In-plant Consultant Jack Klasnic Passes Away
The in-plant world lost one of its strongest proponents in December when long-time consultant Jack Klasnic passed away at Greater Baltimore Medical Center. He was 76.
Since the 1970s, countless in-plants have hired his firm Klasnic and Associates Inc. to help them show their cost savings and justify their operations. His diligent research and number crunching saved many in-plants from closure. But he was also willing to help managers in need whenever a situation arose.
"He always had time for me when I had questions or concerns," recalls Alan Doolittle, manager of Washburn University Mail & Printing Services. "I remember one time in Baltimore when he spent several hours on the phone addressing some of my questions and the operation of in-plants in general, all tied to financial and operations data."
"Jack worked with me when I was a young manager at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab's in-plant," remembers former in-plant manager Jean-Luc Devis. "I was new in the in-plant industry, and he shared much information on do's and don'ts. I particularly liked his "How to Kill an In-Plant" brochure. That was very helpful to those of us who were new to the industry."
Honored as In-plant Graphics' 1987 Industry Leader of the Year, Klasnic wrote columns for several years for IPG (then called In-plant Reproductions). In 2002 he was hired as editor of IPG's competitor, In-plant Printer. Klasnic's 1981 "In-plant Printing Handbook" is still on the shelves of many in-plants, as are his other works: "How to Kill an In-plant" (1986), "Why Start an In-plant" (1989) and "Corporate Reprographics" (1990).
"I still have one of his books on my shelf," affirms Jimmy Robinson, director of Printing Services at the University of West Alabama. "I used it as a source when I taught graphic arts. At one time he was the expert on in-plants."
Hailed for his graphic arts genius, Klasnic was also known for his abrasive manner. His acerbic wit rubbed some the wrong way. Doolittle, for one, took it in stride.
"He could be abrupt," he acknowledges, "but I interpreted it as his passion for a well run in-plant."
"Jack was one of a kind all right, and he was always an advocate for in-plants," remembers fellow consultant Ray Chambers, a former in-plant manager. "He presented at the first conference I had a part in hosting—a Big 10 print managers conference in the late 1980s—and his testimony to the Texas legislature when PIA tried to shut down all of the state in-plants is one of the reasons we stayed open."
"He was absolutely devoted to in-plants and was excellent in proving their worth to upper management," adds Joe Goss, retired director of Indiana University Document Services. "I recommended him to several in-plants managers over the years."
“Jack was a supporter of in-plant printers and a good friend of the U.S. Government Publishing Office," lauds GPO Chief of Staff Andy Sherman. "He will be missed."
Bob has served as editor of In-plant Impressions since October of 1994. Prior to that he served for three years as managing editor of Printing Impressions, a commercial printing publication. Mr. Neubauer is very active in the U.S. in-plant industry. He attends all the major in-plant conferences and has visited more than 170 in-plant operations around the world. He has given presentations to numerous in-plant groups in the U.S., Canada and Australia, including the Association of College and University Printers and the In-plant Printing and Mailing Association. He also coordinates the annual In-Print contest, co-sponsored by IPMA and In-plant Impressions.
