Quarterly Update from Scott Heeter
This year continues to be strong. In fact, 2018 should be one of our best years ever. Taxes have been cut and the economy is red hot – meaning most U.S. companies are doing better this year than in year’s past.
While the economy has been helpful to Heeter, I believe our successes are based on the smarts, hard work and dedication of our people and the strategic path we continue to travel.
We’re 5 for 5
I often refer to our transition from a ‘printing company that has great technology’ to a ‘great technology company that prints.’ This year more than ever, we’ve seen our customers embrace that change. So far in 2018, we’ve 
participated in 5 different Requests for Proposal (RFP) processes with 4 of our top customers – comparing our pricing, services, technology and process to our competitors.
I am very pleased to report that we’ve WON all five RFP’s. Not only did we retain our current business but in most cases we’ve won additional business. The major point is when our customers spend time reviewing us versus alternatives and how we meet their needs, we shine!
We’re currently in the middle of a 6th RFP process with a new, large customer, and we’re hopeful that we can win that business as well.
The Old Days
Ten or fifteen years ago, we were a printing company that did ‘jobs.’
- Customers would send a quote request; we’d provide a price. If we were competitive, we’d get the job and life was good.
- The company was relatively simple: very small office staff, sales, customer service/estimating, prepress, press, bindery, shipping and maintenance.
- We didn’t have contracts but we had good relationships with customers. As long as our contacts stayed in place and our price, quality and turnaround were good, we’d retain the business.
But all of our competitors were in the same boat so there wasn’t much to differentiate our company. If a new purchasing agent arrived or an executive had a friend at another printing company, we could lose an account.
Fast Forward to Today
We are in a vastly different situation, and we are a different company. And the people part of the equation is key to our success:
- Probably half of our current positions and departments (developers, programmers, business analysts, project managers, IT, scanning, pre-media, fulfillment, mailing, etc.)did not exist in our company 15 years ago.
- Many of our supervisors and managers in these new areas are folks that grew up in the company and took over new roles and responsibilities.
- In instances where we didn’t have an internal person to fill a role, we’ve been successful at adding smart, hardworking folks from outside of the company and industry.
With this new combination of employees, I believe we’ve assembled an amazing group of people who will be able to continue to transform this company.
It was so impressive, and Tim and I can’t thank you enough for your ‘going the extra mile’ and working toward making 2018 a record year.
Scott
