We're Not in Kansas Anymore, Toto!

On Thursday June 4th, Portland, Oregon experienced a crazy weather phenomenon that reporters could only refer to as "tornado-like". I know, a tornado in the forest...crazy, right?? Needless to say, the city was a bit unprepared for what was to come. 

First, a huge cloud of dust enveloped the Willamette Valley. Then came the winds. Power lines were knocked down, trees were falling over, and trash was blowing about in a circular motion. And that's not even the craziest part! Earlier in the day, temperatures were in the low 80's...within minutes they dropped 10-15 degrees.

Some very unfortunate trees near Bridgetown on Swan Island.

Next came the rain. We're not talking about a spring shower. These were ginormous (yes, a made-up word) pellets of water that were literally coming down horizontal! People were glued to their TV sets to see where the storm would go next. Lightning bolts were crashing overhead as if the gods were attempting to destroy us. Cars, who were not used to the sudden rains, were flipping over on the freeway...all in a matter of hours. I think you get the point...it was pandemonium!

This guy didn't even see it coming!

During the entire experience, I couldn't help but think that people were making a big deal about a small thing. Heck, people in Kansas experience weather like this several times a month. The more I thought about it, the more I began to relate this whole storm experience with the economy. There are corporations collapsing, there are jobs being lost, and there are entire industries crumbling. Do I mean to say that these things aren't a big deal? Absolutely not, they are detrimental to many people. But the reality is that this recession is much like Portland's storm. We couldn't avoid it, we couldn't run from it, all we could do was wait until it passed and then go outside to clear away the fallen branches.

What are you doing during the storm? Are you hunkering down in your basement waiting for the worst to end? Or are you toughing it out, helping out those less fortunate, and clearing away the rubble to get ready for the sunshine? 

Peace be with you all and I wish you the best as you go out there and fight the storm!

-Kyle

Bridgetown Printing adds to the family!

On Monday, June 1st, Bridgetown Printing welcomed two new additions to its family (how sweet, right?). Our Vice President of Sales, Steve Plattner, summed it up pretty well:

"As you may know, the Xerox Docutech has arrived from Sacramento. It has been installed and is being serviced by a Xerox technician this week. We have run one job on it so far—95 tape-bound books. So far, so good.

We have also purchased a second machine, a Powis Parker tape binder with a separate foil labeling device. In a word, it is cool. You can order different colors and widths of tape for the binding. They are inserted one at a time into the labeler. You type in the title information on a small keyboard, insert a silver or gold foil cartridge, and feed the label in. It comes out a few seconds later, ready for the tape binder. You take the book block, jog it for a few seconds, place it binding side down in the tape binder, feed the tape in, and in a few seconds the binding is finished. After allowing it to cool for a few minutes, the book is ready to be packed and shipped. You have to see it to appreciate it, but as I said, it’s cool."

What does this mean for you? Well, as you may or may not know, the Xerox Docutech was made specifically for black and white reproduction. If you are working on a workbook, instruction manual, or other type-heavy project, this is the machine for you. Not only is it extremely efficient with in-line collating, but it is very cost-effective for those type of projects. Our tape binder gives you the look and feel of a perfect bound book but without all of the set-up fees and waste. In short, to quote Steve again, "it's cool." Want to come check it out? Give me a call and we will set up a tour!

-Kyle