Describe how you got to where you are today as CEO of Universal Printing Services?
My life at Universal started at a very early age going to work on weekends with my father. I became infatuated with the entire printing process. I started out in the plant collating, then progressed up to folders and other bindery equipment. As time passed I moved into the prepress department making film and plates and then eventually operating the printing presses. In the mid 1980’s after I had been involved in every facet of the production side of the business I decided to see what I could do in sales. It didn’t take long to realize that is where my strengths were but we grew so fast I eventually found it necessary to stay in the office more often to help manage the employees and production. Today, after almost 40 years in the business I have the best staff ever and that allows me to delegate many of the day to day operation decisions to others.
What is very first item you sold at Universal and when?
That almost takes me back too far to recall…I remember one of the first cold calls I made was to WHO-TV. I think I sold them a box of envelopes.
Being in the “Printing” business for over 40 years, what sets Universal Printing apart from everyone else?
I truly believe that we are different from most others. We are a large enough company to provide the technology the client expects but small enough to treat each customer like they are our biggest customer. We do what we say we are going to do and if for some reason we run into a glitch, the client hears about it from us first. Assembling the great staff we have didn’t come by accident. Everyone here strives to do the best they can and it shows in our final products.
What is the next big step for Universal?
We are continuously looking at ways to broaden the scope of our business. Specific areas of the company are growing at a faster pace than others so we will concentrate on expanding those departments as needed in terms of both equipment acquisition and additional employees. The next generation of leadership for this company is already in place. We have made many changes over the past several years and will make many more. Having an open mind is what has made us so successful.
