Top 50 Report Renaissance In-plant

J.R. Gaddis and his staff at University of Oregon Printing and Mailing Services run an in-plant that does it all. Of all the in-plants on the IPG Top 50, this operation provides the most services—just about every service an in-plant can offer.

Here's a look at what they do:

Design

The in-plant employs four prepress specialists who also handle some design work when requested. It's not a service that Gaddis is ready to start pushing too hard, though.

"If we're asked, we'll do it," he says.

Electronic Prepress

"A couple of years ago we installed an Avantra 30 [imagesetter], and we went totally digital," Gaddis reports. The shop has five workstations and uses an Agfa Sherpa 43 for all digital color proofs.

"We're also looking very seriously at going direct-to-plate in the near future," says Gaddis.

Offset Printing

Offset may be where this in-plant reigns. Not only did the shop score a six-color Heidelberg Quickmaster at a price that Gaddis calls a steal, but it also has a two-color Heidelberg, a one-color Miehle, a Ryobi 1420, and a small Multilith.

All the offset presses are necessary to handle the steadily increasing demand for four-color process booklets, which account for 40 percent of the shop's workload.

Digital Printing

Gaddis's shop boasts three networked Xerox DocuTechs and a few smaller Document Centre 460s, 432s and a 420. He reports that his shop is responsible for a large number of variable data documents for the school's business office. All together, Gaddis says the in-plant runs between 3.25 to 3.5 million impressions each month off the digital printers.

Data Center/IT Printing

"We take any data that the campus has and try to make it as easy as possible to manipulate and access," says Gaddis. He adds that he has one full-timer who is exclusively responsible for data manipulation.

Copying

Printing and Mailing Services' main facility is actually located off campus. So Gaddis runs an on-campus copy center staffed by two full-timers.

Bindery

Printing and Mailing Services has a 10-station Muller Martini saddle stitcher, two 40˝ Polar cutters, MBO and Stahl folders, a 20-station Duplo collator, and, as Gaddis puts it, "a lot of other assorted small bindery equipment."

Mailing

Gaddis reports that the in-plant runs a super-sized mailing service. His shop has bar-coding equipment, inserters, and a variety of other mailing equipment. But what sets his shop apart is the intra-campus mail system that makes 194 stops twice a day.

"We also do all of our presort first class [mail] here," says Gaddis, "about 7,000 to 8,000 pieces a day."

The in-plant also runs the international mail, UPS and Federal Express stations all over the campus.

Fulfillment

With such a comprehensive mailing system, it's no wonder the in-plant backs it all up with a comprehensive fulfillment service.

"We provide fulfillment for just about any unit that requires it," says Gaddis.

Some of the biggest units include the College of Business, the Law School and the athletic department, all of which require periodic mailings throughout the year.

Gaddis says that while he has no employees devoted exclusively to the fulfillment service, almost all of the shop's employees are cross-trained to handle fulfillment. When work is slow in one section of the shop, some of those employees are transferred to fulfillment.

Copyright permissions are a big source of revenue for the in-plant. It has worked out a partnership with the bookstore, so the shop gets a cut of all course packets sold.

"Our packet portion [of the copy operation] runs about $700,000 yearly," he says.

With that kind of money rolling in, Gaddis doesn't take any chances.

"I've got two full-timers just clearing copyrights," he says. "In 13 years we've never had a question."

Internet Services

Gaddis says his shop provides a large amount of Internet services. One of his employees is revamping Printing and Mailing's Web site to make the interface more user-friendly.

"As a matter of fact," he says, "we probably do the most e-commerce on campus."

CD-ROM Output

As with design, CD-ROM output is a service Gaddis tends to downplay. He reports that his shop frequently handles smaller jobs, but any large jobs that come through the door he outsources to nearby Sony Corp.

Gaddis explains that the reason his shop has successfully implemented so many services is because he feels it has a mandate to do so.

"We were very successful in front of a state legislative committee showing why we're a better buy," he says, explaining that the State of Oregon had wanted to outsource all of the state's in-plant operations.

"So we want to make this as easy as possible for our customers, and we want to be able to provide one-stop shopping," he says. Ultimately, though, Gaddis credits his staff with making the in-plant so successful.

"We're able to offer these things because I have very talented people," he says.

-by MIKE LLEWELLYN

Key Equipment:

• Two Xerox DocuColor 12s

• Two Xerox Document Centre 460 digital copiers

• Two Xerox Document Centre 432s

• One Xerox Document Centre 420

• One Xerox DocuPrint 75

• One Agfa Avantra 30 imagsetter

• One Agfa Sherpa 43 contract proofer

• One Agfa Sherpa II imposition proofer

• Agfa Apogee workflow