Graphic Communicator photos by Dennis B. Doris Jr.

Dave Sauter adjusts a new Komori Lithrone 40RP press recently installed by the Miken Companies.

Above, Miken Companies Pres. Michael A. Bolas, left, and GCIU Buffalo 261M Pres. James Speyer chat during a tour of the plant. Below, Buffalo 261M member Linda Meyers pulls a page from a Billhofer laminator on the Miken Companies shop floor.

Fierce competition in today's printing industry makes management appreciate their GCIU Buffalo 261M workers even more, Michael A. Bolas, president of the Miken Companies Inc. printing plant, told the Graphic Communicator.

"The competitive atmosphere gets us all working together. Whenever we have a problem, we are used to working together to find a solution," Bolas noted during a friendly conversation with Local 261M Pres. James J. Speyer.

Bolas praised the skilled GCIU staff, especially the many long-term employees at the plant. He noted that the 100-person union workforce has many workers who have spent 20 to 30 years at the company, and this can only help the company's main objective – quality printing and complete customer satisfaction.

"As I said, we are living in a competitive atmosphere, and what separates Miken from the many other printing vendors is our people," Bolas said. "We pride ourselves on quality, and our employees have a true understanding that the customer comes first. So, we work together to do the best job we can," he added.

The well-trained GCIU workforce also helps the company to stay ahead of the curve in adopting new technology, Bolas observed.

Bolas called attention to a new Komori Lithrone 40RP seven-color press that the company recently installed. He cited it as a commitment from the owners, the Jaworski family, "to better serve existing clients and reach out to new customers." Purchase of the new press also showed plant workers that the company's acquisition of the best available technology shows a commitment to their employees for the future, he added.

According to plant manager Doug Neal, the Miken Companies has earned the reputation to attract a long list of steady clients, including such demanding publishers as the National Geographic Society, Random House Publishing, various greeting card publishers, and many other large and small print clients.

Neal explained that the Miken plant had done quality jobs for organizations like the National Geographic for years and carefully built up the clients' trust so they keep coming back for bigger jobs. Now Miken has a reputation for strong customer service and high quality work that attracts exacting clients.

During a tour of the plant, a client representative who was checking out a job in progress attested to the quality of Miken's work. "They do good work here, and we always get a quality job at the end," said Glen Duff of Design Master Associates, as he moved from station to station on the print shop floor.

The company boasts three big Komori presses, one a new seven-color Lithrone with coater and two six-color presses with coater. There is also a two-color press and various smaller machines at the shop.

The company employs about 140 people, including almost 100 members of Buffalo 261M. Local Pres. Speyer attests to the smooth interaction between union and management.

Miken Companies Plant Manager Doug Neal, left, explains the new Komori Lithrone 40RP eight-unit press to GCIU Buffalo 261M Pres. James Speyer.

"We seldom have any trouble between the local and the management. I think they have learned to appreciate us, and we get along with them pretty well," said Speyer.

With the strongly competitive atmosphere in the industry, the trust and mutual respect between worker and management are vital ingredients in making the Local 261M members part of the Miken team so that each and every member of the workforce does his or her best to guarantee the quality that clients want, the Local 261M president said.

"We have learned to work together over the years, and management is always willing to listen to what we say. I would call it excellent labor-management relations" he added.