Death can teach us a lot about life. We learn more about who we are and how precious the things are that we take for granted. Family, friends, time; yes, time; the most precious commodity of all. I know that now I think a lot more about how I spend my time, what I do with it, and with whom I spend it.
Friday, December 18, 2009
A New Beginning
Greetings all,
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Charlie
Dear Friends,
A chapter in our history has passed. Sadly, my father, Charlie Igram passed away on Tuesday, June 26th after a prolonged illness. Charlie had a long history in the printing industry. In 1955, he and Bill Hutchings started a printing company in the back of my grandfather’s grocery store while my grandfather, H. K. Igram traveled overseas. Charlie funded what was FHC Printing Company which was formed by Bill Hutchings, Tony Fontana and Fred Clarkson. Upon his return, H. K. hit the roof when he saw the printing operation in the back storeroom. So, Charlie and Bill started looking frantically for a new home for the print shop. They found some space near downtown Cedar Rapids on the corner of 1st Street and 1st Avenue SW and proceeded to move to the new location. The company was renamed Igram Press.
Charlie was the sales person bringing in the work, and Bill ran the operation. They all operated whatever equipment was necessary to get jobs out on time for their growing customer base. As the business grew, they hired skilled craftsmen and gained a reputation for quality and fast service. Apparently there had been a void in the area for a quality printer, and Igram Press was filling the void nicely.
In 1963, Charlie was approached by Carl Wagner, CEO of Wagners Printers, who wanted a sales and manufacturing presence in Cedar Rapids. Charlie, who saw this as good timing to get out when the getting was good, sold out to Wagner. Bill Hutchings stayed on and was Wagners Printers’ top salesperson for many years to come.
Circa 1979: After stints in the feed business, insurance business, and owning several restaurants, Charlie again had an opportunity to get back into printing. This time it would be with an old friend, H. Pierce Alexander, who would head up sales as a print broker. They named the business Allied Business Forms, and began to service the real estate industry providing continuous forms, letterheads, envelopes and business cards. As that business grew, an opportunity to purchase a printing company surfaced. ABC was doing business with The Laurance Press and owner Mr. Bernard J. Taymons buying printed products for resale. Mr. Taymons was originally from Maryland (an old Navy man) and wanted desperately to get out of printing and move back east.
So for a mere $100, Taymons transferred the business to Charlie, stayed around a few weeks for the transition, and headed back to Maryland. Of course there was more to the transaction than just a small transfer of cash. There were issues to work out in order to keep the business viable. The Laurance Press had been losing money year after year. To compound things, the company was housed in a 3-story building with a basement. Actually there were three companies purchased: Laurance, The Rall Company, and Athens Press. Work and raw materials were transported via freight elevator, only one, and department foremen and supervisors did not get along. The company had way too many employees for the amount of sales dollars generated and had raw and archived materials everywhere and several pieces of equipment that were underutilized. These were the days of Linotype, Ludlow, wood and metal type, proof presses, and all kinds of manually operated equipment.
Of course, being the shrewd entrepreneur that he was, Charlie saw a gold mine. Like a cash register, his mind rang up the raw materials: lead, scrap film, and aluminum plates, which he converted to cash to use as operating capital and to pay off debt. He brought in an old friend, Art Gray, to run the operation. He then negotiated with the landlord to settle unpaid back rent and made a deal with the City of Cedar Rapids to pay for moving the business to another location, so they could tear down the building in order to construct a new ground transportation center. At some point during this transition, I put off my college education to join the company and get a feel of the potential of this business.
Shortly after the move, Charlie had an inkling to sell off the business, but since joining him in the spring of 1980, I would not allow it, and thankfully Art backed me up on this. Having a fine arts background, I like printing, which is a combination of art, science, manufacturing, and service: an industry which I could someday see my children being involved in as they got older. In fact, it was much more than that. There is a little chemistry, creative use of raw materials, precise engineering and job planning, vivid color reproduction, the challenge of making the sale, and the joy of a customer’s satisfaction. So, I put off my college education to give it a try. There were plenty of challenges along the way and of course, there will continue to be. So, what we now know as Cedar Graphics, Inc. is a culmination of the days of The Laurance Press and a progression of Charlie’s vision.
After purchasing the company from my father in 1983, I took on a couple of partners and bought them out in 1989. Charlie stayed involved with the business until around 2001 when he was no longer healthy enough to work. Still, printing occupied his mind often, and he stayed in touch with Cedar employees to keep abreast of day-to-day happenings. Charlie was well respected by all of those who knew him and was a great resource of support and knowledge for me. He left behind my mother Yusra, wife of 56 years, 6 children, 25 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.
We will all miss him greatly.
