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Last week, we posted, on
Reprographics 101, another article from the Daily Journal of Commerce Oregon,
and the article below is a “follow-up” article written by the same author who
wrote the first article.
Reprographics 101, another article from the Daily Journal of Commerce Oregon,
and the article below is a “follow-up” article written by the same author who
wrote the first article.
So, not “a dying industry”,
but “an industry in transition”!!! Hip,
hip, hooray!!!
but “an industry in transition”!!! Hip,
hip, hooray!!!
After re-reading the first
article and the follow-up article that appears below, I couldn’t help but think
of a project – the “ARTIC” project in Southern California – that’s now out for
bidding – and the fact that all bidders ARE REQUIRED to purchase project
documents.
article and the follow-up article that appears below, I couldn’t help but think
of a project – the “ARTIC” project in Southern California – that’s now out for
bidding – and the fact that all bidders ARE REQUIRED to purchase project
documents.
Printed Procurement and Contracting Documents: For
bidding purposes, each Bidder must obtain an official Bid Set of
Contract Documents from C2 Reprographics, 3180 Pullman Street, Costa Mesa, CA
92626. Contact: Andres Valle planwell@c2repro.com, (866) 632-8329.The City of Anaheim will only accept bids for this
project from Contractors that have bought the bidding documents from C2
Reprographics. Bidders may obtain either a printed copy or an electronic copy of
the documents in order to prepare their proposal.
bidding purposes, each Bidder must obtain an official Bid Set of
Contract Documents from C2 Reprographics, 3180 Pullman Street, Costa Mesa, CA
92626. Contact: Andres Valle planwell@c2repro.com, (866) 632-8329.The City of Anaheim will only accept bids for this
project from Contractors that have bought the bidding documents from C2
Reprographics. Bidders may obtain either a printed copy or an electronic copy of
the documents in order to prepare their proposal.
A set of full size
plans and specifications may be obtained for the sum of Five Hundred and
Twenty-one Dollars ($521.00) plus the cost of
shipping and handling from C2 Reprographics, 3180 Pullman Street, Costa Mesa,
CA 92626. Contact: Andres Valle at planwell@c2repro.com, (866) 632-8329. A half-size set of plans is available at a
lower cost.
plans and specifications may be obtained for the sum of Five Hundred and
Twenty-one Dollars ($521.00) plus the cost of
shipping and handling from C2 Reprographics, 3180 Pullman Street, Costa Mesa,
CA 92626. Contact: Andres Valle at planwell@c2repro.com, (866) 632-8329. A half-size set of plans is available at a
lower cost.
So, imagine that, a
reprographer is – still today – managing and printing construction project
documents, in spite of the fact that some are saying that reprographers aren’t
printing anymore.
reprographer is – still today – managing and printing construction project
documents, in spite of the fact that some are saying that reprographers aren’t
printing anymore.
Okay, here’s the follow-up
article that appeared in the DJC Oregon:
article that appeared in the DJC Oregon:
Reprographers: an dying
industry in transition
industry in transition
By Lee Fehrenbacher
May 24th, 2012
Are the days of paper blueprints over?
In 2004 I worked as a project engineer for a commercial
construction company in Sacramento. Part of my job was to order 50-pound sets
of blueprint drawings and get them to subcontractors. I remember the meticulous
task of stamping every page on multiple copies of submittals. As addendums and
requests for information came in the door, the paper I sent out piled up, the
back seat of my pickup stacked high with 6-inch diameter rolls.
construction company in Sacramento. Part of my job was to order 50-pound sets
of blueprint drawings and get them to subcontractors. I remember the meticulous
task of stamping every page on multiple copies of submittals. As addendums and
requests for information came in the door, the paper I sent out piled up, the
back seat of my pickup stacked high with 6-inch diameter rolls.
Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to revisit the
subject via a feature on the
business of local reprographers and how they are responding to the
digital systems (online plan rooms, digital files, electronic invitations to
bid) that are taking the place of paper. While I think the meat and potatoes of
that story were right on the money, the headline I suggested for Wednesday’s
feature may have been a bit misleading, “A dying industry fights to survive.”
subject via a feature on the
business of local reprographers and how they are responding to the
digital systems (online plan rooms, digital files, electronic invitations to
bid) that are taking the place of paper. While I think the meat and potatoes of
that story were right on the money, the headline I suggested for Wednesday’s
feature may have been a bit misleading, “A dying industry fights to survive.”
