager of the Year was a highlight of my career. This is a plaque that I proudly display in my office. I also enjoyed being a part of your magazine by being on the Advisory Board. The time seems to really go by quickly when you are having fun in your position, as I have over the last 44 years. I will greatly miss the interaction with the printing community. Thanks Bob.

Mel Zischler, CGCM, FLMI

Principal Financial Group

Document Services/PTM

Urbandale, Iowa

.

Editor,

Thank you so much for the great work on the story ["West Coast Wonders," September]. I have greatly appreciated your support the past few years.

Larry Weber

Interim Director

Washington State Department of Printing

Olympia, Wash.

.

Editor,

I just wanted to thank you for the article on the new equipment in the September issue of IPG ["While School's Out, New Equipment Comes In"]. I really appreciate the coverage illustrating the department's capabilities.

Joe W. Morin

Manager, Production Printing

Colorado Springs School

District Eleven

Send Your

Comments