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In-Plant Graphics hosted the second annual Top 50 roundtable in Chicago recently, bringing together managers from around the country for some intensive discussions. By MIKE LLEWELLYN For the second year in a row, In-Plant Graphics hosted a roundtable luncheon for the Top 50 in-plants. Managers from some of the largest in-plants in the country met in Chicago during Graph Expo to discuss the challenges they share, and to learn from each other's experiences. For some it was a reunion. For others there were a lot of new names and faces to remember. But for everyone it was a welcome break from the crowds

More than 75 college and university in-plant representatives met recently at Indiana University to discuss copyright issues, e-commerce, CTP and more. by Bob Neubauer College and university in-plant managers have learned one important lesson from their institutions: education is essential. This message is so ingrained that the college and university sector of the in-plant industry holds not one, not two, but three educational conferences each year. In the spring, the Association of College and University Printers meets. Then in the fall, the Southeastern University Printing and Duplicating Managers Conference (see story, page 61) and the Big Ten Printing and Copyright Conference take place. This

Not long ago I made my first trip to Oklahoma City. I was invited to attend the International Publishing Management Association's second annual regional conference and to give a presentation on the state of the in-plant market. (That's me giving my talk. I thought you'd appreciate a new photo for a change.) While I was in town, I spent a day visiting in-plants in the area, such as those at the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Gas & Electric, Oklahoma Central Services and Hobby Lobby. This last in-plant piqued my interest. Three years ago when Hobby Lobby wanted to bring its offset printing in-house—that's

Only the biggest and busiest in-plants can support web presses. Most in-plants have found ways to incorporate the Web into their operations. But the other kind of web—the web press—remains a rare find in an in-house print shop. Only a few of the very largest in-plants have them. That's because it takes a lot of volume to keep a web press busy—and a lot of people to run one. Several in-plants on the IPG Top 50 have that volume and staff. Chief among them is the Government Printing Office, in Washington, D.C., which operates 10 web presses—eight Hantschos and two Harris models. The main

Attendees at SUPDMC enjoyed great weather and even better companionship. by Jean-Luc Devis About 40 attendees from 27 various educational institutions got together in sunny Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., recently for the 27th annual Southeastern University Printing and Duplicating Managers Conference (SUPDMC). Colleagues from North Dakota and Minnesota escaped the snowfall in their respective states to enjoy 90-degree weather in southern Florida. This year's SUPDMC was organized and hosted by Bill Buckler, director of Printing and Graphic Arts at Broward Community College. Conferences are an excellent opportunity to meet with old and new colleagues, discuss common challenges and explore ways of

With cutbacks everywhere, government in-plants must operate more efficiently. Managers met recently to share their ideas. by Bob Neubauer Government in-plants are travelling a rough road these days. At the recent National State Publishing Association conference, words like "financially strapped" and "hiring freeze" spilled frequently from the mouths of attendees. Yet just as often, discussions centered on solutions to these difficulties, ways to bring in more revenue with new services, and ideas for doing more with fewer employees. This positive outlook and eagerness to overcome obstacles is one of the defining characteristics of the NSPA, and a key reason the association is still going

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

Higher-than-expected turnout made Graph Expo 2002 an exciting four days for both vendors and attendees. By Mike Llewellyn &012;and Bob Neubauer Graph Expo was back in action last month in Chicago, and from the look of the 380,000-square-foot show floor, the printing industry may soon spring back, as well. Close to 38,000 people attended the show, including buyers representing over 9,600 companies. After last year's big-ticket event, Print '01, was brought to a halt by the September 11 terrorist attacks, it was reassuring to see crowded exhibit areas and overflowing equipment demos this year. David Poulos, director of communications for the event's organizer,

What's it like to run the in-plant at a prominent graphic arts university? We talked to managers at the major schools on each coast, as well as one in the heartland. By MIKE LLEWELLYN &012;Professor Ken Macro has a lot on his plate nowadays—and he couldn't be happier. Macro is director of Reprographic, Mailing and Shipping (RM&S) Services and a faculty member at California Polytechnic State University, in San Luis Obispo. The fact that he works for one of the most important graphic arts schools in the country has had a large effect on his shop and his career. Macro says his shop benefits

After moving from offset to digital printing, this in-plant slashed turnaround time and increased business. by Dan Pothier A few years ago, Portsmouth City Public Schools, in Virginia, decided it was time to transform the existing offset print shop into a digital, on-demand print center. Skipper Duck, assistant superintendent, and Dan Pendarvis, purchasing agent, hired me to run the center based on my experience as digital production supervisor at the U.S. Government's Defense Automated Printing Service (DAPS). My first act was to transform the shop from being all offset to producing 80 percent of all jobs digitally. Since then, turnaround time has