“That’s why, when I saw the headline on your article, I
was surprised,” said Kaye Kloster, vice president of the Oregon division of the
American Reprographics Company in Portland. “In the traditional sense, it’s not
a dying industry but more an industry in transition.”
was surprised,” said Kaye Kloster, vice president of the Oregon division of the
American Reprographics Company in Portland. “In the traditional sense, it’s not
a dying industry but more an industry in transition.”
Fair enough. ARC is the other big reprographics company
in Portland.
in Portland.
“We’re in 35 to 40 different states and Canada and (we)
have international affiliates and print partners,” Kloster said. “So we’re
really the biggest reprographics company in the world.”
have international affiliates and print partners,” Kloster said. “So we’re
really the biggest reprographics company in the world.”
Started in 1988 as Ford Graphics, the company’s founders
S. Chandramohan and K. Suriyakumar grew the company from $9 million to roughly
$100 million in 10-year’s time by acquiring smaller, mom-and-pop companies
around the nation. The company is now publicly traded.
S. Chandramohan and K. Suriyakumar grew the company from $9 million to roughly
$100 million in 10-year’s time by acquiring smaller, mom-and-pop companies
around the nation. The company is now publicly traded.
“Wall Street still struggles in some cases to understand
what business we’re in,” Kloster said. “We’re not Kinko’s, we’re not Nikon.
There wasn’t a pre-described category for us to be put into as far as Wall
Street was concerned.”
what business we’re in,” Kloster said. “We’re not Kinko’s, we’re not Nikon.
There wasn’t a pre-described category for us to be put into as far as Wall
Street was concerned.”
The same might be said for the reprographic industry.
Kloster joined the company in 1995. She too has seen a
huge transition in its business model as architects’ and contractors’ needs for
drawings change, but she said things are hardly slowing down. For ARC, the
model has transitioned from a scenario where contractors once visited their
store for their printing needs, to one where ARC now visits the contractor with
their printing equipment.
huge transition in its business model as architects’ and contractors’ needs for
drawings change, but she said things are hardly slowing down. For ARC, the
model has transitioned from a scenario where contractors once visited their
store for their printing needs, to one where ARC now visits the contractor with
their printing equipment.
Because of the company’s size, Kloster said they can
rent machines on a lease or cost-per-copy basis, which is often advantageous
for temporary jobsite trailers. ARC, along with the other reprographers in
town, has also taken up digital services to pick up the slack on dwindling
paper revenues.
rent machines on a lease or cost-per-copy basis, which is often advantageous
for temporary jobsite trailers. ARC, along with the other reprographers in
town, has also taken up digital services to pick up the slack on dwindling
paper revenues.
“The technology has broadened the definition of, ‘What
does a reprographics company provide?’” Kloster said.
does a reprographics company provide?’” Kloster said.
Still, in reporting this story, I couldn’t help but feel
a bit nostalgic about those old 50-pound rolls of blueprints. When I got to
work Wednesday morning, I was glad to see I wasn’t the only one.
a bit nostalgic about those old 50-pound rolls of blueprints. When I got to
work Wednesday morning, I was glad to see I wasn’t the only one.
“I wish you and the rest of the reporters could have
seen the old physical plan center,” wrote Nicole Crawford, one of our project
plan center gurus, in an email. “We had cubbies with blueprints similar to
Willamette Blue’s. We would have a hard copy of every project … Some of the
guys would only work online from the office, others practically had converted
spaces and cubbies in the plan center to an office away from the office. A few
independent estimators seemed to actually make our office their main office.”
seen the old physical plan center,” wrote Nicole Crawford, one of our project
plan center gurus, in an email. “We had cubbies with blueprints similar to
Willamette Blue’s. We would have a hard copy of every project … Some of the
guys would only work online from the office, others practically had converted
spaces and cubbies in the plan center to an office away from the office. A few
independent estimators seemed to actually make our office their main office.”
I too remember the days when subcontractors would hang
out in the bid room, study plans for hours on end, drink coffee and goof
around. And I have to wonder, as we move full steam ahead into the world of the
cloud, what will be the value of that face time left behind by a virtual
horizon?
out in the bid room, study plans for hours on end, drink coffee and goof
around. And I have to wonder, as we move full steam ahead into the world of the
cloud, what will be the value of that face time left behind by a virtual
horizon?
Food for thought.
Reprographics 101 
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