A-Plus Printing & Graphic Center printed and distributed full-color memorial and prayer cards in memory of the victims of the Feb. 14, 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL.
Thomas Horne calls a print job his company executed this past Valentine’s Day “the hardest day for me as a printer.”
It wasn’t the technical aspect of the job that challenged the employees of A-Plus Printing & Graphic Center, located in Plantation, Fla. It was the emotional aspect. On that day, 17 students and teachers from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., were killed in a mass shooting.
Upon hearing the news, Horne waited to hear from his two brothers, both of whom are police officers and are among the first responders. “The rule in our family is to text everyone and let them know that they’re safe,” Horne says of major local crime events.
(From left) Pressman Manny Ruiz and Thomas Horne stand with the memorial and prayer cards.
Assured of his brothers’ safety, Horne’s next action was to memorialize the deceased through a quick-turnaround print job of memorial and prayer cards for each student and staff member who perished.
“I’ve been through losses in my family and know how hard it is. This was a terrible tragedy,” notes Horne, whose father was also a law enforcement officer.
Within a day of the shooting, A-Plus Printing & Graphic Center employees came in at 6 a.m. to work on the job, spending hours trying to source the best photos and information about each of the deceased individuals in an effort led by Horne, business partner Rick Erens, and a company graphic designer.
The employees ran the full-color, 12-pt. memorial and prayer cards with UV lamination on the shop’s KBA sheetfed offset presses. After the project was completed, Horne and Sergeant Ana Murillo from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office traveled to the doorsteps of each of the impacted families to deliver the cards for their use.
The company also printed up an additional 5,000 cards for the city of Parkland to distribute throughout the local community. There were some inherent challenges. Horne was operating on scant information and had to reprint some of the cards to correct some religious information. Horne says the day of the mass school shooting was his hardest day because of seeing the reactions of his staff.
“We’re a large family business and never had to do a print job for so many people that had passed,” points out Horne, adding that everyone who touched the job – staff members like the graphic designer and the printing press and cutter operators – found it to be a gut-wrenching experience.
Horne’s advice to other printing operations that might find themselves in a similar position is for management to “be strong for your employees” at a time like that. “Employees are like family members,” he adds. “This becomes a team effort. That’s how we got these cards printed, boxed and delivered.”
Ultimately, the company’s work and efforts garnered accolades.
“I got a lot of phone calls from the families thanking me and our team members,” notes Horne, saying that it was “pretty awesome” to see the positive responses of various family members who he was able to greet at their doorsteps as he offered them the cards and his condolences.
Horne didn’t take a dime for the work.
“It was the right thing to do,” he stresses. “We were happy that we could help out.”
In today’s printing industry, the concept of innovation is wide in definition, but rather narrow in its goal. Leading companies have grasped many tools to define themselves, increase profitability, and differentiate. They utilize new technologies, systems integration, an expanded product mix, exemplary customer service, and more. As a group, the eight companies included in the 2021 class of Printing Impressions’ Innovators of the Year demonstrate new approaches that can move printing businesses forward and possess strong insight into where the industry is going. Even amid the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, these companies succeed, grow, focus, and inspire. This year’s innovators were nominated by a group of printing industry experts and consultants, who identified them as notables. The summary of Heeter that follows shares what makes theis company innovative, interesting, and exceptional. The insight it presents may provide the inspiration you need to take your company to a new level, or in a new direction. read the full article at: https://www.piworld.com/article/2021-innovator-year-heeter-customer-achieve-roi/
Sheridan, a leading provider of printing solutions for the publishing industry, recently welcomed associates from some of the nation’s top publishing companies to its Print Masterclass held at its Versailles, KY facility. This extensive program was designed to give participants a comprehensive understanding of the print production process, from file preparation to bound book, offering valuable insights into industry best practices. Sheridan’s inaugural Print Masterclass brought together ten participants from Penguin Random House and Hachette who took part in educational sessions, hands-on demonstrations, and a plant tour. They left with an enhanced understanding of the technical and creative aspects of print production, allowing them to apply these insights directly to their roles in publishing. “It’s always a rewarding experience to exchange ideas and bridge the gap between what publishers do at their desks and what happens on the production floor,” said Rich Letchinger, VP of Trade and Education Book Sales at Sheridan.
Atlas Holdings announced that it has completed its acquisition of substantially all of the assets of LSC Communications, Inc. The transaction concludes a court-supervised sale process, pursuant to Section 363 of the U.S. Bankruptcy code. LSC is the largest producer of books in the United States and a leading manufacturer and distributor of magazines, catalogs and office products. With more than 14,000 dedicated associates across more than 50 facilities, the company is organized around four business segments, Magazine, Catalog & Logistics, Books, TOPS Products and its Mexico Print operations, which collectively service the traditional and digital print, printrelated services and office products markets. LSC begins its new chapter with a strong balance sheet, an optimized manufacturing footprint and a more competitive cost structure. As a leaner and more efficient organization, LSC is positioned to continue investing in innovation and sustainable growth with the support of Atlas’ financial strength and sector knowledge.
