New Plant, Fresh Start

By Bob Neubauer

Custom Marketing a Hit

One of Briggs & Stratton Graphic Services’ most innovative and successful services is a custom marketing program that allows internal and external clients to create personalized marketing materials, such as direct mail post cards, sell sheets, flyers, brochures and labels.

Briggs & Stratton dealers, as well as external customers (including an insurance company and a mortgage firm) log onto the in-plant’s site, choose items in the program and personalize them. They review a PDF screen online, approve it and then the items are printed on the in-plant’s HP Indigo 5000. The system uses EFI’s PrinterSite Exchange to process the variable data and payment.

Graphic Services researched the program and its beneffits and promoted it to outside customers and to the company’s marketing departments. Briggs & Stratton dealers can purchase targeted mailing lists through the site. The in-plant processes the mailing.

“Online variable data targeted to customers whose demographics reflect potential sales leads is the future of marketing and the future of successful print campaigns,” says Debbie Pavletich, Graphic Services manager. “Printing is not just production. It is the service and benefits of print campaigns that will distinguish printers as partners in the world of marketing.”

WHEN BRIGGS & Stratton Graphic Services moved into its new 26,505-square-foot facility in June, life got a whole lot better for the shop’s 34 employees. Workflow improved, shipping and receiving became a snap and the shop’s image soared thanks to an inviting reception area. But perhaps most marvelous—the dream of in-plants everywhere—is this: the new shop has windows.

“Some of the pressmen have even commented to me how nice it is to have the windows,” remarks Debbie Pavletich, manager of the Milwaukee-based in-plant. All of the offices and parts of the shop floor have them, and the natural sunlight has made a difference in people’s moods.

Not only is the new facility brighter, with higher ceilings, but it has both an incoming and an outgoing dock. This is like heaven compared to the in-plant’s previous facility, which was on the second floor and had only one (shared) freight elevator through which all incoming supplies and outgoing jobs had to be funneled, using the services of the shipping department.

Now, Pavletich says, “we control our own shipping. It’s a lot easier.”

Also easier is the movement of work from station to station. The new facility gave Pavletich and her team carte blanche to arrange equipment so that jobs proceed through the shop logically, ending their voyage at the outgoing dock.

“We have a state-of-the-art humidification system, so that’s kind of nice,” adds Brian Patterson, pressroom supervisor. That should help eliminate the paper curl and static that often accompanies Milwaukee winters.

Improvements All Around
The new facility is not the only thing going right for Graphic Services, an $11 million operation that provides everything from design to mailing services:

• The move gave the shop the opportunity to upgrade its equip

In-plant Snapshot

Briggs & Stratton Graphic Services
Milwaukee, Wis.
Employees: 34
Budget: About $11 million
Facility: 26,505 square feet

Key Equipment:
• Agfa Acento S thermal computer-to-plate system
• Four-color 23x29? Ryobi 754 with aqueous coating
• Two-color 12x18? Ryobi 3302
• Didde Webcom 700 17.5x22? web press
• A.B.Dick envelope press
• HP Indigo 5000 digital press
• Two Xerox DocuTech 6155s with booklet makers
• Xerox DocuColor 250 four-color copier with Fiery RIP and booklet maker
• Lanier LD160c and LD335c digital copiers
• Encad NovaJet 1000i
• Epson Stylus Pro 9800
• Rimage 2000i CD duplicator and color printer
• Osako 230 six-pocket signature collator with in-line saddle stitcher, three-knife trimmer, stacker/counter/bander
• Duplo 10-Bin collator/booklet maker
• Duplo perfect binder
• Polar, Challenge and EMC cutters
• Stahl folder with right angle
• MBO folder with right angle, continuous feed,
• Baum Flexifold folder with right angle
• Morgana Digifold
• Graphic Whizard numbering, scoring, perforating unit

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Bob Neubauer Author's page

Bob has served as editor of In-plant Impressions since October of 1994. Prior to that he served for three years as managing editor of Printing Impressions, a commercial printing publication. Mr. Neubauer is very active in the U.S. in-plant industry. He attends all the major in-plant conferences and has visited more than 180 in-plant operations around the world. He has given presentations to numerous in-plant groups in the U.S., Canada and Australia, including the Association of College and University Printers and the In-plant Printing and Mailing Association. He also coordinates the annual In-Print contest, co-sponsored by IPMA and In-plant Impressions.