2012 Summer

Specialty Finishing Group Embraces Efficiencies and Marks Record Years

August 21, 2012

by Amy Bauer, The Binding Edge

Despite the travails of the economy and consolidations in the print industry, Specialty Finishing Group marked record years in 2010 and 2011 – the best of the previous five. Chief Executive Officer Jim Gallo attributes these successes to the Elk Grove Village, IL, company’s efficiency, technology, customer focus and conservative use of resources.

The company’s core services are binding, mailing, finishing and fulfillment, with the business currently split evenly between mailing and binding. Fulfillment crosses both categories and represents about 20 percent of the company’s business, said John Mascari, executive vice president.

Creative offerings such as cloud applications for customers to track jobs and on-site finishing and mailing for large customers help the company stand out. And Specialty Finishing Group’s binding operations have taken on the model of the mailing division for greater efficiency, creating more “inline” processing by using its equipment as modular finishing units. Fewer touches mean faster speeds and tighter quality control.

“You can ‘plug and play’ a production line specific for the project you are running,” Mascari explained. “We try to go from cut sheet or signature to carton as much as possible.”

Deep roots

Specialty Finishing Group was formed in July 2010 when Wayne Williams, owner of Specialties Binding, and Mascari, partner in JMM Services and P3, came together to create a one-stop postpress destination for their mailing and binding clients.

Mascari describes Specialty Finishing Group’s long history within the binding industry, with roots among the nation’s earliest binderies. His grandfather, John Michael Mascari, was president of Spiral Binding of Illinois in the 1940s through his death in 1967. John Michael Mascari’s son, John Mascari, took over Spiral Binding of Illinois, worked at Bee Bindery and started JMM Services in the mid-1980s. Wayne Williams, who owned Centennial Bindery, started Specialties Binding in the 1990s, and five years ago he purchased the assets of Spiral Binding of Illinois. As the companies came together in 2010, Williams appointed Gallo, who is now a partner and CEO, to assist in the transition.

Specialty Finishing Group employs nearly 270 people in off-peak months, with more than 330 employees during the busiest seasons. Williams owns sister company Staffing Network, which fills the company’s temporary labor needs, as well as offering skilled labor to customers. Specialty Finishing Group runs 24 hours a day, five days a week, but expands that schedule as jobs dictate.

Two buildings about five blocks apart, in the western Chicago suburb of Elk Grove, Ill., house Specialty’s operations – a 60,000-sq.-ft. bindery division and a 77,000-sq.-ft. mailing division. Gallo said the company is actively seeking a new location to combine operations, with a goal of securing by mid-fall an approximate 125,000-sq.-ft. location in roughly the same area.

A single location would offer greater efficiency, Gallo said, particularly since a number of employees are cross-trained and work in both bindery and lettershop operations depending on the needs. Such cross-training is particularly helpful on the mail side, Gallo said, where much of the work is time-sensitive. Other economies of scale would include reducing the office space, having a single lunchroom, better docking and combined customer service and sales departments, he noted.

Core customers

Printers make up the bulk of Specialty Finishing Group’s clients, but print management companies and publishers of student planners are large customers as well. The company binds more than three million books and calendars annually for print management companies, and it kits and fulfills all types of projects, from customized books and calendars to sending tens of millions of newspaper inserts to thousands of locations, Mascari said.

A large percentage of clients are from the Chicago area, encompassing western Indiana, Illinois and southern Wisconsin, but customers also range from Indiana to Ohio. Specialty Finishing Group’s largest customer, Gallo said, is an out-of-state company.

Last year, the company built up its binding division, buying a smaller PUR binder for digital runs and beefing up its collating. Moving to more “inline” production has created greater efficiencies and fewer chances for error. “Our modular lines are the way to have less human touches and tighter quality control,” Mascari said. “Printers have been doing this forever. They use their presses as production lines by adding inline folding, inkjetting, diecutting – you name it.”

“That is why printers find it difficult to be profitable when providing too many bindery services. Most printers don’t have the steady postpress work to be able to create bindery lines, so they utilize binderies,” he continued. “We get work from multiple printers and brokers so we can have steady work and be more efficient. This translates into giving printers pricing that helps them get projects, while complementing their own service portfolio.”

This year, Specialty is focused on its lettershop services, with a goal to increase mailings. During the busy season, the mailing division sends out 60 million pieces a month. Such large volumes allow Specialty Finishing Group to have US Postal Service offerings on- site, affording smaller printers some of the same perks of time savings and reduced postage costs that Specialty can offer larger printers. “There are millions of dollars in saving that lettershops can save our customers,” Gallo said, noting volume and other discounts available through the USPS.

