Nevada

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.

I was still a youngster back in 1995 when I walked into my first National State Printing Association meeting in Kansas City. Sitting at long tables all around me were state printers from all over the United States—even a representative from the U.S. Government Printing Office. They glanced at me with curiosity, recoiling a bit from my camera. I was intimidated.

The beginning of a new year also marks a turning point for a prominent in-plant association. Following a vote by members last month, the 36-year-old National Government Publishing Association will merge with the In-plant Printing and Mailing Association effective February 1. Leaders of both in-plant associations feel this will provide better value for all members, allowing for more growth and innovation.

AS A CHILD, Mark Shaw dreamed of flying to the stars.  And though his current role as operations specialist for National Security Technologies, LLC (NSTec) isn’t exactly the same as being an astronaut, it’s still his dream job. “It’s fascinating,” he enthuses. “It motivates me. The brilliance of the scientists there, it’s amazing.”

IT’S SAFE to say that no one left the 31st annual National Government Publishing Association (NGPA) conference thirsting for more information. Held in Bellevue, Wash., near Seattle, the meeting combined excellent educational sessions with a well-orchestrated plant tour that left many attendees breathless.

The printers that thrive are those that carefully assess their performance, expanding what works and correcting what doesn’t. To help in-plants evaluate their strengths and weaknesses, NAPL, the trade association for excellence in graphic communications management, offers a free self-evaluation form along with an opportunity to enter its Management Plus competition. The form assess nine key areas of printing operations: internal control systems; financial performance; marketing/sales plan; business planning; human resources; environmental/safety concerns; quality control; community/industry affairs; and vendor relations.   If an in-plant is pleased with the results of its self audit, the next logical step is to enter the Management Plus Awards

Though in-plants are sometimes overlooked when honors are doled out to printers, NAPL (“the trade association for excellence in graphic communications management”) has a category specifically for in-plants in its prestigious Management Plus program. Self-evaluation forms and awards applications have just become available for this year’s program, and in-plants are encouraged to participate. Past Gold Award winners include Allstate’s Print Communications Center, University of California-Berkeley Printing Services and the Nevada State Printing Division. Now in its 28th year, NAPL’s performance-assessment program helps graphic communications operations gain insights into their strengths and weaknesses and develop plans for improvement. The program consists of a self-audit, in which

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