15 Under 40

These days, with the future of print being questioned so readily by digital know-it-alls, it’s kind of nice to hear about younger people who are choosing graphic arts careers. It shows that, even in the age of the iPad, some in the younger generation trust that printing will have a place in the digital world for a long time to come.

Over the past few months, IPG has been busy tracking down in-plant managers and supervisors born in the ’70s (or later) to find out what drives them, what they’ve accomplished and where they’re going. We wanted to bring some recognition to these hard-working, often unheralded younger mangers.

The stories of these rising stars are as reassuring as they are impressive, and should inspire in-plant managers of any age to more emphatically support the up-and-coming managers in their own operations. These younger managers have learned a lot from their in-plant mentors, then added their own ingenuity and enthusiasm. Their determination, perspective and vision are admirable, and show that the future of printing is in qualified, capable hands.

Check out the 15 biographies below to get a glimpse of the in-plant industry’s future.

Hilarie Bain, 38
Associate Director, Brand Creative Services
The University of Mississippi, Oxford, Miss.
• Education/Training: Bachelors of Science in Technology, Occupational Technology and Industrial Studies from The University of Houston.

• Keys to Success: I am dedicated to the development and management of Brand Creative Services and the University of Mississippi. I believe that teamwork is an essential part of our success.

• Biggest Influence: Tony Seaman, Director of Brand Creative Services has been the biggest influence in my professional career. He has willingly shared his 40-plus years of experience within the industry.

• Accomplishments: Since coming to the university, I have been an instrumental part in implementing new technologies such as drum scanning, variable data, QR codes, our EFI PrintSmith MIS system, a direct-to-plate system, the Kodak NexPress 2500 and, most recently, branding our EFI Digital StoreFront.

• Looking Forward: I would like to continue to improve and evolve Brand Creative Services. Whether it be in traditional printing or branching out into other media forms, such as social networking and other communication technologies.

Andrew Bradley, 33
Printing Services Department Manager
Gaston County Schools, Gastonia, N.C.
• Keys to Success: Being a team player. We only have three employees in our department, and no one has only one responsibility. When one of us finishes a job, we jump in and help complete the next job. I am an extremely detail-oriented person. I believe if you have time to do the job over, you have time to do it right to begin with. I also think that, having started in an entry-level position, I can relate to the other employees. No one is doing anything that I haven’t already done myself.

• Biggest Influences: My parents: they instilled in me the importance working hard, family and faith. I strive to work as hard as they worked when I was growing up. My wife: she is a very inspiring woman and a great mother. She works hard every day and also is attending college at night to become a teacher. Also, my former boss, Bruce Lawrence (retired): Bruce hired me at age 22, with no printing experience. I went through the “Bruce Lawrence School of Printing.” Bruce was very instrumental in me getting promoted to manager.

• Accomplishments: When I was hired, I started on an A.B. Dick 360 (we had three of them). We ran very little color. I have been vocal about integrating more color systems into our department. We now have a Toshiba 6530 digital color machine. Also, I am very pleased our department has increased impressions by 2.5 million over two years ago. In my two years as department manager, we have increased the amount of money we give back to the school system by approximately 45 percent. This past summer, I negotiated a new contract with Ikon for two Ricoh 1357 black-and-white copiers, with a yearly savings of approximately $6,000. I take pride in knowing we are saving the taxpayers of Gaston County a substantial amount of money. Also, we are doing our part to support Gaston County Schools’ “green” initiatives by starting a recycling program.

• Looking Forward: With the cost of digital printing continuing to decrease, I can see digital printing bypassing offset printing. I see our department printing more color in the future. As for future plans for me, I am not looking for a change in positions. However, as life plays out, a position demonstrating new equipment is intriguing to me. We have had Ricoh digital copiers for 10 years now, so I feel like I have expert knowledge in their products.