Variable data capabilities also have allowed Specialty Finishing Group to offer a number of options to clients looking for laser-targeted marketing materials. Gallo said items such as personalized marketing mailers from credit card companies and personalized coupon mailings for grocery chains, using data collected from shopper cards, already regularly employ such techniques, and he expects the applications to grow. Specialty Finishing Group then incorporates other value-added services, such as card-affixing to credit card mailers, making it a one-stop shop.

Award-winning service

Special projects also are a niche for the company, Mascari said. “We love working through projects with customers up front to find ways to do things better and save our customers money,” he said. For example, the company won the ‘They Said it Couldn’t Be Done’ category in the Binding Industries Association’s 2012 Product of Excellence Awards (see the full list of awards and photos of the winning pieces on page 20). The price booklet project originally was slated to encompass five million small books, and Specialty was able to plan the job multiple-up so that it was essentially only binding 1.25 million books in four weeks. Specialty Finishing also won a 2012 Product of Excellence Award in the mechanical binding category for a self-promotional piece.

Mascari is a member of the BIA board of directors and said membership in the association has been invaluable. BIA Manager “Justin Goldstein has injected it with new energy and camaraderie,” Mascari said. “He has worked diligently to let printers know how much binderies care about what we produce for our clients. It’s important to let them know that we are a natural extension of printers, print management companies and publishers by bridging associations and giving printers a way to find the great binderies that are part of the BIA.”

Digital link

Another service that makes Specialty Finishing Group a favored vendor is its cloud applications, which allow customers to access and even submit or revise job information from remote locations via the internet. For the right project, Mascari said, a cloud application is developed to allow a customer to see multiple variables for a job, such as receiving, inventory, status within the finishing process or UPS tracking.

“The applications are totally customized,” Mascari described. “One customer wanted to be able to pick from multiple logistic carriers and have bill of ladings be batched to each. If the project is right, it is very little cost to the customer.”

The applications also are advantageous to Specialty in that they cut down on duplicate paperwork and the chances for errors from change orders. “We don’t want to be scrambling around with revised spreadsheets every day. That is dangerous,” Mascari said. “So we started making the apps so our customers could edit an order and groups would be emailed and asked to ‘sign off’ on the changes. That eliminates spreadsheet revisions; there is just one ‘live’ document to be shared and viewed by whatever teams are necessary.”

The applications also can streamline the ordering process. With the binding that Specialty does for student planners, schools order from the publisher and Specialty creates customized handbooks with logos and school calendars bound together with annual planner pages. Schools also can order coordinating hall passes, sticker sheets and vinyl pouches to accessorize the planners, and that data goes to the cloud application to create job tickets.

Off-site expansion

One of the areas in which the company is growing is in providing more mailing and finishing services off-site, at customers’ locations. Gallo said Specialty currently is putting tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment into one of its printer customers locations so that sensitive printed projects, such as health insurance documents, don’t leave the printing plant. “They want security; we’re going to give them security,” Gallo said. “This is helping them and helping us. We’re getting the work and putting the machinery to work.”

Mascari said, “It is a great way for a customer to get fixed pricing and a reduced rate because we are working within their brick and mortar.”

Team effort

Gallo credited Mascari and the sales team with bringing in new large customers over the past year, including several program deals – those that are repeated at set intervals. Such program work for Specialty Finishing Group includes producing a bi-monthly “Steer Clear” teen driving safety booklet for State Farm insurance company and packaging and kitting Monopoly game boards for McDonald’s restaurants. “Those things that recur every year; they form a great foundation from which to build,” Gallo said.

But it wasn’t just sales that spurred the record years in 2010 and 2011, Gallo said. He gives credit for these record performances companywide. “Our employees worked well our office staff and CSRs (customer service representatives) all chipped in. In addition, our production guys were fantastic in looking at every single line and asking, ‘How can I make this more efficient?'” he said.

“There is no division in the company that didn’t get better in 2011, and our customers got better as well,” Gallo said, noting that Specialty had almost no bad debt write-offs from customers last year. “When your customer has a great year and you’re one of their favorite vendors, you’re going to have a great year as well.”

Employee rewards

For the first time last year, the company implemented a bonus plan for all employees. Gallo said a percentage of net income each month was put into a bonus pool and allocated to employees at the end of the year. “They had never had it before, and it went over great,” Gallo said. “They really appreciated it.”

Another employee perk was the addition of music in the plant this past year. Gallo said that while at first everyone had to adjust to taking turns selecting favorite genres – which range from rock and roll to tejano – it ultimately has made a measurable difference. “People love it,” he said, and today the listening selection is up to the mood of the group.

“There’s tons of studies on music in the plant, and we saw it firsthand,” Gallo said. Production levels on books that the company manufactures on a regular basis increased after the music started playing, “and not by a little” he said.

