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march 2009

Joe Metzger (foreground) and Tom Metzger pose in the Metzgers Education Center.

Mattersmetzgers Printing + mailing remains on the cutting edge by offering a full complement of cross-media services in conjunction with offset and variable data digital color printing.

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PRINTINGIMPRESSIONS®

IF YOU were writing a historical novel based on the real-life saga of a graphic arts business that had to reinvent itself—again and again—over the course of several decades, Metzgers Printing + Mailing would serve as the perfect case history. Founded as a typesetter in 1976, the Toledo, OH-based company rode the desktop publishing (DTP) wave in the mid-’80s to become a DTP service bureau, before transitioning itself into a color copy center and then a color separations business.

During the ’90s, the now-prepress house morphed into a printer, providing digital and sheetfed offset color work, wide-format and direct mail services. The new millennium passed, and Metzgers embraced a computer-to-plate workflow, variable data digital color output and one-to-one marketing services, coupled with in-house finishing, fulfillment and warehousing. Today, as a direct marketing solutions provider, Metzgers supports cross-media campaigns with Web-to-print storefronts, PURLs, microsites, e-grams and more.

According to Joe Metzger, who owns and manages the company with his brother Tom, a strong sense of curiosity and an ongoing commitment to learning and education are the qualities that have fueled the ability of Metzgers to evolve from one industry role to another over the past three decades. That commitment to training prompted them to create the Metzgers Education Center (MEC) within a new 30,000-square-foot building, which was completed last year to house the company’s digital printing equipment, fulfillment, mailing and warehouse operations. The MEC is fully dedicated to customer seminars and ongoing employee training. “It holds 65 people and was custom-built for learning, training and education. It does not do double-duty as a lunchroom, nor is it a conference room. It’s truly an education center,” stresses Metzger.

Despite the current economic malaise, Metzger is also a firm believer in openly sharing knowledge and best practices with fellow printers—for the betterment of his own shop’s learning experience and for the industry as a whole. As printing execs cut back on industry travel and are more wary of participating on panels and giving talks, fearing they might inadvertently reveal competitive secrets, his honest approach and attitude certainly make for a breath of fresh air. (Unfortunately, attend enough industry conferences and seminars, and it’s often the same printer-speakers making the rounds.)

Joe Metzger certainly racks up a lot of frequent flyer miles giving talks. As one of the first Xerox iGen4 color digital press installations in the United States, his configuration also features an in-line Duplo stitcher/bookletmaker. The unique production capabilities are helping the Metzger brothers plot a new chapter for their company’s success. Targeting the market for saddlestitched photo books and photo brochures, a dedicated Website (www.fotoBound.

com) will launch this summer. Then, it will be back to school, as the entrepreneurs search out their next cross-media business opportunity—nurtured by their intellectual curiosity, a willingness to invest wisely in shaky times, and a passion for education and peer networking. Key attributes to remaining at the head of the class.

notebookEDITOR’S

Metzgers’ Journey to The Head of the Class

Perfect complements, Joe Metzger (foreground) oversees the sales and business development, while Tom Metzger heads the operations.

THE NAME Metzger has been elevated to rock star status in the print-

ing industry, and with good reason. Joe Metzger can be seen frequently on the trade show/conference circuit, discuss-ing any number of relevant industry issues. Frankly, if you can recall seeing him give more than a few talks, then feel free to count yourself among the printing realm’s cognoscente, boasting big picture perspective.

The Metzger brothers are students of the game, so to speak. Joe (in charge of sales and business development) and Tom (operations) comprise the brain trust at Metzgers Printing + Mailing in Toledo, OH. Whether it’s sharing ideas on Web-to-print at a PODi conference, or discussing digital printing at Graph Expo, it is curiosity—the quest for knowledge and unearthing best prac-tices—that sparks Joe Metzger’s pas-sion for all things related to printing.

OK, not entirely printing, but print-

related. And, sometimes, the technol-ogy stretches the definition boundaries of ancillary products.