Charles “Chuck” Brantley, 37
Manager of Central Duplicating and Mail Services
Rhodes State College, Lima, Ohio
• Education/Training: BA in Cross Cultural Communications and Theology from Central Bible College

• Keys to Success: I attribute the majority of my success to the ability to communicate. Anyone who knows me knows I like to talk and build relationships. I also believe my background in purchasing, along with the ability to negotiate, has helped me be successful in many areas of my career.

• Biggest Influence: My parents are definitely the greatest influence in my life. They both have a strong work ethic and have challenged me to become the person I am today.

• Accomplishments: In the last two years at Rhodes State, thanks to the great support we get from our administration, we have had several small successes that have made a big impact on the way we do business. For years this department worked only in black-and-white print. By bringing in color we were able to bring enhancements to our existing customers, broaden our customer base and save them money in the process. Secondly, we implemented an online ordering system, which is currently being upgraded. Finally, we have taken the “be proactive instead of reactive” approach to the college’s “green initiative.” We have worked hard to cut down on waste, track how much we recycle each quarter, and started working with our Student Government Association to help promote sustainability around campus.

• Looking Forward: We are currently working on several projects that will streamline the way our copy and mail services work together. We plan to bring some new features to our First Class and Standard Mail through variable data. We are constantly trying new things that will help make our department stronger and more competitive.

Michael Coffman, 35
Operations Manager, Print and Outbound Mail
Unum, Columbia, S.C.
• Education/Training: Associates degree in Commercial Graphics from Midlands Technical College. Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Communications, from Clemson University.

• Keys to Success: My background in the industry as a press operator, and my ability to learn quickly and adapt to different environments have been key strengths in my career. I always work hard to understand the environment in which I am operating and seek out possible improvements while also involving those who do the job each day in the process. It is important to always seek knowledge so that you can stay ahead of the curve.

• Biggest Influence: Dr. John Leininger had the biggest impact on me at Clemson University. He taught me in several courses and is very passionate about the industry. This came through in his courses, and he really taught me a lot. I have been able to attend his sessions at trade shows and I will still call on him with questions.

• Accomplishments: It was important for me to follow through with my education and obtain a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Communications. It has proved to be very helpful in a lot of ways. I have been able to move quickly in the management of the operations of print at Unum. We have seen a lot of changes and have done well adapting to those changes and preparing for those to come.

• Looking Forward: My plans are to continue to be a leader in the industry by focusing on customers’ needs and adapting the business to meet those needs. It is important for me to continue to develop and gain more responsibility so that I can strategically build the solutions that add value to our customers.

Charles “Clem” Deussen, 39
Production Manager, Printing Services
University of North Texas, Denton, Texas
• Education/Training: Cooke County College

• Keys to Success: My biggest strength is having what I call the “Want To.” One that has the “Want To” can accomplish anything they set out to do. I have also had the experience of working in many different areas of printing with talented individuals who shared their knowledge and expertise.

• Biggest Influence: My biggest influence in the in-plant industry is Jimmy Friend, whom I have worked with for 19 years. Jimmy’s determination, business skills and ability to motivate talented people to perform at their best has influenced my personal career as well as my personal growth. He has taught me to see the big picture and to always have a business plan.

• Accomplishments: I am most proud of how we started our digital department with the placement of our first HP Indigo 3050 digital press in 2002. The ability to turn key jobs around quickly and win awards was just the start, and led to the placement of our second HP Indigo digital press, which gave us the ability to win Best of Show in the In-Print contest.

• Looking Forward: My long-term goal is to continue my career in the in-plant printing industry by seeking new processes, technologies and equipment in our ever-changing industry that will allow us to provide better solutions for our customer needs.

Jason Floyd, 33
Quality Control Manager, Print and Distribution
Unum, Columbia, S.C.
(Also manages QC operations at Unum’s Portland, Maine, and Chattanooga, Tenn., locations)

• Education/Training: Bachelor of Science, Secondary Education, from Grand Valley State University, Allendale, Mich.