Future goals

Moving forward, Gallo explained that his long-term goals include continuing to grow the company and expand product lines within its core services. “It seems like everyone is trying to take advantage of offering more services by simply expanding their equipment list,” Gallo said. “The trend to digital and smaller runs has resulted in a lot of our customers and our competition buying short-run – but very expensive – equipment, resulting in unfavorable ROIs.”

“But there is this great line,” said Gallo. “‘Singers want to be dancers and dancers want to sing.’ We don’t laminate or diecut. We let the experts do that. And we definitely don’t print. We’re not going to compete with our customers. We try to stay in our core competencies.”

Metallic Finishes and Bindery Challenges

August 21, 2012

by: Jeff Peterson

Although metallized finishes have been an eye-catching advantage for packaging and direct mail for many years, there has been a surge on the demand for foil in recent months. “Bling,” as many refer to it, is in. You can see it in clothing, point-of-purchase displays and much more.

Metallic Finishes

Creating a metallic finish on printed products now can be accomplished in several ways, becoming more easily accessible for designers and printers wanting to add shine and shimmer to a variety of printed materials. The application, finished size, coverage and quantity all are important factors to consider in determining the best method to use.

Laminated Paper or Board
For high-volume applications with large-coverage areas of a metallic finish, utilizing a metallic film-laminated paper or board may be the best choice. This allows the least amount of passes through the press by overprinting opaque white in the areas where the metallic is unwanted. Although the cost of the laminated board is relatively expensive compared to standard paper stock or board, it can be offset and controlled through the high quantity of the run and the decrease in press time. Laminated board also provides an extreme “mirror- like” finish across the entire sheet. This may not be a good choice if the metallic effect is designed only for specific areas on the printed sheet. Additionally, laminated board may not be a good cost-effective choice for lower volume applications.

Hot Foil
Hot foil stamping is an excellent choice for enhancing a printed piece when specific areas, such as a logo or title, are designed to be augmented with foil. Although this typically means an additional press run to apply the foil, the cost savings realized by using a standard paper or board stock versus laminated board can be significant. Hot foil stamping also provides more flexibility with metallic colors and holographic patterns. As with film-laminated board, hot foil stamping provides a high “mirror-like” finish. In addition, hot foil stamping is considered a more sustainable option than other metallic enhancements because the foil is applied to the paper and the plastic carrier is stripped away, rather than being left behind on the paper stock. A foil-laminated board, in most cases, is laminated with both the metallic layer and plastic film, creating more challenges in the recycling process.

Cold Foil
Cold foil has become more prevalent in recent years and is an excellent option for certain applications. Although it has been very popular in the narrow-web flexographic market for label applications, it also has seen recent growth with the application of cold foil inline with large format sheet-fed offset printing presses. This technology utilizes a tacky adhesive that is applied typically in the first station of a sheet-fed printing press. The foil is nipped to the adhesive and the foil carrier is stripped away, thereby applying the foil only where the clear adhesive is laid down. Press manufacturers are offering this technology on new presses, and there are retrofit units available for existing presses as well. Cold foil can be an excellent alternative to overprinting film-laminated board.

The advantage of cold foil is the potential cost savings realized by utilizing a less expensive paper or board versus a pre-laminated product. In addition, cold foil can be applied in specific areas on the sheet, eliminating the use of white opaque ink that can sometimes pose an added challenge in the production process. The foil can be applied and then printed inline in one pass, saving the cost of multiple press set-ups. Utilizing the cold foil process also is considered a sustainable option when applying a metalized finish because it only utilizes the film as a carrier (similar to hot foil stamping), and the plastic film is not applied to the substrate.

However, as with any process, there are drawbacks to using cold foil. First, there may be a decrease in the run speeds of the press when adding cold foil, which is not desirable when producing long runs. In addition, the cold foil process does not provide the “mirror-like” finish that can be obtained through hot foil stamping or a pre-laminated paper or board. The application and expectations of the customer will determine if it is a feasible option.

Challenges in the Bindery

With any type of metallic decorating on paper, challenges can arise once it reaches the bindery. “The number one challenge with a metallic decorated sheet is keeping it from scratching as it goes through a folder, diecutter or other piece of bindery equipment,” stated Matt Seidl, sales manager at Seidl’s Bindery. “We recommend coating the sheet after the foil is applied, whenever possible, to help prevent this.” Seidl also recommends having employees use white cloth gloves when handling metallic decorated stocks to limit scratches and finger prints. He also suggests shrink wrapping the final product if possible.

Gary Markovits, president of E&M Bindery & Finishing, also understands the precautions that need to be taken to decrease the chances of scratch or rub marks. “Careful preparation and handling is of upmost importance on our end when we know that the product includes foil,” stated Markovits. He specifically recommends using rubber folder rollers to minimize surface abrasions on foil stamped and embossed applications.