But when the game changes the rules, the time to find out is not after the fact. How is that possible? you ask. Metzgers Printing + Mailing has evolved and morphed more times in the last 30 years than Madonna in growing to a $13 million-a-year performer. The company was founded as a typesetter by Norb Metzger in 1976, became a service bureau in the mid-’80s, then a prepress house, offset printer, variable data digital printer, fulfillment house and more.

Whither the future of Metzgers? Joe is the dreamer, while Tom tends to evaluate the Xs and Os. The left and right sides of the thought process come together with an unofficial, but accu-

rate, gauge that factors in a number of variables to help determine how the next course of the company will be plotted.

“Continuous attendance at trade shows and industry training sessions, as well as constant research of emerg-ing trends, company skills and customer requests, are gathered, documented and listed,” notes Joe Metzger. “Equipment dream lists, as well as equipment need lists, are updated quarterly. Constant investment in equipment and software updates, as well as major capital invest-ments, have been happening every two to four years since 1976. Technology and equipment drive sales and new business, as well as new services.

Gut Reaction“The decision-making process is

based on customer needs, industry trends and a whole lot of gut reaction to all of these facts,” he adds. “The con-stant passion to sell more services and then produce everything in-house is

what helps drive decisions to buy offset presses, digital presses, UV coaters, folder/gluers, as well as software so-lutions such as Pageflex for variable printing and online storefronts.

“Nothing leaves the building,” Metzger reinforces. “If we manage the entire production process better, we can deliver faster than any of our competitors.”

Despite defining the trends in the graphic arts industry, Metzgers Print-ing + Mailing is difficult to define. The company offers a full range of com-mercial and digital products, including postcards, pocket folders, reply cards and self-mailers, CD holders, three-ring binders, saddle-stitched brochures and books. Variable printed cards, bro-chures and e-brochures are also on the Metzgers menu, along with large direct marketing mailings, including complete lead generation and tracking services.

Metzgers’ bindery services roster in-cludes folding, stitching, diecutting and folding/gluing. Fulfillment and kitting are handled by a special group of peo-ple (more on them later), and Metzgers has aggressively pursued online ser-vices for Web-to-print and storefront applications.

Its mailing/fulfillment division entails intelligent inserting and polybagging, while the digital department offers up variable data printing, e-brochures, per-sonalized URLs, e-grams and eAd ser-vices to assist clients with their market-ing services and cross-media campaigns. These offerings provide for captive audi-ences in the healthcare, higher educa-tion, philanthropic/fundraising and home building/remodeling market segments.

The Metzger brothers have enjoyed a fascinating journey through the worlds of digital printing, from a Canon CLC 500 with a Fiery 1.0 RIP, to the Xerox DocuColor 2045 and 8000, and now a Xe-rox iGen4 digital production press.

M e t z g e r s P r i n t i n g + M a i l i n g

Knowledge Is PowerBy ErIK CaglE

Senior Editor

They were drawn to iGen4 press en-hancements that include, among oth-ers, an auto density control system to reduce streaking, auto carrier dispense for smoother tints, an in-line spectro-photometer for better color consistency from job to job, Pantone color matching capabilities and more uptime.

From Demo to LaunchMetzgers’ recently acquired iGen4

handles a 141⁄4x221⁄2˝ sheet size and is equipped with an in-line Duplo stitcher/bookletmaker. The Metzgers saw great value in the dedicated stitcher line after watching a Xerox iGen4 demonstration with the same configuration.

With the plan to launch a photo books Website, www.fotoBound.com, some-time this summer, the idea of a dedi-cated stitcher line took hold. “Every-one else is producing hard-bound photo books,” Tom Metzger notes. “I thought, what if we promoted photo books, photo brochures and corporate brochures that are all saddlestitched? We knew that we wanted the in-line stitcher to automate the process and have minimal touches.

“We were a bit nervous about it, be-cause that was a big investment, and we really didn’t have the business,” he admits. “But, we’ve already found several customers that want variable eight- and 12-pagers, and we’ve only had the machine running for three months.”

The Duplo stitcher was selected for its ability to round off the spine, giv-ing the finished product a lay-flat look, which is definitely a value-add, Tom Metzger notes.

