NAPL

Read this entire column and you could score $1,000 or a great Mañana Man golf shirt. Come on now. It's only 1,381 words. Our industry gets a bad rap. I know. It depresses some of you who are embarrassed and lie. You tell your friends and family that you're in IRS audit and collections, or in the sludge reclamation business, or you are involved in swamp- land real estate sales. Your mama can handle your brother being sent to the big house for 15 to 20, but would go into cardiac arrest if she knew you work for a printer. Print buyers take us

Did Ya ever have a conversation, leave it and then wish like hell you'd said one more thing? That thing, that remark, was probably the best or funniest or the most important point. One more brilliant, scintillating point—and you forgot to say it! You slap your forehead and say, "Whoa doggies. Where was that comment when I needed it?" Or when she said, "You're the first, the last, my everything." All you could muster was, "Well, darlin', I love you more than my Harley!" You shoulda said you love her more than your '86 Ford F150, you big dummy. Or, if you really,

In late May of this year, just a month before my 63rd birthday, I realized that I had denied myself the luxury of a mid-life crisis. A lot of my friends and business associates had some sort of mid-life crisis. Their stories of a fast break from the routine boredom of their ho-hum lives sounded exciting and fun. My opportunities for some mid-life fun just passed me by. I was always too busy doing a deal, writing a column, making a speech or trying to keep up with my 30 ballplayers—cleaning the men's and women's port-a-potties and making sure we had enough game balls

PITTSBURGH—In celebration of the final stage of the consolidation of Printing Industries of America and the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation into one organization, a dedication of the newly renovated world headquarters was held recently. Chairman of the Board James Mayes Jr. and Michael Makin, president and CEO, cut the ribbon marking the entrance to the newly refurbished building. Another highlight of the event was the naming of the Ray Roper boardroom, in honor of the late PIA president. CHICAGO—Jesse Williamson has been named the 2005 Sheetfed Executive of the Year by NAPL and PIA/GATF. Williamson, president of Williamson Printing in Dallas, received the award

Gämmerler to Build Manufacturing Plant HANOVER PARK, IL—Material handling and inline finishing equipment manufacturer Gämmerler plans to build a 80,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Palmetto, FL. Scheduled to open in April 2006, company officials say that the new facility will house the latest in automation equipment, provide roughly 35 percent of annual global production capacity and significantly improve Gämmerler's operational efficiency. "The decision to build the new plant was based on an increase in demand for Gämmerler's products in North America and a desire for a more flexible and efficient international manufacturing platform," says Gämmerler CEO Gunter Gämmerler. "The Palmetto plant will complement our existing production

When the National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL) asked participants in an economic survey which service areas they expected to grow fastest over the next two years, fulfillment topped the list, cited by 59.6 percent of respondents. Not surprising: The association's research shows that, perhaps more than any other area of service diversification, fulfillment is customer-driven. As more and more print customers seek to limit the number of suppliers they deal with, they're calling on one or two key providers to supply a wide array of fulfillment services. According to NAPL's working definition, fulfillment entails the storage, management and timely distribution of a

"The buck stops here," as President Harry Truman put it. Responsibility starts at the top —with the Chief Executive Officer of every printing company—every company, in fact. The CEO sets the policy for the company, sometimes consciously, most often unconsciously, by his or her demands and actions. Take the question of when a job can be billed. Is it with the first product delivery, mailing, or shipping? Or is it when the final delivery or shipment is made? It's up to the CEO to say, isn't it? What's the policy in your shop? Is it different for different customers? Do you even have an articulated

I was soaking in my spa reading the March 16th edition of Time magazine. The jets were pulsing hot massaging surges and I was thinking, "It doesn't get any better than this." But, then again, I'm old and easily satisfied. I read a column by Patricia Marx about the famous and enormously publicized runaway bride. The column made me laugh out loud and when I finished reading, I said, "Wow! I wish I'd written that!" I'm an envious cuss and it always sparks my petty jealousy when someone does something that I do better than I do. (I know that last sentence was lousy,

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA—RR Donnelley (RRD) representatives presented a $50,000 check to Cal Poly State University in support of the Graphic Communication Institute's new RR Donnelley Learning Center. As part of its ongoing commitment to furthering education in the graphic communications industry, MAN Roland awarded the following scholarships to the recently held NAPL and PIA/GATF Management & Leadership Institute: Garland Lipscomb, production supervisor, Stafford Printing, Stafford, VA, was awarded the MAN Roland Larry B. Perkins Scholarship and participated in the program's Graphic Communications Management course; and Scott Vaughan, prepress manager of Kase Printing, Hudson, NH, received the MAN Roland Harry V. Quadracci Scholarship to

Innovate '05 Takes Digital Printing on the Road ROCHESTER, NY—Innovate '05 has begun its 14-city sweep across North America, offering attendees a day-long, free seminar on digital printing. Xerox Corp. is working with more than 25 industry partners to put on the tour. The program is designed to "help print providers and professionals in the marketing, creative and design services fields use digital printing technology to increase productivity, reduce costs, improve work processes and provide more services." Each tour stop will feature a keynote address delivered by Howie Fenton, senior consultant of digital technology, National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL); Bob Tapella, chief of