• Keys to Success: My strengths are communication, relationship management, critical thinking and strategic planning. I believe that the keys to my professional success have been the utilization of personal strengths combined with my adherence to four key production management components: quality control, speed to market, customer service and most importantly continuous improvement.

• Biggest Influence: My biggest professional influence was my first manager, Kevin Wildman, at Steelcase Inc. He instilled in me the important difference between management and people leadership. Under his tutelage I learned that relationship management is a key building block for the development of every aspiring leader and is paramount for professional and personal success.

• Accomplishments: I consider my greatest accomplishment to be the manner in which I have been able to adapt, thrive and grow in a variety of production environments. Due to the woes of the economy, outsourcing and downsizing, I am on my third professional career and I am only 33 years old. My successful metamorphosis from a manufacturing supervisor to a print and distribution manager is only possible because of the process management and people leadership skills I have gained with each new challenge. The thing that I am most proud of in my current role is the way I have been able to weave lean manufacturing and six sigma philosophies into the daily routines of the print-to-mail environment. The design and implementation of standard operating procedures that are based on continuous improvement methodologies has ensured efficient throughput while reducing waste.

• Looking Forward: As technology provides corporations with new customer communication options, in-plants must adapt and find new ways to provide value through innovation. The future of our business is dependent on investing in new equipment and moving from a static, print-to-mail model to becoming a multimedia, variable data marketing service provider.

Jonathan Mayer, 30
Assistant Manager of Printing Services
Radford University, Radford, Va.
• Education/Training: Bachelor of Science in Art (concentration in Graphic Design), Radford University

• Keys to Success: Treating people well is most important, whether customers or employees, so I consider it my job to help make everyone else’s jobs better. I discuss new ideas with everyone involved, which often leads to even more improvements. I learn from every source possible: colleagues, technicians, trade magazines, podcasts, blogs, online forums...everywhere.

• Biggest Influence: Danny Coalson, our manager, is an experienced printer and supervisor. Not only has he taught me a great deal about printing, but he has always given me access to every aspect of running a print shop. He exemplifies the importance of being hands-on—no task is too small to lend a hand.

• Accomplishments: I’ve streamlined many of our digital processes, in addition to some of our bookkeeping practices. I have also been instrumental in greatly expanding our digital color options (devices and media). I’m also very proud to have given a lot of experience and knowledge to my student workers from RU’s design program.

• Looking Forward: I want our department to be known throughout RU as the source for document information. I plan to develop workshops and guides for faculty and staff; and on the academic side, I would like to speak to a wider range of classes. I also want to get a better grip on color management.

Tim McDaniel, 39
Supervisor of Print Production
The Cincinnati Insurance Co., Fairfield, Ohio
• Education/Training: University of Cincinnati

• Keys to Success: Committing to strong work ethics drives my success. It’s my goal that associates see this commitment daily, working together to achieve excellence. Adapting to changing business needs and a willingness to be a risk taker to evolve technologies and processes contributes not only to my success but results in satisfied customers.

• Biggest Influence: My father, a retired police chief, has been very influential in the manner in which I lead others. He taught me the importance of treating others equally and with respect. Within our corporation, I have been greatly influenced by watching and learning the business practices of all of our management staff.

• Accomplishments: Improved workflow efficiencies have been accomplished by re-arranging the floor plan of our production area to reflect a more logical workflow pattern. New processes have been put in place to aid in waste/setup reduction and quality assurance. These measures have reduced waste in the press area to less than 1.5 percent on average and have helped enable our print operators to win several Printing Industries of Ohio and Northern Kentucky Print Excellence awards.

• Looking Forward: Production efficiencies are a critical element of any profitable operation. My goal is to continue to implement cost-saving strategies and workflows that prove valuable to our company. By providing greater value, I look forward to future leadership opportunities that contribute to personal growth and company success.

