Xerox Corp.

NORWALK, CT—Xerox Corp. is eliminating two call centers in Oregon, which will leave 300 employees without jobs, the Portland Business Journal reported. The impacted facilities are located in Coos Bay and North Bend.

Nearly a decade and $1 billion in the making, Xerox Corp.’s iGen3 rolled out in 2002—part of a new generation of production digital printing presses bearing the promise of changing color printing by melding together high—speed, photo-quality images and personalized data.

As the new Vice President of Global Marketing and Value Proposition for Xerox’s Channel Partner Operations, Toni Clayton-Hine will concentrate on expanding Xerox’s channel presence, giving partners competitive and profitable business opportunities with easy access to the company’s products and services.

Spring is in full bloom, but astute in-plant managers may have noticed one thing missing from the graphic arts garden this year. For the first time since it took root nearly two decades ago, the On Demand show is nowhere to be seen.

In April, Xerox hosted an event in Washington, D.C., that drew more than 80 in-plants from around the region. Titled “Freedom to Perform: Innovative Ideas to Make Your In-plant Thrive,” the one-day event focused on sharing best practices.

Tina Gray has managed the Oklahoma Department of Human Services' in-plant for 10 years, and she couldn't be happier. With a solid staff and an unforeseen passion for printing, Gray says the joys of the job outweigh the challenges by a long shot.

Mark McCarty knows something about moving an in-plant. When his shop at Missouri State University relocated in March to a new facility on campus, the experience was all too familiar for the manager of Printing Services.

For many years, running the bulk mail processing equipment at University of Oregon Printing & Mailing Services was a lonely job. Since 1993, the in-plant’s inserting, tabbing and addressing equipment has been in the basement of its building in Eugene, Ore., down a steep set of metal stairs, out of earshot of the rest of the shop.

Bindery equipment is often a secondary thought for printers. Sometimes they put up with inferior equipment for years, even though it's clearly slowing down their productivity.

The potential for digital packaging is great, and while there are many obstacles, these can all be overcome. Commercial printers would also like to get into packaging, but commercial shops have some additional challenges. Commercial printers generally do not have the finishing equipment: folding, scoring, diecutting. Perhaps more significant, brand owners generally look to box makers for boxes, not commercial printers.