Big Picture - October 2016 - 25

continual improvement - not to mention a willingness to be audited annually and recertified every two years. It's definitely not for the faint of heart. But to the companies that have it, it's well worth it. From the energy usage in your building to the inks and solvents you store, even the very air your employees breathe, SGP certification looks at the print environment as a whole. "It was an 80-hour process to compile and sort through all of the required paperwork," says Bret Hesler, senior VP of quality assurance at DCC, "but what we've received in return is worth much, much more than what we continue to put into it." CR E ATING VA LUE DO IT FOR THE CLIENT, OR THE CAPITAL CR E ATING DEM A ND Indian Nations University. As the students and faculty at the universities experienced the economic crunch of the recession, so did the businesses surrounding them. That meant a harder time competing for what print work was available. "I could see that everything was going downhill," says Bisel, "so I began brainstorming ways to differentiate my business and come out better on the other end." An avid magazine reader, Bisel kept seeing the term "going green" peppered throughout various publications. She began to research the term and heard about a sustainability convention in Indianapolis, about an eight-hour drive away. She attended and liked what she heard, knowing that getting her shop the certification that was being offered would help set her apart back home. Turns out, it was the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership, still in its infancy. Opened in 1973, Minuteman Press is a family-owned business with more than 900 franchise locations worldwide. Bisel's shop in Lawrence is the only SGP-certified location in the Minuteman company. Acquiring the sustainability certification made Bisel and her shop the talk of the town. Over the years, on what she calls her "Journey to Sustainability," she's been interviewed by most of the local news outlets and radio stations, and has received numerous speaking opportunities at both local universities, which offer advanced degrees in environmental assessments. It's also made her shop known as the "green printer" online, which has brought in additional business from customers looking to lessen their environmental impact and sell their printer's sustainable capabilities on down the line. In other words, her shop makes clients look good to their consumers, and helps them differentiate in the environment as well. Whatever size business, every company faces a crowded marketplace. Becoming sustainable to stand out can be a win-win situation. CR E ATING CULTUR E DO IT FOR DIFFERENTIATION, OR THE PRESS DO IT BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO In 2009, as the economy was slowly beginning to emerge from the Great Recession, Dee Bisel, franchise owner and CEO of Minuteman Press in Lawrence, Kansas, was looking for a way to drive business opportunities in her area. Lawrence is a college town, home to the University of Kansas and Haskell For Mark Ireland, VP of sales at Vectra Visual | PhotoCraft Portland, sustainability isn't just a certification or a way to gain clients - it's a way of life. "This city is all about being green," he says. "It's not just lip service. We're all focused on sustainability, from our executives on down." Kristel Lewis, graphic designer at Minuteman Press Lawrence, mounts a sign that was printed on an HP Latex 360 printer. BIGPICTURE.NET As every successful company knows, staying in business and staying at the top is all about delivering the quality of product and level of service a client expects. About two and a half years ago, one of DCC's top clients asked if they were SGP-certified. A short time later, a major overseas luxury client asked if they had a Corporate Social Responsibility program in place. Each time, the team at DCC began researching their clients' concerns, and soon realized they'd not only found a new way to become more committed to the cause of sustainability, but they'd discovered an opportunity to grow their current clientele and gain additional business. Think back to the last RFP you received or responded to. Since 2010, more corporations, causes, and agencies are looking for ways to be environmentally friendly, and their proposal requests are reflecting that. In fact, some newer federal, state, and county regulations require a sustainability component be included in the RFPs taking place in their areas. So, in order to stay competitive in the print marketplace, sustainability is quickly becoming a requirement for doing business. But what about the perceived value of sustainability inside your company? What might your executive team think if you go to them and tell them the sky isn't falling, but the world is turning green? According to a recent McKinsey survey, more executives each year are saying that sustainability programs make a positive contribution to their companies' short- and long-term value, whether in reputation among clients or in actual returns. Combine that with reduced operating costs and improved natural resource management (less energy use and waste), as well as driving down costs through better supply-chain management (reduced packaging and/or better inventory management practices), and you can more easily make the business case for sustainability. It may not be the most eco-friendly reason, but going green to make more green is still helping save the planet, and it can boost the bottom line. 25 http://www.BIGPICTURE.NET

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Big Picture - October 2016