Karen Meyers, 37
Business Manager, Printing Services
Michigan Farm Bureau, Lansing, Mich.
• Education/Training: B.S. Degree from Central Michigan University. Major: Industrial Supervision and Management with a Graphics Concentration. Minor: Business Administration

• Keys to Success: My ability to work well with others and the fact that I am not afraid of a challenge. I recently took the Strengths Finders test and found that my top five strengths are: Achiever, Maximizer, Communication, WOO (ability to Win Others Over) and Positivity. I believe that all of these strengths play a part in my day-to-day operations.

• Biggest Influence: The biggest influence I have had in the printing industry has actually been my staff in the Printing Services department. I have learned a lot from their years of experience, and they are all a great resource for me.

• Accomplishments: I am most proud of the expansion and upgrade we have recently undertaken in our department, both in software and equipment. We recently upgraded our digital equipment to a Kodak NexPress 2500, which was a huge step forward for us. That was a very long approval process but my research and determination paid off in the end. I was also instrumental in the decision to move forward with a Web-to-print system (Avanti eAccess). I have been in the department a little more than three years, and we have experienced growth each year.

• Looking Forward: I see a lot of growth opportunity with the recent equipment upgrades and the expanded options that we are now able to offer. I hope to grow our Web-to-print site to allow for ease of ordering for our clients and to more effectively streamline the workflow process internally. I also see a shift to more variable data printing than we are currently doing, which will be a great benefit to our clients. I believe that we will continue to expand while staying on top of technological advances and industry needs.

Chris Panagopoulos, 39
Manager, Publishing and Printing Operations
York University Printing Services, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Education/Training: Bachelor of Technology, Ryerson University

• Keys to Success: I am a highly motivated, passionate individual who strives for innovation. I lead by example and believe people are your best assets.

• Biggest Influence: I have been fortunate to have worked with many great peers throughout my career and it is difficult to just name one, but I must mention Mr. Belchios. He introduced me to this wonderful world of print in high school and taught me to work hard and think outside the box.

• Accomplishments: I have received numerous awards throughout my academic and professional career, including an award from my previous employer for Innovation and Excellence. My most recent and rewarding accomplishment is leading York University to become the first Canadian University to receive FSC certification. It’s a great feeling personally and professionally, for sustainability and the environment.

• Looking Forward: I intend to make an impact by teaching and mentoring the next generation of printing professionals while I continue to expand my knowledge.

David M. Pearson, 39
Director of Print and Mail Services
Station Casinos Inc., Las Vegas
• Keys to Success: The casino business and Las Vegas operate 24/7, and that’s how I work. But you can’t do it alone. Surround yourself with a great team and have buy-in from the top. Staying ahead on the latest in technology, equipment and postal regulations with a focus on automation and savings is paramount.

• Biggest Influence: Mitch Halpern, the director of this in-plant when we started. He taught me about relationship building. Treating people fairly, honestly and with respect is the key to success. Mitch passed away in 2000, but the impression that he left on me will last a lifetime.

• Accomplishments: I am most proud of the fact that I helped start the in-plant for Station Casinos in 1999, and we are going stronger than ever 11 years later. We have taken a big hit with the economy, but we are optimistic about the future of Las Vegas. I wouldn’t bet against us.

• Looking Forward: Our primary focus, from day one, has been direct mail. Although we have experienced some shift to e-mail and, as a company, we have an increased presence in social media, these are complimentary to print, not the end of it. Looking forward, we will be exploring more ways to save the company money by bringing other work in-house, and utilizing automation and new technologies.

Ryan Schuh, 33
Assistant Director of Printing Services
Minnesota State University-Mankato
• Education/Training: BS in Business Management from Minnesota State
University, Mankato

• Keys to Success: Surround yourself with bright people. I am able multi-task efficiently since everyone has to do more with less these days. I’ve always stayed up to date on technology, new ideas and processes and enjoy the ever-changing industry.

• Biggest Influence: My parents. They led by example and proved to me that hard work and persistence pays off. This helped me immensely during my college career as well as when I participated in sports. Also, my supervisor Doug Fenske has always supported me in new endeavors and given me a chance to broaden our services.