The fotoBound photo memory prod-ucts vehicle stands to benefit more than the Metzgers’ coffers. A portion of all profits from the Website will be do-nated to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and to the Alzheimer’s Association. As such, the theme for fotoBound is “keep-ing memories alive.”

Other recent acquisitions include a six-color, 40˝ Mitsubishi Diamond 3000S sheetfed press with coater (2006); a card slitter and UV coater from Duplo USA; a second Saber cutting system from Colter & Peterson; and a second Bus-kro ink-jetting system. Other upgrades were made to the phone system, servers and network for the existing facility.

M e t z g e r s a l s o c o m p l e t e d a 30,000-square-foot addition during 2008.

The new building houses digital print-ing, fulfillment, mailing services, and warehouses customer literature and products. Manning the fulfillment de-partment is the Metzgers MomSquad, a group of about 30 local women who answer the call on an as-needed basis.

The MomSquad developed when the company sold a job that required light hand assembly. The Metzgers’ sister, Connie, rounded up friends from school and church to assist. Today, she manag-es a full-time squad of three people and an on-call list of 30. They collate, insert and hand-assemble kits and binders, and pick/pack/ship marketing litera-ture and products for clients.

Also included in the new facility is the 65-seat Metzgers Education Center (MEC), which is used for instructing and training both employees and cus-tomers. “Curiosity is the foundation of a good entrepreneur,” Joe Metzger points out. “We always want to learn new things, how to produce new prod-ucts and how to provide new services. Then, we seek to educate our employ-ees and customers on the features and benefits of these services. That’s the whole purpose behind the MEC.”

Growth Via Peer GroupEducation is a recurring theme for

the Metzger brothers, and their ongo-ing quest for enlightenment is evident in their participation in the Silver Pen Group, a Printing Industries of America peer group that has been a key driver for their growth and profits. The infor-mation sharing of industry standards, as well as the best practices of industry profit leaders, have been a catalyst for managing their company’s growth.

“ A p r o f i t a b l e b u s i n e s s i s able to reinvest in itself. We must manage and plan correctly to assure continuous growth and success,” Joe Metzger says. “Peer group members push each other and keep everyone on track. Our industry possesses many smart business leaders. If we network, share and help each other, we can all grow together.”

Other aspects that facilitate growth and learning are buying into the im-portance of having a strong IT staff, a quality MIS system and a competitive Web-to-print offering, Tom Metzger adds. Newer services such as PURLs, microsites and e-grams help complete

Shown from the top, Kenny Poulin monitors work coming off a six-pocket Muller Martini stitcher/trimmer; Tom Fisher quarterbacks a Buskro ink-jet addressing system; Sue Wollmer queues files on Metzgers’ new Xerox iGen4 digital press with in-line Duplo stitcher; and Dustin Kitchen runs a six-color Mitsubishi Diamond 3000S press.

the multi-level marketing cam-paign solution.

“Technology, information and data drive our industry,” Tom Metzger remarks. “If we wake up in the morning thinking we just sell print-ing or mailing services, we will never compete in the new world of print.”

The Metzger brothers see won-derful growth opportunities for their company in the higher ed-ucation (with variable and per-sonalized printing/mailing) and healthcare (Web-to-print) markets, along with construction industry prod-ucts that are sold through dealer net-works (online ordering, customization and distribution).

Looking ahead to the balance of the year, Metzgers Printing + Mailing

plans to develop and launch 25 new Web-to-print and fulfillment sites for

customers. Similarly, Metzgers wants to raise awareness about its new data-mining products and services that assist direct market-ing and cross-media campaigns.

Lastly, from a company that has changed its identity often through-out its history, comes the desire to brand itself.

“Some of our customers think of us as a really good commer-cial offset printer, while others think of us as a quick printer or a digital printer,” Joe Metzger

concludes. “Others think of Metzgers’ direct mail or fulfillment services. We must continue to build our brand with all our clientele, so everyone under-stands what we are about and what we can do for them.” PI

Members of the Metzgers MomSquad assemble three-ring binders for a national healthcare client. The group is shown here with Jackie Link and Cathy Dunn, sitting foreground from the left.

reprinted from Printing Impressions® march 2009 © copyright 2009, North american Publishing co., Philadelphia Pa 19130