Moving Into Retail

Maury Kane decided long ago to leave offset behind and model his in-plant after the retail operations on Temple University's campus.

By Kristen E. Monte

While many university in-plants focus on forms and letterhead, Temple University Duplicating Services is competing with the retail copy shops congregating on its North Philadelphia campus. The main reason the 10-employee in-plant is able to do this is because its director, Maury Kane, has spent the past 17 years revamping the in-plant, and turning it into a full service facility.

Kane was born and raised in Philadelphia, and after graduating from Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Humanities, concentrating on philosophy and literature, he started his journey into the graphic arts industry.

"I got a job in electronic publishing with a division of Lehigh Press," recalls Kane. "That is when I got really interested in the industry."

Kane worked for the now-defunct Lehigh division called Research in Computer Applications for the Printing and Publishing Industry (ROCAPPI), which operated from the early 1960s through the mid-'80s. At the time, the company was one of only a few to computerize typesetting and data input in books, catalogs and directories.

"Our company was 20 years ahead of Bill Gates," Kane says. "Electronic publishing was in its early stages, and we had an advanced system for the publishing marketplace."

After 16 years with the company, the division was sold to R.R. Donnelley & Sons in the mid 1980s.

"As far as experience goes, I spent many good years there," reflects Kane. "The demise left a lot of us in the composition business scrambling for work, and I ended up at Temple because of my background and experience in the industry. I was hired to do something a little different."

Temple University has more than 34,000 students in its 17 schools and colleges. In 1987, its in-plant used small offset presses, among other equipment. Kane's first goal was to get rid of the offset presses in the copy center.

"The old presses and finishing systems were not user friendly," explains Kane. "They were noisy, smelly and caused a lot of clutter."

The End Of Offset

So he looked at the new technology of the time and began purchasing high-volume duplicators, like a Kodak 250 and some Xerox 1090s. The move away from offset marked a fundamental change in the way the in-plant operated.

"I wanted to get away from the 'back room' printing model and more into a retail storefront concept," Kane explains. This meant that faculty and students could come in to buy work, and the in-plant staff had to focus a lot more on customer service.

Kane purchased a Kodak 250 and some Xerox 1090s and had the facilities renovated to be more appealing for customers—and also for employees.

"I think people come to work wanting to do a good job," he says. "When given an opportunity to make a mistake without fear, they are able to learn from the experience and do a better job."

Kane says keeping a balance between equipment upgrades and customer service is what makes his in-plant stand out in a large market area like Philadelphia.

Today, Temple Duplicating Services has nine facilities, eight on the main campus and one on the Ambler, Pa. campus, with 10 full-time employees, plus one part-timer and a dozen student workers.

A few years ago, Kane brought PagePath's MyOrderDesk online ordering system to Temple Duplicating Services. The shop's Web site links to a work order, which is sent to PagePath's server, where it's converted into a PDF. After customers approve an online proof, the document is sent to one of two color printers or to one of six black-and-white production printers.

"This is a slowly growing segment of our business," Kane says, "and one that will grow as more University users learn how easy it is to submit work this way."

The marketing department of athletics is a frequent user, and more than 25 other departments are repeat clients. The repeaters are what makes this process viable, said Kane.

The in-plant recently installed a Xerox 3535, and hopes to convert walk-up copiers to multifunctional devices to provide additional printing options. Kane also envisions moving into CD-ROM creation.

Kane is a firm believer in marketing his in-plant.

"We have to stand out as a reliable source [for the university]," he remarks. "We do a lot with marketing, like on-campus giveaways and participating in university events, so they know to come to us with jobs."

Learning From ACUP Peers

Kane has picked up a lot of tips on how to compete in the market through his membership in the Association of College and University Printers (ACUP). Kane likes ACUP more than other associations because it concentrates solely on issues affecting college in-plants.

The group is holding its 40th annual conference in Philadelphia this month, an event organized and hosted by Kane and his staff.

"Our main focus will be on Ben Franklin," reveals Kane. "On what he contributed to printing in the U.S."

The conference will also touch on customer service, marketing, combining print and mail services and other in-plant trends and challenges.

"As the President of ACUP, I have had the opportunity to speak to various groups, vendors and peers on the benefits and trials of printing management within a corporate environment," says Kane.

He also had a chance to travel to England to speak at the University Print Managers Group conference. That trip had other benefits too.

"I was able to indulge in one of my favorite activities: travel," he says. "So on the return trip I visited the land of my ancestors, Ireland."

When he's not traveling or hard at work, Kane also enjoys golf, is an avid movie buff and holds a Philadelphia Phillies season ticket.

Having recently bought a new home, Kane is also spending his free time learning the joys of do-it-yourself maintenance.