When cutting printed material decorated with foil, caution is necessary from the very beginning. “Wet trapping the inks on a laminated sheet can be one of the biggest challenges when cutting,” stated Bob Windler, president of Diecrafters, Inc. “Coating or laminating a stock that may have foil and ink is always a good idea to protect the sheet, but it is very important to make sure the inks are properly dried first. Trapping wet ink will cause all types of problems with scoring or cutting the sheet.”

When Guillotine cutting a foil-decorated sheet is necessary, Seidl recommends that the operator checks to be sure the cutting knives are sharpened and not dull. “We also use magnetic pads for the cutter press to prevent applying excessive pressure to sensitive stocks,” Seidl explained.

Markovits also pointed out that when working with book covers, it is best to avoid applying foil that bleeds into the book’s trim areas. “Guillotine cutting can cause foil stamping to flake along the trimmed edges,” explains Markovits. Similarly, diecutting a metallic decorated sheet usually is preferred over Guillotine cutting to eliminate the possibility of a jagged, marked edge. Markovits mentioned another hazard associated with cutting. “It also breaks the seal of the foil stamped area, which can allow moisture to get between the foil and the cover surface,” he said. “This can lead to bubbling, lifting and other problems.”

“There are a vast number of variables that can cause challenges when working with metallic decorated products,” stated Windler. “This is an area where an outside bindery or finisher may have an advantage over an in-plant operation, because there are often operators with specific specialties and experience who can share ideas to ensure a quality finished product is achieved.”

Solar Panel Installation at Spiral James Burn

August 21, 2012

by Jen Clark, The Binding Edge

A solar-powered renewable energy management solution at Spiral James Burn is expected to help lower building operating costs and reduce the company’s carbon footprint at its corporate headquarters in Totowa, NJ.

The project – an installation of about 3,500 solar panels – is the largest roof-mounted installation in northern New Jersey and will produce approximately one million kilowatt hours of electricity each year, according an article on the company’s website. “The new 825 – kW DC solar power system will offset a total of 15,375 tons of carbon dioxide over its lifetime,” the story said. “The environmental benefits of such a large installation are equivalent to planting more than four million trees and eliminating over 40 million automobile driving miles.”

Richard Christmas, director of operations for Spiral James Burn, further explained the company’s decision to invest in solar energy:

Why did you add solar panels to your building?
Two reasons: Environmental responsibility and lower operational cost.

What company completed the installation, and how long did it take?
Amberjack Solar Energy, Oakland, NJ, (www.amberjacksolar.com) installed the panels. The installation, start to finish, took five to six months.

Have you realized any energy savings in the nine months since the solar panels were installed?
The installation is new, but it looks like we will be realizing the expected cost savings by producing the maximum allowed solar energy production of around 80 percent.

You were expecting to lower building operating costs. Have you been able to do that?
We don’t have empirical data to support this yet, but since nearly our entire roof surface area is covered with the solar energy panels there seems to be less heat energy travelling into the building structure. This has been a relatively hot summer, but the non-insulated warehouse area of the building has been noticeably cooler temperature-wise. If this is true, then the A/C units for our office space are likely using less energy as well.

Was this part of an overall effort to be more aware of the company’s impact on the environment?
Yes. We had been reviewing this, along with many other energy reduction options, and we just found the right scenario to move forward. We also have realized significant savings and help for the environment by implementing nine different recycling programs at the present time.

Have you undertaken any other environmentally-friendly efforts? Did this spur any other projects?
At the same time, we have been working on other smaller “energy reduction” initiatives throughout the facility, including energy efficient bulbs, proximity motion sensors for select fixtures and even rewiring some fixtures to utilize less bulbs.

What advice do you have for other companies who might be considering a project like this?
Do your homework. Research everything: vendors; power authorities; incentives from local, state and federal governments and tax benefits. Conduct feasibility studies and, of course, consult your accounting staff!

A Closer Look at Stitching Wire

August 21, 2012

by: Kris Shaw, WCJ Pilgrim Wire

In today’s commercial printing industry, stitching wire is used in two areas – the bindery and pressroom. Stitching wire is a low-carbon steel with a galvanized or tin coating. Stitching wire is used in the bindery or finishing departments in the form of saddlestitching, bookletmaking, side stitching and corner stitching. A more recent trend WCJ Pilgrim Wire has seen is growth in the use of stitching wire for the pressroom in high-speed web operations in the form of inline stitching.

Stitching wire has evolved as the industry has changed and now is a highly tuned part of the printing world. Quality of finish, size, cast, camber, tensile, path of wire, wire delivery, spool size, and despooling equipment all are major factors in how stitching wire is going to perform in the field. With the continued demand for increased run speeds and overall profit, high-quality stitching wire and proper machine set-up are a must.

Stitching Wire Attributes

Quality of Finish. An ideal wire is chrome-like in appearance with special friction-reducing additives to resist peeling and flaking while providing a superior workability in all bending and forming applications.

