JERRY JANDA

BY JERRY JANDA As the leader of a publicly held company with a strong global influence and more than $50 million in sales, Michael Cunningham has positioned himself as a power broker in the graphic arts industry. But not too long ago, he was just a broker—worried about going broke. Throughout most of the '80s, Cunningham earned his living selling printing for two companies. One of these companies handled Cunningham's primary business: research reports. It was a good arrangement, until the late '80s. That's when the company decided printing this type of work wasn't profitable enough. At first, Cunningham looked for a new company

When John E. Spenlinhauer Jr. passed away, the competition said Spencer Press was finished. John E. Spenlinhauer III proved the competition wrong. BY JERRY JANDA In May of 1972, Spencer Press, then a sheetfed operation, took its first step into the world of web offset with the installation of a Heidelberg Harris M-1000A press. For John E. Spenlinhauer III—chairman, CEO and the driving force behind Spencer's equipment investments—it was a pivotal moment. He realized his Hingham, MA-based company needed web equipment to remain in business. "There was not a full-size web in the metropolitan Boston area," Spenlinhauer says, "and there was a lot of

BY JERRY JANDA Phil Ruggles, a Cal Poly State University professor and consultant specializing in management information systems, estimates that this year there are approximately 70 vendors selling computer management systems to the graphic arts industry. As of yet, no vendors sell software that makes selecting, and integrating, a computer management system any easier. Ruggles notes that there is no easy way to determine which computer management system is best for a given company—there are simply too many variables to allow for a quick choice. Research and study by the printer are essential. And at the end of the research process, it is unlikely

BY JERRY JANDA "Sometimes you find yourself needing new challenges," David J. Steinhardt observes, "and you must re-energize." Steinhardt has chosen to re-energize at PrintImage International, formerly the National Association of Quick Printers (NAQP). He'll charge his batteries as the trade association's executive director. While the fresh opportunities of the new position excite Steinhardt, his decision to join PrintImage did not come easily. Accepting the job meant leaving NAGASA, the Washington trade association where he served as president and CEO. When NAGASA was born five years ago from the merger of two dealer organizations, Steinhardt was there to guide the fledgling association. He watched as the young organization

In this age of mergers and acquisitions,Spencer Press stands alone. BY JERRY JANDA As companies like Consolidated Graphics and World Color continue to absorb plants across the country, printing purists may wonder what the future holds for the family-run businesses that form the backbone of our industry. Such purists should consider taking a trip to Spencer Press in picturesque Wells, ME. Name: Spencer PressLocation: Wells, MEEmployees: 650Annual Sales: $85 millionKey Markets: Catalogs, books, brochures, inserts and magazines.A family business since opening in 1940, Spencer Press is, and intends to remain, privately owned. So proclaims the company's second-generation leaders: brothers John E. Spenlinhauer III and Stephen P. Spenlinhauer. Chairman

CTP allows Quad/Graphics to break conventions—and break free from conventional plates. BY JERRY JANDA Quad/Graphics has set its eyes on the future, looking into the next century with 20/20 vision. Make that 20/20/20 vision. The company has vowed to reduce customers' cycle times by 20 percent each year for the next three years. This lofty goal has set Quad on a difficult path leading into the 21st century. Fortunately, the company's commitment to computer-to-plate (CTP) technology promises to make the trip less arduous. Call the journey "2001: A Plate Odyssey." Computer-to-plate meshes well with Quad's three-year plan. By removing steps from the prepress process,

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