One of the country’s largest in-plants, University of Oklahoma Printing, Mailing and Document Services is thinking big and taking chances.

By Dawn Greenlaw-Scully

"And it's getting harder and harder to find qualified people," Sarantakos notes.

One of those retirees had 38 years of service, while another left after 35 years. "Then there was the young guy—he was only here for 29 years," Sarantakos jokes.

At OU, employee longevity correlates with opportunity. "Although there are no automatics, we offer career paths that staff can move up," he says, noting that "one retiree who started out as a press feeder ended up a supervisor and another as head pressman."