Cast and Camber (Helix). Commercially produced, stitching wire is not straight. Each spool size has a desired curvature of the wire. The radial or circular curvature is known as “cast,” which is measured as the diameter of a free turn of wire. The axial component is referred to as “camber,” which is measured at the offset in the ends of one turn of freely hanging wire. A large cast and small camber are characteristics of a high-quality wire. This allows the wire to go into the stitching head smoother, producing less drag and providing fewer dropped stitches. The stitching head will work more efficiently with less energy and maintenance.

Tensile. Tensile is the pull required to break the stitching wire and is measured in pounds per square inch (PSI). The higher the breaking point the stiffer the wire. High-quality stitching wire has a tensile range of 135,000 to 165,000 PSI. A tensile above 165,000 PSI will wear out parts in your stitching head prematurely, causing maintenance costs and downtime. High-tensile wire also can wear out the knives in a trimmer section prematurely. The increased hardness of the stitching wire will nick a trimmer sections knives more severely when struck during saddlestitcher jams. A tensile below 135,000 PSI will cause the stitching wire to be soft and will not properly form a stitch.

High-tensile stitching wires are available, but the cost benefits of using a high tensile wire with a thinner diameter on thicker applications is outweighed by the cost of premature wear on stitching heads and trimmer section knives.

Path of Wire. A clean path for the stitching wire from the spool to the stitching head is critical in getting a positive stitching outcome. The coating easily can be chipped, scraped and damaged by running the wire past an unprotected steel bracket, worn wire guides, spring tubes and dirty felt pads. These areas must be checked frequently and rotated or replaced on a regular schedule. Wire guide springs and felt pads are a normal wear part on any stitching head. Flat spots on guides and springs, along with a dirty felt pad wiping system, can cause flaking issues that will jam your stitching head, stop production and cause additional maintenance and repair costs.

Types of Wire. Electro-galvanized stitching wire is the most widely used type of wire in the printing industry. Today’s friction- reducing electro-galvanizing process provides a smooth burr-free finish that works well with small-, medium- and large-size binderies and inline web stitching applications.

Tin-coated stitching wire still is used in a small number of binderies and finishing departments. Because of the small number of tin wire users, the cost is higher than electro-galvanized stitching wire. Tin wire adds little or no added value to the stitching process or the stitching head.

The Right Size Stitching Wire for the Job

The majority of the stitching wire used in today’s binderies and inline stitching operations is 24- and 25-gauge. The difference in size from 24-gauge (0.023-in.) to 25-gauge (0.0204-in.) is 0.0026-in. This small amount may seem insignificant, but it means a lot in terms of yield.

A 24-gauge wire has 8,496 inches per pound of wire, and 25-gauge has 10,800 inches per pound. This amounts to a 21.3 percent difference in product yield, which translates into 21.3 percent more staples if you use 25-gauge over 24-gauge. In simpler terms, if you imagine a staple or stitch being one inch, you would have 2,304 more staples by using the 25-gauge wire over the 24-gauge.

Choose the right wire for the job:

25-gauge stitching wire’s recommended thickness of work is 1/16 to 7/32 of an inch.
24-gauge stitching wire’s recommended thickness of work is 1/16 to 1/4 of an inch.

These are only suggestions, as paper type, density, coatings and stitcher set-up can change the stitching wire size required. Physically check the size of your stitching wire and don’t believe what is on the label until you are sure. An oversized wire that is labeled 25 gauge but actually is larger in size means you are not getting what you are paying for. Oversized wire substantially affects the yield of your wire along with increasing the amount you end up paying at the post office.

Location and Inventory of Your Source

Does your wire provider have a facility or warehouse in the proximity of your location? As an extremely heavy commodity, shipping costs are some of the primary contributors to the end price of your stitching wire products.

Weigh out the cost savings of having a localized source and your freight expenditure. Will taking more stitching wire create a bigger savings for you?

Spool Sizes, De-Spooling Equipment and Winding

Stitching wire comes on many different spools and generally ranges from 5 lbs. to 1,600 lbs. Primary usage and machine type determines the size spool you require, but running speeds and space availability also play a role. Standalone stitchers that are hand fed usually use 5- or 10-lb. spools. Collators with stitchers used for short runs of 5 or up to 10,000 books can also use this type of spool. Saddlestitchers for longer, mid-range runs will use 35-, 40-, 70-, or 100-lb. spools. High speed collator/stitchers and web operations using inline stitchers will use 200-, 250-, 1,000- and 1,600-lb. spools. A larger spool of wire has both economical and production advantages. Larger spools cost less per pound of stitching wire to manufacture. Larger spools require fewer spool changes during the manufacturing process.

