ONE SOURCE DIGITAL SOLUITONS -- Rebounding From Robbery
BY ERIK CAGLE
Of all the businesses that are vulnerable to a nocturnal attack by would-be robbers, a commercial printing company seems among the least likely to be targeted.
That didn't stop a gang of thieves from conning their way into One Source Digital Solutions and making off with approximately $250,000 in prepress equipment and damaging a press to the tune of $500,000 while trying to steal it. In the process, the robbers bound and gagged the only employee who was on duty, only after asking him specific questions pertaining to the equipment and stealing his pickup truck to aid in the equipment removal.
According to Mike Chiricuzio, president of the Phoenix-based printer, none of the suspects have been apprehended and none of the equipment has been retrieved. Judging by the MO of the thieves, One Source Digital was not the subject of a random attack.
"They weren't guys looking for equipment to resell. They were on a shopping mission for a forgery ring," notes Chiricuzio. "They took scanners, graphics computers, color printers, proofers, servers and supplies."
Posing as a delivery man, one of the perpetrators was able to gain access to the shop late in the evening of July 16, and brandished a semiautomatic weapon at the One Source employee, according to Chiricuzio. A group of men then entered the building and proceeded to loot the company's prepress department for approximately 90 minutes. The employee was bound and gagged with duct tape, the tape removed from his mouth momentarily as he was asked specific questions about which computers operated which equipment.
Too Much to Handle
The robbers even took an Indigo UltraStream 2000, but didn't get very far with the 5,000-pound digital press. Chiricuzio said the thieves used the employee's truck to push the press across the parking lot. Realizing that they would not be able to get the UltraStream on a truck (which would likely collapse under the weight), the crooks left the heavily damaged unit behind.
Chiricuzio received the nightmarish phone call at 1 a.m. Upon arriving at the plant, it seemed odd to him that only the prepress and press areas were targeted.
"It wasn't a smash-and-grab robbery. Nor was the intent to specifically do us harm. One guy with a hammer could have done more damage in 20 minutes," he notes. "Until hearing from the secret service (which suggested the theft was for forgers), nothing made sense about the robbery, because they didn't take any of the other computers, didn't go through anyone's belongings or even take the employee's wallet. And I don't think they were thinking too clearly with the Indigo."
While it was apparent the robbers had a shopping list, their knowledge of the equipment itself was limited. Chiricuzio said that the perpetrators removed some items that weren't needed and left others that would've had value to their needs. For example, the employee was asked which of the computers ran the scanner, but they left the connecting cable with the dongle required to operate it.
Regardless of the robbers' incompetence, One Source Digital was greatly impacted by the loss. There was just enough prepress equipment to get existing jobs out to press, but many of the jobs that were in process were lost. For the first couple of weeks after the incident, the company needed to do the equivalent of an extra work shift each day. However, no new work was turned down.
"I've been through disasters before, and I know the best thing you can do is get back to work," Chiricuzio states. "The next morning after it happened, we delivered jobs that day. You can't just sit around and bemoan your fate. You have to do something about the situation."
One Source's clients were understanding and more patient than usual, but no critical deadlines were missed. Indigo and Heidelberg also came to the rescue: Indigo flew in a representative from Israel to assess the damage, then had another UltraStream 2000 press rerouted to the victimized printer, while Heidelberg also managed to bring in equipment designated elsewhere, and procured replacement equipment for gear that required proprietary information tailored to their needs, such as RIPs and workstations.
According to Chiricuzio, everything was back in place within two weeks, with a greater majority replaced within one week.
As for the employee's truck, it was found two days later at the towing yard. After replacing the hood and doing some body work, it was "as good as new."
Prior to the robbery, employees had taken a relaxed attitude toward the policy that no one works alone; it is now strictly enforced. The security system within the building has been upgraded, although Chiricuzio notes that would not have prevented this attack, since the robbers were given access to the shop. However, all deliveries must receive prior clearance—people who show up at the door unannounced will remain outside.
The robbery also brought to light the company's need for higher insurance coverage; while One Source was adequately covered in terms of replacement value, there were spots in the coverage that would have hurt the printing company had the disaster been a fire instead of a robbery.
The Human Toll
Chiricuzio addressed his employees after the incident and praised the victimized worker for doing the right thing. "I would trade this entire company for a single hair on his head," he adds. "Equipment and money can be replaced, but lives can't be."
The ordeal has obviously somewhat shaken Chiricuzio's sense of security, as is the case with any home/office invasion. From his perspective, there are more positives than negatives to come out of the experience in the long run, except for the trauma endured by his employee.
"You need to be cautious. To get reminded of that in a way that doesn't cost somebody their life, you've got to consider yourself lucky," Chiricuzio remarks. "And I do.
"People will do things like this out of desperation. There are those who bring things to the world and those who take things from the world. You've got to protect yourself from the takers."
