Seattle Bindery Newsletter: Issue #31. We welcome your comments.

1. Industry slowdown. I’ve heard from numerous colleagues throughout the country that business is, indeed, slowing down. Despite what we may have thought about those dot-commers, they did infuse our industry with a lot of work last year. However, we in Washington still have it better than many in other parts of the country. A piece in the 1/16/01 New York Times reported that “rents have ‘declined’ to $2,700 per month for a one bedroom apartment,” and even at these great prices “agents are waiting for the phones to ring.” So let’s shed a tear for those poor folks and then go out and sell some printing!

2. Free pick up and delivery. If you need us to pick up a job, our three trucks and 3,000-pound electric lift gate are at your service. Our capacity enables us to handle up to eight skids at a time. And after we’ve done our work on your project, we’ll also deliver finished product to your customers. Just give us a call if you’d like to schedule a pickup.

3. Ergonomics watch. OSHA’s Ergonomics Program Standard may end up being a very expensive and time-consuming exercise for manufacturers. The new Standard introduces several new regulations which could mean costly administration. Section 1910.900 (c)(1)(iii) Job hazard analysis and control, for instance, requires us to “demonstrate by a process that identifies, analyzes, and uses feasible engineering, work practice, and administrative controls to control MSD (musculoskeletal disorders) hazards or to reduce MSD hazards . . . to the extent feasible, and evaluates controls to assure that they are effective.” While the proposed regulation is being challenged at both the national and local level, we should continue to monitor. Go to www.osha-slc.gov/ergonomics-standard/regulatory/regtext.html for the 24-page “summary.”

4. Call for entries. The Craftsmen Club Gallery of Fine Printing program is underway, so enter those superlative pieces you’ve printed for customers. The awards program is a terrific way to build relationships with customers, allowing you both to showcase sterling design and printing. Customers get to impress their bosses and colleagues, and we get to impress customers and prospects. Bring ‘em along to the awards ceremony on May 5, 2001 and let them take center stage along with you when you go up to collect all those awards.

5. Did anyone see our friend Jim Coovert from PrintCom in the recent issue of the Association of Washington Business newsletter? He was picking up a check for a retroactive Workers Comp refund. If you don’t know how you may qualify for such refunds, give me a call. I’m happy to share what I know. Seattle Bindery is in a different program, but it, too, has generated unexpected refunds of thousands of dollars. The article is on the web at http://www.awb.org/news/newsletter/0101/p8retro0101.htm or to avoid keying in this long URL, you can go to the Library section of www.seattlebindery.com, find the newsletter and click on the link.

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