As someone who has grown up in the print industry, I know a good team when I see it–and the Firespring bindery team at our Lincoln HQ is second to none. Between our two offices, we have one of the most efficient, quality-focused and cross-trained teams in the region.
I talked with Troy Otto, our commercial Firespring bindery team supervisor, (while he continued to work like the boss that he is) to catch up with him and see what his team is all about.
Troy: There are three things my team is highly focused on: quality, efficiency and cross-training. The bindery team is the last step in the print production process before the product gets shipped out, so not only do we complete the project, but we’re the last step in the quality control process. And quality is the highest priority for each member on my team.
Me: One of the things that strikes me about your team is the “efficiency” part–you all get so much done with such a small team. Talk to me about that.
Troy: Well, efficiency in the production process is a win/win. It not only benefits Firespring, but it trickles down and really benefits the client, too. So, we do everything we can to assess projects every single day, to ensure the right projects get done at the right times.
Me: An incredibly unique thing your team here at Firespring does is cross-train team members on all (yes, all) machines. That’s a lot of training, right?
Troy: Definitely. Each machine requires a 3.5-year traineeship, so this is no small feat. And our team is small–only five people for two shifts. I’m a working manager, and cross-training everyone is essential so all our team members can take sick days, vacation days, etc. without interrupting the production process. Nearly everyone on the team is fully trained on each machine, and honestly, that really speaks to the loyalty and longevity of our team members.
Once Troy was done going on about his team’s loyalty, experience and work ethic, we got down to the nitty gritty: capabilities. What sets Firespring apart?
Troy: A whole lot! Not only does Firespring offer a host of services you’ll find in your normal printshop, but we also have some print production efficiencies up our sleeves. We offer a wide range of services and bindery options, which include:
- Cutting.
- Folding–plus a double-gate fold–which means we have a special attachment on our folders that makes this possible in one fell swoop. No two steps here.
- Gutter-glue up to a 12-page brochure (instead of a stitcher).
- Hot glue mail pieces instead of wafer seals (this also saves a step).
- Inline chop folding on our Muller–up to 20 pages thick fold.
Bindery machines. - Hand machines, which require manual hand feeding.
- Creasers, scorers, perfers for small direct mailers and business cards (whaaat?!).
And there’s more where this came from. Interested in what our Firespring print team can do for you? Learn how we can help you reach you and your company’s goals here.
If you’d like to get to know more about Firespring in general, we’d love to show you around our digs! We’re always up for company. Take a virtual tour.