• Accomplishments: I’m proud of the expansion of our digital services and the ability to turn jobs around very quickly. I have implemented our new online ordering system along with an upgraded online cash register system for our student workers. All of these changes improve our workflow. I enjoy observing our student workers grow and develop during their tenure here at Minnesota State.

• Looking Forward: My plans include continuing to stay abreast of the latest technology and continuing to improve our fleet. I plan on getting more involved in our variable printing offerings on campus. We will also try to run as lean and mean as possible during these challenging budgetary times.

Scott W. Thompson, 31

Manager of Printing Services

Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, N.J.

• Education/Training: Ocean County Vocational Technical School for commercial art and printing

• Keys to Success: Providing excellent customer service to all customers and colleagues is essential, as is providing leadership and bringing the team together. I focus on guiding my staff correctly to get all tasks done in a timely and cost-effective manner. In an in-plant, teamwork is vital.

• Biggest Influence: My biggest influence has been Joe Adams. He was my first supervisor at my first job in printing and has been in an in-plant for more than 30 years. His leadership and guidance taught me a lot about printing and supervision. My current director Chic Raimondi has been a great influence as well. With Chic’s backing, my in-plant continues to grow and be successful. He is a great leader and mentor.

• Accomplishments: In the five years since I have been at my job, we have purchased a new folder, collator/booklet maker, cutter, wide-format color printer and other equipment. I am proud that we have been able to increase our workload by more than 51 percent in that time. We increased our savings by tens of thousands of dollars each year. Also, being at a college, I love working with the students. A student honor society made me an honorary member for providing service to their organization. Anytime I get to help the students it is truly gratifying. I have also received a certificate for completing a training course in supervision and management.

• Looking Forward: I have to keep looking for ways to bring more work in and improve services. In this world, keeping up with technology is important, as is meeting with colleagues and students regularly to make sure we are providing them with all their needs. I’ll be looking for ways to reduce my budget without a shortage of services.

Brian Tiller, 28

Operations Manager

Tyson Foods,
Springdale, Ark.

• Education/Training: Bachelors Degree, University of Arkansas

• Keys to Success: I think the most important keys to success are focusing on your customers’ needs, using resources properly to help accomplish goals, and creating an environment where people feel comfortable to work.

• Biggest Influence: My manager, Russell Gayer. He gave me the opportunities to succeed, and I took advantage of them by improving quality programs and overall production. He also has more than 25 years of experience in the printing industry that he is always willing to share when I have needed advice.

• Accomplishments: Improving overall quality by creating standard processes for team members to follow, lowering our total spoilage produced by using production logs tracking data, and working with vendors on cost avoidances during the difficult economic times to help keep the company profitable.

• Looking Forward: I am looking forward to helping Tyson Printing Services expand its operation, keeping our customers happy by giving them value-added solutions, learning about the new technologies and new processes, and continuing to improve our in-plant.

Jimmy Vainstein, 32

Senior Project Manager

The World Bank,
Washington, D.C.

• Education/Training: B.S Economics. M.S Print Media (RIT)

• Keys to Success: To thrive in this industry you need to keep moving, connecting with technology at all times. At the same time it’s equally important to stop and connect with the people around you. I strongly believe that building a positive work environment will have the best impact on an in-plant’s success.

• Biggest Influence: My grandfather founded a printing business in the 1950s after surviving World War II. I still remember walking the print shop floor with him while I was a kid, watching his every move. Both his work ethic and dedication to family are values that I will continue to cherish as my own.

• Accomplishments: During my first years at the World Bank, I was able to streamline our materials management systems, which allowed a good influx of valuable data into our workflow. The more data we have, the best possible decisions we are able to make. This infrastructure also allowed me to set the table towards obtaining our FSC certification.

• Looking Forward: I’m currently focusing on expanding my skills in environmental management. This is especially relevant at The World Bank as we lead important efforts towards sustainable development around the world. As internal service providers for our organization, we are committed to these goals and in continuous pursuit of new ways to improve our sustainability.