Retail King, In-plant Leader

Wal-Mart Printing & Mailing Distribution Center

Bentonville, Ark.

Annual sales: $22,052.310

Operating budget: $22,037,626

Sales minus costs: $10,858,458

Full-time employees: 325

Jobs printed per year: 12,000+

As the largest general merchandiser in the world, Wal-Mart Stores serves more than 100 million customers weekly at its 2,485 stores. In Fortune magazine's latest Fortune 500 list, the 37-year-old company overtook Exxon to become the third largest firm in the U.S.

So it's only fitting that a company of this magnitude also has one of the country's top in-plants. Located about a mile from Wal-Mart's Bentonville, Ark., headquarters, Wal-Mart Printing & Mailing Distribution Center (PMDC) boasts 325 employees—or "associates," in the company's lingo. These are the folks, according to PMDC General Manager Richard Parker, who make the in-plant shine.

"When I bring people in from other facilities, they can't get over how clean it is, how well the associates keep the facility up and also just their good nature," Parker praises. The reason for his associates' good cheer, he contends, is because they enjoy their jobs.

"I think it's because they go into the stores and they see [their work], and they know what it means to the company," he says. "We are part of the corporate image. I think they take a lot of pride in that."

As evidence of how much PMDC associates enjoy working there and take pride in what they do, Parker points out their excellent safety record.

"Our associates, just this month, reached two million hours without a lost-time accident," he boasts. That equates to two full years. "That's an incredible accomplishment."

Wal-Mart PMDC produces over half of the signs that appear in Wal-Mart stores, along with the easy-to-read shelf pricing. In addition, the 198,000-square-foot facility produces training manuals, store layout guides, forms, small banners and marketing materials.

PMDC has expanded over the past few years, adding both employees and new equipment. In 1996 the in-plant had 270 associates; today there are 325. Part of the reason, Parker says, is because PMDC uses fewer temporary workers today and more full-time employees. Also, the operation has added additional press shifts on the weekends.

New bindery equipment has gone in, as has a new color copier, a new Hagen OA computer management system and new DocuTechs, including a Xerox 6180. A few years ago the in-plant added an express copy center in Wal-Mart's home office. Staffed by seven associates, it provides copying and shipping services.

Still ahead, Parker says, PMDC is looking at a digital proofer, and is hoping to add flexography equipment next year. A direct-to-plate device is also in the budget. Right now, PMDC is in the middle of upgrading its mailing operation with a new bar code sorter.

The fact that Wal-Mart is willing to invest so much money into its in-plant shows how much value it provides to the company. Not only is Wal-Mart pleased with the significant cost savings the in-plant provides, Parker says, but it likes the fact that its own employees are in charge of producing the material that the public sees in Wal-Mart stores.

"It allows them to control the look of the stores," Parker explains. "We want to look the same everywhere."

—by Bob Neubauer

Key Equipment

• Hagen OA computer management system

• Agfa SelectSet imagesetter

• Heidelberg Prepress Herkules Pro imagesetter

• Agfa RIP

• One six-color, 40˝ MAN Roland

• One four-color MAN Roland

• Single-color Harris and Chief presses

• One 11˝ Didde Apollo web press

• One Didde 860 web press