November 5th will be Dr. Erv Dennis’ last official day at the ACCGC Annual Board Meeting. Dr. Erv Dennis has, through his leadership and personal conduct, influenced our academic institutions, the integrity of their curriculum development, and their visions to pursue relevant, educational excellence.

We gain nothing but contempt and lost talent in today's environment – avoiding the issues while looking busy. Every Employee Survey we ever administered uncovered major surprises to senior management. What we avoid, or happens in the darkness of night, eventually sees the light of day.

In a previous life, my boss gave me a project to make it happen that subsequently increased in value every year. My "reduced-risk" lifesaver for dealing with unknown architects and contractors in Mississippi about 500 miles away? Get a "Performance Bond" from the contractor.

I'd asked a high-performing client and Business Development Director Peer Group Member to provide my Adm. Asst. -- a Plant Tour. At the end of her Tour, he introduced her to a view of his office, and particularly his "Office Whiteboard", including Sales Team Objectives and Goals, which are updated, weekly.

Opportunities to include experienced, talented production managers with target customers' and prospects' communications are almost unlimited. This is not a tough business to grow if we'll get out of our "false comfort zones" and work with a mission to develop our team.

This past week I listened to a consulting team from Heidelberg deliver a webinar, titled, "Industry 4.0 – Profit Matters". Content was solid, relevant, and well-presented. As the Program rolled forward, I found myself asking two questions. Will anyone follow up on this webinar’s content, and put its profound principles

'Backroom whisper on the street' is that regional association presidents have a central mission, a central focus: “Make it to retirement, for maximum retirement benefits so be sure to preserve your cash.” That no more commercial printing companies are being created is a false narrative, fake news.

Our great industry is very possibly shrinking faster after the Pandemic than during it. Customers have learned that fewer employees can get the job done, and fewer suppliers are better than too many mediocre suppliers.

“Commercial printing company owners, as a general rule, seem to know the cost of almost everything in production, but  not necessarily the values of what it takes to develop new business.“ What does your Sales Literature say about your most impressive, latest capabilities and Customers’ Benefits?

Different commercial printing operations have different equipment and different personnel. No two suppliers generate the same “value-added” or “profit numbers” -- serving the same customer markets. It is partly from this analysis that a company can begin to purposefully select its market differentiation.