During the binding process, larger spools prevent stoppages of the line for spool changes, thus increasing your books-per-hour output. A normal spool change averages two minutes per spool changed, and generally a saddlestitcher runs anywhere from two to four stitcher heads at a time. With four stitcher heads running a job of more than 100,000 pieces with 5-lb. spools, you would be stopped for spool changes a minimum of sixteen minutes alone. Changing to a 35-lb. or 40-lb. spool would wipe this changeover time to zero.

Different sizes of spools have different characteristics that can give the end user advantages. For instance, as stated earlier, a larger circle diameter improves the performance of stitching heads with less friction due to less straightening required and fewer dropped stitches. A 35-lb. spool, which is flatter and has a wider diameter, has a larger circle diameter than a 40-lb. spool, which is taller and has a narrower diameter. The larger diameter spools, such as the 200-, 250-, 1,000- and 1,600-lb. spools, have larger circle diameters, improving stitcher head performance since less straightening is required.

Proper de-spooling equipment is essential to complement the high-quality wire used. Matching the correct de-spooler with the spool is essential for problem-free production.

How a spool is wound is important especially when the larger spools (200-, 250-, 1,000- and 1,600-lb. spools) are statically (the spool does not move) de-spooled. When a spool is standing on its end, conical winding (winding that is wider at the bottom than at the top) prevents the wire from “falling” as it de-spools. This can prevent wire tangles and jamming. Conical winding needs to be done very precisely during manufacturing to prevent problems. Smaller spools (100 lbs. and less) do not have to be conically wound in order to de- spool properly.

Straight winding is fine for smaller spools that are dynamically paid off (the spool moves on a spindle) and needs to be done correctly by evenly winding the wire across the spool. The stitching wire cant build up in an area, as this could cause tangles. Straight winding on statically de-spooled larger spools is helped by the use of a proper de-spooler.

Green Initiatives: User and Producer of Print

User. Unstitched flyers, advertisements and newspapers produce more litter. Stitched pieces require only one item to pick up and recycle. Steel staples in recycled paper easily are accommodated by typical recycling facilities worldwide.
Producer. Does your stitching wire supplier provide a spool and skid return program? Reusable spools and recyclable products are the way of the future. Throwing away spools amounts to throwing away money in landfill costs.
CPSIA. The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act requires all stitching wire to have less then 100 parts per million of lead content. Make sure you are using a certified stitching wire product. A product recall could be very costly.

Using stitching wire is a profitable binding solution; it has a low cost and gives a high value.

Kris Shaw is sales manager for WCJ Pilgrim Wire. WCJ Pilgrim Wire maintains high standards for the manufacturing of wire through a series of checks and balances, assuring the final product meets and exceeds customer expectations. The company prides itself on the years of experience its employees have in providing knowledgeable advice and recommendations to its customers. For more information, call 414.291.9566 or visit www.wcjwire.com.

Casebound Lessons: Learning from the Leaders

August 21, 2012

by Jen Clark, The Binding Edge

Creativity ruled the day for three companies that took casebinding projects to new heights. Designers at a Missouri company used a collage of photos to showcase Chicago in a promotional piece that included casing for seven CDs, while craftsmen at an Arizona bindery turned out a new and innovative presentation product for a Canadian client. In addition, a multi-year project by a California publishing company utilized production methods that resulted in a set of one of the highest-quality leatherbound books in the industry.

Patience Pays Off for Missouri Manufacturer

Attention to detail and patience were key factors for a successful project at Trends Presentations Products, Washington, MO. The company’s effort paid off with a 2012 Binding Industries Association Product of Excellence Award for the Chicago CD set.

The design centered on a proposed business concept in the Chicago area, said Dave Inman, sales and marketing manager at Trends. “The Chicago CD set was part of a presentation kit that held seven CDs that highlighted details involving that proposal.”

The designers utilized a photo collage to showcase Chicago in a way that promoted the city, Inman explained. “The designers in this project really wanted to impress and make a statement with their presentation. The artwork had to be perfect. The high-quality printing from our press really made this piece stand out.”

All the printing was done using a Xeikon digital press, he said. Three separate art templates were used and had to be joined and aligned together to make the art look seamless throughout. “The collage of photos on the inside liner and tray casing really made this a challenge. Each individual piece had to be hand wrapped and precisely cut in order for all pieces of art to line up,” Inman said.

With little room for error, designers needed a continuous flow of art regardless if the CDs were in place or not. “The biggest challenge with this project was getting all the art to match up consistently through all stages of production,” Inman said. “Our graphics department really had to spend some time on this one. The CDs that went inside this presentation also were printed to match all of the liner art.”

The entire production crew had to work together on the project. “With a little patience and attention to detail, we were able to turn out a beautiful piece,” Inman said. “We felt we met our customer’s needs by providing a quality and affordable product that made an impression. Overall, the combined quality of our craftsmanship and digital printing made this piece stand out. We put a lot of pride in our work and try hard to create fast, quality and affordable products. The Chicago CD set was just that.”

