Warren Fraser: Quality from the Start

THERE COMES a time in everyone's life when the desire to "get away from it all" simply kicks in. Suffice to say, Warren Fraser loved getting away so much that he decided not to come back.

More than 40 years later, Fraser—manager of Printing Services for the University of Alaska-Fairbanks—has no regrets about having left New England. Fraser had followed a friend's lead and decided to transfer to UA-Fairbanks from Plymouth State (N.H.) for his junior year in 1970. And despite the fact that temperatures routinely reach -40 degrees, Fraser was hooked from the beginning.

"It's just completely different, really a frontier town," he says. "Those were the pre-pipeline days, and it had only been a state since 1959. Very small town, small university, but it was an adventure."

Upon arrival, Fraser noted that the cost of living was significantly higher in the wild frontier, so he took a job making $2.50 an hour as a student assistant in the steno pool, running mimeograph machines and hand stapling. Six months later, Fraser was asked if he wanted to run the A.B. Dick press. A new manager arrived and the department's name was changed to Graphic Services. The manager was old-school, and taught him stripping, how to use the camera, platemaking and the bindery.

Fraser soon took over the role of production supervisor under another department manager. Quick copy technology came through the shop like a holiday parade—Multiliths, Bruning Plate Paper Masters, Xeroxes, Ricohs and now Océs. In time, everything Fraser learned from his mentor went away, save for the bindery.

"About the only thing I do anymore is help out in the bindery," he says with a chuckle.

As the years passed, so did Fraser's original plans of becoming a math teacher. As much as he liked the idea of having summers off, Fraser didn't relish the thought of pulling down a teacher's salary.

"Life gets in the way, and when you make better money doing something else, it's hard to think about changing jobs," he observes.

Fraser became manager of Printing Services in 1990, and immediately set out to establish a benchmark for quality. That started with the prepress; an Agfa SelectSet 7000 drum imagesetter replaced the capstan imagesetter. The shop added its first two-color press, a manroland 202, in 1996. And in 2007, an Agfa :Acento II E thermal computer-to-plate device bumped the SelectSet out the door.

"My biggest thing was to push for quality in the prepress area, because if you don't start with something good, you're not going to end up with a decent job," Fraser observes.

Attention to Quality

As an employee and alumnus of the university, Fraser feels strongly that high quality, superior customer service and fast turnaround are more than just marketing buzz.

"Everyone here subscribes to the idea of paying attention to quality," he says. "When a customer tells you what a good job you did, that's my idea of success."

Fraser has a staff of eight and a $1.5 million budget in his 6,000-square-foot shop. He also manages 83 copiers in the campus convenience copier pool. Turnover can be a challenge, especially when it comes to finding qualified replacements. Since Alaska lacks press training schools, Fraser generally looks to the lower 48 for new hires. The last two pressmen were plucked from New Hampshire and California.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle facing Fraser and Printing Services is revenue generation, as the shop only procures about one-third of the printing that's done on campus. Fraser has been working with his school's chancellor to secure the right of first refusal. He firmly believes that taking the role of centralized print management for the campus would enable the department to flourish and help justify the purchase of a used four-color press.

Fraser maximizes the value of his shop whenever possible. He stepped in when UA-Fairbanks needed a manager for its university press between 2002 and 2006. Also, his shop printed the university's phone book for free last year when the publication was threatened with extinction. The plan is to print the next one gratis as well, with advertising helping to defray costs.

With a state that is a prime attraction to those who love the great outdoors, Fraser was happy to host the Association of College and University Printers (ACUP) conference in 1996. He's a big fan of the annual event, which has given him the opportunity to travel the country. The 2008 Florida ACUP conference was extra special, for it doubled as a honeymoon for Fraser and his wife, Cindi, a New Zealand native who was living in Australia when the couple met online. He has since traveled to Australia six times.

A woodworking handyman who recently renovated his kitchen, Fraser is a hit at the ACUP conferences due to one of his favorite pastimes: playing the bagpipes. He frequently dons a kilt and performs for fellow conference attendees; in fact, Fraser is putting the finishing touches on a CD of traditional bagpipe music.

The teacher side of Fraser still shines through, as he instructs youngsters on how to play the unique musical instrument. With most pupils ranging from eight to 14 (along with a smattering of adults), Fraser finds it highly gratifying. "These kids want to be there, want to learn how to play," he says.