Practicing What They Preach

"The real reason was to give our press demonstrators more practical experience in a day-to-day production environment," Kroll explains. "Those are really high-pressure situations for our operators, because [their] performance may or may not contribute to the sale of a multi-million-dollar press."

Since customers often come into vendor's shops to see equipment, Zanoni says he must make A.B.Dick's shop a "showplace," keeping the machinery looking good. Zanoni also points out that by having an in-plant right where A.B.Dick's engineers are planning new equipment, suggestions can be made for improving future equipment. He feels A.B.Dick's shop has become a major sales aid, since customers can actually see work being produced.