March 12, 2002
Contact: Harvey Levenson
(805) 756-1108
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Cal Poly Gravure Day Attracts Top Industry Representatives
In a salute to the gravure printing process -- typically used for
highest-quality
and package printing -- Cal Poly's
Graphic Communication Department recently held its 20th annual Gravure
Day, with industry professionals giving talks, holding roundtable
discussions, and meeting students and faculty members to discuss the
latest printing technology.
A day before the event, graphic communication students toured Dopaco
Inc. in Stockton to give them a closer look at the gravure industry and
processes in an actual production setting.
Gayle Kugler, plant manager of Quad/Graphics in Lomira, Wisc., gave the
keynote speech, titled "Publications: Where Are we Headed?" Her talk
focused on the trends of shorter-length press runs and lighter-weight
papers. Kugler pointed out that automation in prepress, press and
finishing all influence how gravure remains competitive in
publications. She also discussed Automatic Storage and Recovery
Systems' role in improving material handling and efficiency in a
printing plant.
Ruth Wagner, executive director of the Gravure Education Foundation,
talked to students about the foundation's mission, programs, services,
scholarships and technical writing opportunities. Her overview of the
gravure industry, products and companies included information on career
opportunities and the appropriate way to prepare for each. Wagner
concluded with an outline of growth markets and technical trends in
gravure.
Marty Jacobus, executive vice president of QuebecorWorld, Carol Barry,
continuous improvement manager of R.R. Donnelley & Sons, and Kugler
were part of a publication gravure panel, which provided information
about their companies. The Cal Poly students asked numerous questions
related to gravure markets and international markets.
"Students were very interested in labor and environmental issues in
foreign countries," said Graphic Communication Professor Malcolm Keif,
event organizer. "The questions were vigorous and thought-provoking.
The panel offered the students and the faculty the opportunity to hear
different perspectives on several issues. Together the speakers
represented the largest gravure printers in the country, with combined
sales of more than $12 billion a year."
After the panel, students talked with speakers during roundtable
sessions. Each of the four speakers hosted a table, where students
discussed such topics as successful management practices, career
preparation, continuous improvement practices in gravure, and how the
Gravure Education Foundation can help students.
"We wanted to provide as much interaction between students and speakers
as possible," Keif said, "and the roundtables were successful in
achieving this goal."
Harvey Levenson, department head of Cal Poly's Graphic Communication
Department said, "Cal Poly is proud to have held 20 consecutive Gravure
Days, the most of any university designated by the Gravure Education
Foundation as a Gravure Resource Center. These annual events are
testimony to Cal Poly's commitment to educating young men and women in
the technical and management issues related to the gravure industry.
"Many of our graduates work in the industry, and we plan to continue
preparing them for the of the future." Levenson said. "Professor Keif,
who was recently hired to head-up the university's educational programs
in gravure and related web-printing processes, has done an outstanding
job of organizing this year's event."
Cal Poly's Graphic Communication Department is one of the largest
programs of its kind in the United States. The department has
concentrations in printing and imaging management, electronic
publishing and imaging, and design reproduction technology. The
department and its laboratories are heavily subsidized by industry
through gifts, grants and endowments. As a Gravure Resource Center, the
department also receives annual funding from the Gravure Education
Foundation.
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(NOTE TO EDITORS: For electronic images of Gravure Day activities,
please contact Jo Ann Lloyd at (805) 756-1511 or jlloyd@calpoly.edu.
To receive future news releases via e-mail, please send Lloyd your
e-mail address.)