Hassan
A chapter in our history has passed. Sadly, my father, Charlie Igram passed away on Tuesday, June 26th after a prolonged illness. Charlie had a long history in the printing industry. In 1955, he and Bill Hutchings started a printing company in the back of my grandfather’s grocery store while my grandfather, H. K. Igram traveled overseas. Charlie funded what was FHC Printing Company which was formed by Bill Hutchings, Tony Fontana and Fred Clarkson. Upon his return, H. K. hit the roof when he saw the printing operation in the back storeroom. So, Charlie and Bill started looking frantically for a new home for the print shop. They found some space near downtown Cedar Rapids on the corner of 1st Street and 1st Avenue SW and proceeded to move to the new location. The company was renamed Igram Press.
Charlie was the sales person bringing in the work, and Bill ran the operation. They all operated whatever equipment was necessary to get jobs out on time for their growing customer base. As the business grew, they hired skilled craftsmen and gained a reputation for quality and fast service. Apparently there had been a void in the area for a quality printer, and Igram Press was filling the void nicely.
In 1963, Charlie was approached by Carl Wagner, CEO of Wagners Printers, who wanted a sales and manufacturing presence in Cedar Rapids. Charlie, who saw this as good timing to get out when the getting was good, sold out to Wagner. Bill Hutchings stayed on and was Wagners Printers’ top salesperson for many years to come.
Circa 1979: After stints in the feed business, insurance business, and owning several restaurants, Charlie again had an opportunity to get back into printing. This time it would be with an old friend, H. Pierce Alexander, who would head up sales as a print broker. They named the business Allied Business Forms, and began to service the real estate industry providing continuous forms, letterheads, envelopes and business cards. As that business grew, an opportunity to purchase a printing company surfaced. ABC was doing business with The Laurance Press and owner Mr. Bernard J. Taymons buying printed products for resale. Mr. Taymons was originally from Maryland (an old Navy man) and wanted desperately to get out of printing and move back east.
So for a mere $100, Taymons transferred the business to Charlie, stayed around a few weeks for the transition, and headed back to Maryland. Of course there was more to the transaction than just a small transfer of cash. There were issues to work out in order to keep the business viable. The Laurance Press had been losing money year after year. To compound things, the company was housed in a 3-story building with a basement. Actually there were three companies purchased: Laurance, The Rall Company, and Athens Press. Work and raw materials were transported via freight elevator, only one, and department foremen and supervisors did not get along. The company had way too many employees for the amount of sales dollars generated and had raw and archived materials everywhere and several pieces of equipment that were underutilized. These were the days of Linotype, Ludlow, wood and metal type, proof presses, and all kinds of manually operated equipment.
Of course, being the shrewd entrepreneur that he was, Charlie saw a gold mine. Like a cash register, his mind rang up the raw materials: lead, scrap film, and aluminum plates, which he converted to cash to use as operating capital and to pay off debt. He brought in an old friend, Art Gray, to run the operation. He then negotiated with the landlord to settle unpaid back rent and made a deal with the City of Cedar Rapids to pay for moving the business to another location, so they could tear down the building in order to construct a new ground transportation center. At some point during this transition, I put off my college education to join the company and get a feel of the potential of this business.
Shortly after the move, Charlie had an inkling to sell off the business, but since joining him in the spring of 1980, I would not allow it, and thankfully Art backed me up on this. Having a fine arts background, I like printing, which is a combination of art, science, manufacturing, and service: an industry which I could someday see my children being involved in as they got older. In fact, it was much more than that. There is a little chemistry, creative use of raw materials, precise engineering and job planning, vivid color reproduction, the challenge of making the sale, and the joy of a customer’s satisfaction. So, I put off my college education to give it a try. There were plenty of challenges along the way and of course, there will continue to be. So, what we now know as Cedar Graphics, Inc. is a culmination of the days of The Laurance Press and a progression of Charlie’s vision.
After purchasing the company from my father in 1983, I took on a couple of partners and bought them out in 1989. Charlie stayed involved with the business until around 2001 when he was no longer healthy enough to work. Still, printing occupied his mind often, and he stayed in touch with Cedar employees to keep abreast of day-to-day happenings. Charlie was well respected by all of those who knew him and was a great resource of support and knowledge for me. He left behind my mother Yusra, wife of 56 years, 6 children, 25 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.
We will all miss him greatly.
Hassan
Monday, April 6, 2009
Where To Go From Here
The Uncertainties How quickly our focus has changed from terrorism, to the presidential election, to the economy. Are we in a recession or a depression? Will it be short term or long term? Have we reached the bottom, or is there more to come? And how do we identify the bottom? The experts say it is impossible to know. Only when we can look back into history will we know where the bottom was.
History also tells us no society or nation is invulnerable to chasms which can affect its very existence. The United States of America is arguably the greatest nation in the history of mankind, yet has faltered from time to time – and this is one of those times. In business, when there is a mistake in producing a product or providing a service, the prudent approach is to analyze the error methodically. One form of resolution is a method called Root Cause Analysis. The process works by analyzing the problem systematically, identifying potential root causes (there is usually more than one), fixing the process (corrective action) and enforcing a (written) procedure (preventive action).
