J.S. McCarthy — Driving Out Costs, Waste

Technology continues to help expand the company’s geographic footprint, according to Conrad Ayotte, CFO at JSM. “When you talk technology, it’s really the centerpiece for us because of our location,” he explains. “Half of our volume comes from more than three hours away, so we need to answer the challenge of distance. We embrace technology because we see it as the single best means to drive down costs...maximize its potential.”

JSM has no issue with being a leading-edge company when it comes to technology. It is currently working in tandem with EFI and Kodak on a beta version of Prograph, a print MIS solution. The printer has also achieved GRACoL 7 (G7) certification and is one of only 12 sheetfed printers in New England to garner G7 Master Printer status, according to qualifier IDEAlliance.

Printing to the G7 standard can bring peace of mind for a print buyer, adds Roger Schutte, director of technology at JSM. “It just builds a lot of confidence in a print buyer’s mind that, if they’re outputting proofs in their office, they are to the G7 standard. This really tightens the circle in terms of what had arguably been a very loose system.

“We’re doing on-screen proofing for our press checks, and we’ve even gone to a totally proof-less workflow with our largest customer,” he says. “The client has a proofer in their office; they supply us PDFs, we process the files, and they proof our impositions. Then we go to press, run to the densities and match color on the monitor. It’s something we’re expanding rapidly to other customers.”

Environmental responsibility has been a major concern for JSM, reflected in a number of its greening initiatives. The company has been 100 percent wind-powered for roughly the past 12 months. It recycles 120 tons of paper per month. Plus, JSM is licensed to recycle the one product of hazardous waste it uses in the production process: the solvent/water combination that comes from one of its presses. By recycling this, the printer hopes to achieve “small waste generator” status from the state in the near future.

Finally, Alcohol-Free

“With our Komori presses, we’ve eliminated alcohol from the system,” Rick Tardiff notes. “We’ve gone completely digital and taken all of the developer and fixer out of the system. We treat our plate processor waste here on-site to the point where it can be discharged into the regional sewer facility. Also, we replaced every light in the building to energy-efficient lighting. We’ve replaced compressors with more energy-efficient ones. All of our wooden pallets and plastic and metal barrels are recycled and reused. The list goes on.