Since Trends was the manufacturer on the project, they really don’t know much about the CD set’s intended audience. “We don’t sell direct,” Inman said. “We are one of only a few manufacturers that still only sell to resellers. So, oftentimes we may not know who the end user is that will be receiving our product. For this project, we really only knew that the CD set was part of a new business proposal presentation. Our goal and focus is to be a manufacturer that you can trust. We work hard to meet fast ship dates and treat every job with importance.”

Bridge Publications Tackles Multi-Year Dianetics Project

Since Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health was published in 1950, it has appeared on some 600 bestseller lists around the world. It also exists in many formats: hardcover, paperback, audiobook and as a book-on-film on DVD. Further, in 2009, Dianetics was translated into 50 languages – enabling 90 percent of Earth’s population to access the book in their language.

“To commemorate this achievement, Bridge Publications designed a leatherbound edition for each of the 50 languages Dianetics was translated into,” said Veronica Rodriguez, vice president of manufacturing at the Commerce City, CA, publisher.

Bridge researched extensively to determine the highest quality materials for every aspect of a leatherbound book. “All materials and details were carefully selected to represent the culture of each language edition,” Rodriguez explained. Limited to just 100 copies of each language, every one of the 50 unique editions is a distinctive blend of symbolism and beauty.

Distinctively suited to capture an aspect of the culture represented, the endsheets within each leatherbound are as varied as the 50 languages they represent. Hand-pressed bark dried on an African hillside. Marbled sheets of the highest craftsmanship. And whether embossed, stamped or stencil-cut, each one matches the beauty of its volume. To produce these books in-house, Bridge researched what equipment would be needed and trained its operators in the art of high-end leatherbound book production.

The company purchased and installed a Muller Martini Ventura 3215 sewing machine and a ribbon bookmark insertion machine, which was customized for Bridge’s book production. After installment and training, the company consulted Werner Rebsamen, professor emeritus at the Rochester Institute of Technology’s School of Print Media, College of Imaging Arts and Sciences in Rochester, NY. Rebsamen, who has 50 years of experience in hardcover bookbinding, was educated as a master in bookbinding at the Academy of Fine Art, Zurich, Switzerland, before immigrating to the United States. Rebsamen consulted Bridge and gave technical advice on how to handle specific hardcover binding issues. After following his technical binding advice and further applying L. Ron Hubbard’s organizational procedures, which have been the bedrock of Bridge’s manufacturing organization and success, Bridge’s production methods resulted in a set of one of the highest-quality leatherbound books in the industry.

To produce the books, Bridge utilized 100-percent cotton text paper (Cranes Crest 60# Pearl White Wove). They chose genuine 22k gold foil from Quick Roll Leaf Manufacturing to stamp the leather case and flysheets, as well as the edge gilding, also done in-house. The flysheet paper – a UV/Ultra smooth white – came from Neenah. Bridge also chose the finest calfskin and goatskin leather available, sourced from two companies – Scotland-based J. Hewitt and UK-based Harmatan.

The pages were printed using an HP Indigo 7200 and were cut inline by a Lasermax 700 series cutter/stacker. The pages then were folded into 16-page signatures by a Standard Horizon folding machine. The signatures were compressed by a Speed Nip system and then sewn on the Ventura 3215 sewing machine. After being processed, they then were glued off on a Short Run Solutions binding machine from Germany’s Short Run Engineering and three-knife trimmed. The 22k gold-edge gilding was done on an Ochsner gilding machine.

The leather cases were handmade externally, while all the foil stamping, embossing, debossing and other decoration were applied internally. The main artwork dies were hand sculptured by Universal Engraving, Inc., of Overland Park, KS. The hand-engraved dies allowed the designers creation to cast a range of textures and layers into the fine-grain leather, which moved the bookmaking process into an art form in itself.

Once the cases were complete, the books were bookmarked with ribbons by an inline inserter and cased-in with a Diamant 30 Muller Martini casing-in machine. “These limited leatherbound books were then carefully examined for quality and individually numbered (1-100), put in their solander boxes, tissue wrapped and placed in a shipping box specifically designed to hold them,” Rodriguez said.

The leatherbound books went on sale and the public quickly began purchasing these unique editions. “We only produced 100 copies of each of the 50 language editions of Dianetics, which was a total of 5,000 leatherbound books,” Rodriguez said. “We have sold 4,729 books, and the last of these editions soon will be sold out.”

For its work on the project, Bridge Publications was awarded the 2011 Premier Print Benny Award in the category “They Said It Couldn’t Be Done,” as well as two 2011 Binding Industries Association Product of Excellence Awards for the Hindi and Arabic editions. The Dianetics Hindi leatherbound won first place in the “Case Binding” category and the Dianetics Arabic leatherbound won first place in the “They Said It Couldn’t Be Done” category.