Our Economy is Broken
Many economists believe that the basis for our current crisis lies in the established banking and lending system which controls the economic engine of domestic and international economies. Here is where we can implement Root Cause Analysis. The extension of credit to those who by no means qualify or have the ability to pay back loans has run amuck and is certainly one cause. The effects of this behavior have been foreclosures, bankruptcies, plant closings and millions losing their jobs. This needs to change, and hopefully new regulations implemented and enforced by government will help prevent future crises and initiate a more disciplined approach by the lending community.
Without a doubt, much of the reaction in the business world is out of fear or extreme precaution. Nevertheless, it is only prudent that business owners take proactive measures to insure the viability of their businesses. Banks are being scrutinized, and they in turn will be watching their customers’ performance.
The Need to Take Action
If you haven’t already, those of us in small business need to take action and every action should be scrutinized and measured carefully. People are the engine of any successful business. Therefore, protect your best employees by taking measures that protect the business as a whole, i.e. selling off underutilized equipment, re-evaluating all employees’ performance and taking action on those who consistently underperform. Scrutinize every line item purchase, and explore the idea of reducing your vendor base to gain volume discounts and offer the same to your best customers. After all, you need to walk the talk and protect customer relationships.
Cost cutting measures are only one aspect of protecting your business; right sizing works, but must be comprehensive. Be careful not to cut marketing recklessly. Cutting waste is critical, but cutting marketing can be fateful. Any business needs to continue to brand itself and target potential customers and emerging industries that will drive growth and profits. This may be one of those unique opportunities to define your company and gain an advantage over competitors. Consider starting with a customer survey, and then market your company efficiently by targeting clients that have the highest potential to do business with you. Particularly effective is 1:1 marketing that is personalized and tells a specific message. Target decision makers such as CEO’s, Chief Marketing Officers and VP’s of Marketing. Make sure to measure the results. This can be done via a personalized landing page or personal URL along with integrated campaign management tools.
The Specifics
At Cedar Graphics, we have actually increased our marketing efforts. Here are a few specifics of what we are doing to increase brand awareness:
• Redesigned our web site
• Hired a full time marketing and communications director
• Social networking via YouTube, Face Book, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.
• Increased 1:1 marketing campaigns using PURLs with campaign management/CRM
• Customer survey
• Key employee survey
• This blog
I hope these thoughts help you navigate through these particularly tough times. I would like to hear your ideas and share them with whoever sees fit to read this blog.
Best to all of you,
Hassan
Monday, March 16, 2009
Welcome to "Link to the Top"
Dear friends and bloggers,
How do you like our new website? Simply stated, our intention in re-designing or more explicitly, re-inventing our web site was to create an interactive experience. We made cedargraphicsinc.com a center for learning and commerce. Not just learning about the capabilities and services of Cedar Graphics, but we also made available technical tips and tutorials about marketing techniques. All to help your company and your customers achieve a greater level of success and the most return from every precious dollar you or they invest.
Therefore, this is just the beginning and our plans are to add useful tidbits over time. Just to mention a few:
And speaking of more – this is my first attempt at the President’s “Link to the Top” blog. Like any President, I have an opinion of just about everything. It is unlikely that I will ruffle too many feathers because I try to be diplomatic, but there will be times I may go on a tirade or two about something I am very passionate about.
Those of you who know me know that I will take risks to grow this business and provide cutting edge services for our clients, yet outside of printing I lead a conservative life. I have pet peeves like you all do, so I may let you know about them from time to time, but hopefully won’t project a holier than thou attitude.
Of course, the fun part is that you will have the freedom to email me to your heart’s content and I will do my best to respond in a timely fashion.
Thanks for reading,
Hassan K. Igram
How do you like our new website? Simply stated, our intention in re-designing or more explicitly, re-inventing our web site was to create an interactive experience. We made cedargraphicsinc.com a center for learning and commerce. Not just learning about the capabilities and services of Cedar Graphics, but we also made available technical tips and tutorials about marketing techniques. All to help your company and your customers achieve a greater level of success and the most return from every precious dollar you or they invest.
Therefore, this is just the beginning and our plans are to add useful tidbits over time. Just to mention a few:
- More frequent news and events postings
- White papers and useful studies concerning print and marketing communications
- Case studies
- Monthly customer newsletter in print ready PDF form
- Technical tips allowing you to interact with our top production experts
- On line pricing
- Promotions on print and ASI products
- Online print ordering (Web to print)
- And of course much, much and even much more.
And speaking of more – this is my first attempt at the President’s “Link to the Top” blog. Like any President, I have an opinion of just about everything. It is unlikely that I will ruffle too many feathers because I try to be diplomatic, but there will be times I may go on a tirade or two about something I am very passionate about.
Those of you who know me know that I will take risks to grow this business and provide cutting edge services for our clients, yet outside of printing I lead a conservative life. I have pet peeves like you all do, so I may let you know about them from time to time, but hopefully won’t project a holier than thou attitude.
Of course, the fun part is that you will have the freedom to email me to your heart’s content and I will do my best to respond in a timely fashion.
Thanks for reading,
Hassan K. Igram
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