C.P. Bourg Inc.

Printing equipment wasn't the only thing on display at the AIIM On Demand Conference and Exposition. There was plenty of bindery gear, as well. By Bob Neubauer For more than a decade now the On Demand trade show has been giving the world a look at the latest in digital printing. But an equally important part of the show has been the bindery equipment on display. Last month, IPG joined the 21,000 people who attended On Demand. As part of our mission, we sought out the latest bindery gear—a task made much more convenient by the show's relocation from New York to IPG's home

In-plants produce a diversified range of products. Their collators must be just as versatile. By Kristen E. Monte FLEXIBILITY, VERSATILITY and productivity are three key qualities in-plant managers look for when choosing a collating system, says A.B.Dick's Dennis James. More specifically, he adds, in-plants look for equipment that can handle a variety of paper stocks without taking up a lot of floor space. In-plants today produce a diversified range of products, adds Ron Bowman, vice president of sales for Rosback Co. "Many of the items [in-plants] wish to collate...are varied and come in all sizes, shapes and weights," says Bowman. "They require a heavy-duty,

Retaining customers at a large institution like the University of California-Davis requires a mix of customer service and cutting-edge technology. By Carol Brzozowski One of the most distinctive aspects of the University of California-Davis' Repro Graphics department is that it commands 85 percent of the university's market share—even though there's no mandate that campus departments utilize the operation. "Most in-plant operations in other academic environments require departments go to that in-plant for printing," contends Ed Dunn, design services and business development manager. "We like to believe we are doing something right." Across the country, campus in-plant operations are cognizant that they are competing with

Finding and using perfect binding equipment can go a little easier with some advice from the experts. Perfect binding is a growing business for in-plants. Already 39.2 percent of in-plants have perfect binders. Many others are eying them. Before dropping any money on this equipment, though, it's important to analyze possible future business, not just current needs, so you're not stuck with an outdated machine. "Too often, people buy what they need at the moment and do not anticipate the potential for growth and new business," notes Steven Calov, Heidelberg's postpress product manager for stitching and perfect binding. He suggests asking yourself questions like these:

Making money for your organization's bottom line by insourcing can mean all the difference in whether or not your in-plant survives.

A collator can save you time and money. But finding the right one requires some research. Several managers offer their insights. By Gretchen Peck When Western Washington University Publishing Services first installed a collator in 1996, it eliminated some very labor-intensive processes, such as hand collating, signature folding and stitching on a manual stitcher. Last year the Bellingham, Wash., in-plant upgraded to a two-tower Duplo 4000 collating system, with 10 bins in each tower. The modular, off-line collator is used by both copying and printing staff. "Depending upon the number of pages, we are saving from 30 to 100 percent in the

After working in Alaska government print shops for 32 years, Harold Pence is about to retire. By Kristen E. Monte In 1972, Harold Pence began working on his first press, an A.B.Dick 360. More than 30 years later, and on the brink of his retirement, he still feels that printing is in his blood. Pence, Duplicating Services manager of the State of Alaska's Legislative Printshop, was born and raised in Illinois. After graduating high school in 1967, though, he was looking for a change, so he moved with his mother to Douglas, Alaska, a small island across the channel from Juneau. He has been

In the past year the in-plant at Big Lots has leapt into CTP and four-color printing, increasing impressions by almost 40 percent in the process. By Erik Cagle Imagine a cashier bellowing into her microphone, "I need a price check on Captain Don's Bait System," and you have a good idea of the shopping experience offered by Columbus, Ohio-based Big Lots. This is not your mother's discount retailer. Sol Shenk, the company's late founder, purchased and resold items that would make a local clean sweeps auction seem boring: 2,700 DeLorean cars, six million bottles of Breck shampoo, 20,000 cases of Oreo Milk Changers, used

Kamehameha Schools Design & Production Services recently brought a Xerox Gold Award home to its Honolulu facility. By Bob Neubauer While winter sends snow and bitter cold across much of the country, Reid Silva and his crew at Kamehameha Schools, in Honolulu, live in a world without jackets, where eucalyptus trees grow in a lush valley visible through the windows in their in-plant. But their location in the virtual paradise of Hawaii belies the hard work the nine employees at Design & Production Services handle every day. The three operators in the Digital Document Center (or DDC—part of Design & Production Services) churn

More than 38,000 people attended this year's expo. Here's a glimpse of what they saw. By Bob Neubauer Integration was the big theme of this year's Graph Expo and Converting Expo. Individual manufacturers like Heidelberg and MAN Roland showcased computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) technologies connecting prepress, press and finishing. And vendor partnerships, both small and multi-faceted, foreshadowed future integration between multiple vendors' systems. Notably, at a large press conference touting the Networked Graphic Production initiative, 27 companies proclaimed their commitment to defining, developing, testing and delivering JDF-based integration between their systems. They plan to define a standardized set of interfaces to create plug-and-play solutions