Difficult Material Choice Challenges Arizona Binder

When liquor distributors in Western Canada needed a new and innovative presentation product, they turned to Roswell Bookbinding, Phoenix, AZ.

Mike Roswell, the company’s president, explained the concept was to incorporate multiple pockets and a notepad in the same unit – a project Roswell employees are familiar with. “The cover was machine made using a soft Portofino material,” he said. “The hard pocket inside the back cover was handmade. The inside soft pocket was diecut, scored and glued automatically and hand mounted to the piece.”

Portofino is a synthetic leather product made to look and feel like soft, supple leather. Prototypes were pre-manufactured in Roswell’s samples department for customer approval prior to producing the job, Roswell said. Ultimately, the client ordered 200 books.

Since bright white Portofino is difficult to keep clean and shows any imperfection, Roswell said quality control, like on any project, was important. “The pockets had to be perfectly aligned to fit properly,” he said.

A Kolbus diecutter was utilized on the pockets, but everything else was assembled and glued by hand. Tools used in the project included scissors, folding bone, a hand turn in tool and a Pot Devin glue machine.

“The client was thrilled and the presentation has been effective,” Roswell said.

How to Close Sales That Are Over the Budget

August 21, 2012

by: Landy Chase, MBA, CSP

It never ceases to amaze me how many business people assume that a budget dictates what the buyer can spend. In my experience, this almost is never the case. The truth is that in most cases, budgets are guidelines and nothing more than that. Additionally, they are sometimes based on a flawed or limited understanding on the part of the buying party of what actually is required.

Of course, most salespeople fall into the trap of selling to the budget. They build their entire proposal around this number. They assume that their recommendation must conform strictly to, or be below, the budget threshold. They ignore the issue of value. They dont take the time to find out what the customer actually is trying to accomplish, and they miss opportunities to both increase sales and better serve their customers.

It also is worth noting that budgets often are the domain of people who do not have final approval authority. In other words, when a prospect tells the salesperson, “my budget is $,” this statement usually means “I have been given permission to spend no more than $.” This tells the salesperson that the person is not a decision-maker. The real question here is this: who gave the permission? The person who approved the budget is the one who buys based on value – and isn’t limited to the budget number.

Influencers spend based on what they are allowed to buy. Decision-makers get whatever they want. Put another way, if the decision-maker decides that they need what the salesperson is recommending, they will purchase it. This is an important point. Before assuming that quote is constrained by a budget, first determine if the person being quoted is the “right” person.

Assuming that they are, this doesn’t mean that the salesperson should ignore a budget number. Instead, look at it as a guideline. However, remember that when proposals are put together that meet a pre-determined amount, what is proposed is typically something that is less than what the client would be best served by purchasing. For this reason, budgets are an obstacle to both the buyer and the seller. The seller is constrained by a ceiling of expenditure, but more importantly, the purchaser is limited to getting a solution that is probably less than ideal.

How to get around this issue? The key skill here is to execute a thorough needs analysis. The more that the salesperson knows about the needs of the client, the better prepared the salesperson is to deal with the budget issue. Get on the buyer’s side of the table and look at the decision from his/her point of view.

Once the salesperson has completed this key step and is ready to prepare a proposal, the following method is a highly effective way to sell around budget constraints:

Prepare two options:
- Option A is based on the client’s budget.
- Option B is based solely on addressing the client’s specific needs and, therefore, disregards the budget.
At the proposal meeting, begin with Option A. Say, “Here is what we can do for you, based on what you want to spend.” Review this with the buyer first.
Next, present Option B. Say, “Now, here is the best possible solution for what you want, but this option ignores your budget.” Since the price issue is being ignored here, this option should contain a much higher level of value than the budget-based one.
Option B should stand out on its merit. This option needs to maximize perceived value. It must be a perfect fit for what the buyer needs.

If this process is followed consistently, the salesperson will consistently close sales that exceed budget numbers. This happens because the buyer realizes, after reviewing both options, that what they need and what they initially planned to spend are not in sync with one another. They will immediately discard Option A and will focus their negotiation discussion on Option B, which fulfills their requirements.

Of course, the salesperson must be selling to a decision-maker for this method to be effective. The decision-maker often will select the recommendation that is the best fit for their needs, which is the higher-priced option. And if they don’t, so what? Plan “A” – the proposal that matches the budget – becomes the fall-back option. The salesperson has nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Landy Chase, MBA, CSP, is an expert who specializes in speaking to corporations and associations on professional selling and sales management topics. His latest book, Competitive Selling, was named an Editor’s Choice Best Books of 2010 selection and is available on www.amazon.com. To book Chase for your next sales meeting, visit his website at www.sellingrevolution.com or call 800.370.8026.