Now being managed by a third generation of members of the Desrosiers family, Hadley Printing in Holyoke is following the same script it has used for the past century or so — a focus on quality, customer service, smart growth, and effective capital investments — but finding new ways to achieve the basic business mission: to differentiate itself within the marketplace. The latest manifestation is so-called FSC certification and a bottom-line-friendly emphasis on the environment captured in a new marketing line: “as green as it gets.”

Greg Derosiers admits that Hadley Printing’s new marketing slogan is somewhat bold and a tad presumptuous.

But it’s accurate, he maintains, as long as one keeps in mind that all-important business caveat known as reason.

“Short of putting a wind turbine on our building, which would probably put us out of business, we feel we’re doing all we can do, within reason,” Desrosiers, Hadley’s vice president of sales, said with a laugh, adding quickly that, in just about every other way imaginable and applicable when it comes to commercial printers, Hadley truly is “as green as it gets.”

That’s the tag line now appearing on a host of marketing materials being used by the company, including some print advertisements and especially a recent mailing that went out to 1,500 customers and potential customers across the region.

Inside the envelope made of recycled paper are several images and photographs printed on papers with long names and accompanying numbers — “Strathmore Script; 100% pc white pinstripe laid; 88lb cover; 100% pcw” is one example — along with numerous references on the back as to why the company believes it’s worthy of its slogan.

Examples include everything from reducing so-called VOCs (volatile organic compounds) throughout the plant to aggressively recycling paper and cardboard to strategically reusing paper for printing ‘make-readies.’

The printed cards are designed to show not what only what Hadley does, but what customers can do, especially with recycled papers, said Derosiers, noting that there are nagging misperceptions about environmentally friendly materials and the quality they permit.

“When you say ‘recycled paper,’ sometimes people have the immediate reaction that it equates to inferior printing, thinking that the inks don’t hold up as well,” he explained. “The whole point of this piece is to demonstrate all the great things you do with recycled stocks these days and to show that, in many instances, you wouldn’t know it was recycled stock unless you were told.”

Meanwhile, all the printed materials in that envelope — along with many of the pieces printed by Hadley for its customers — come complete with the FSC logo, which is the seal of approval when it comes to environmentally friendly printing. A printer must be certified to be able to use that logo — the Forest Stewardship Council is the body that does so — and it’s a fairly rigorous and expensive undertaking, said Chris Desrosiers, Greg’s brother and director of production.

But it’s an increasingly necessary step and also a smart investment, he told BusinessWest, meaning that it’s both the right thing to do for the environment and the right thing to do for business.

In short, it helps the company differentiate itself at a time when any edge is greatly appreciated. And it helps customers show their dedication to ‘going green,’ a movement that is proving to be much more than a fad and, instead, a new and preferred way of doing business.

“We have received a number of quote proposals from companies saying that the work needs to be FSC-certified,” said Greg Desrosiers. “People are really excited about doing things that show that FSC logo, because they want to be part of this ‘green’ initiative.

“That logo helps companies clarify their environmental footprint on society,” he continued. “When you put that on something, you’re saying, ‘my impact on the environment is less than if I didn’t have it.”

The investment in FSC certification along with other, more traditional capital improvements, such as the addition of a six-color press nearly two years ago, will enable Hadley to improve on 2007’s numbers in ’08, said Chris Desrosiers. That’s quite an accomplishment at a time when customers large and small are trying to reduce their printing costs, and when competition for available work is soaring.

In this issue and its annual focus on the region’s commercial-printing sector, BusinessWest looks at Hadley Printing and the many ways in which it is working to differentiate itself in a crowded, ultra-competitive market.

Pressing Engagements

Greg Desrosiers joked that he’d like to be able to say that he anticipated the severity of the current economic challenges facing his industry and all businesses served by printers, and sought FSC certification knowing that it would be a valuable asset in these tough times.

“But I can’t,” he explained, adding that the drive for FSC certification, a status reached by only a few other printers in the region, was fueled much more by the wants and needs of some large clients, especially Smith College and Mount Holyoke College, which, like many institutions of higher learning, are under pressure from students, alumni, faculty, and other schools they compete against to be as ‘green’ as they can be.

“And they want to display how ‘green’ they are,” he said, adding that these and other clients want their signature printed materials to bear the FSC logo and the words ‘the mark of responsible forestry’ printed under it to display their sensitivity to the environment.

As things turned out, gaining certification has been a blessing and a wise investment for those reasons outlined above, he continued, adding that the company has picked up several new clients, including the Turners Falls-based barramundi fish farm Aquaculture, because it is certified.

Responding to, and taking full advantage of, the ‘green’ movement is the latest combination challenge/opportunity that members of the Desroseirs family have faced in their 40 years of ownership at Hadley. Greg and Chris bought out their father, Marc, in 2006, and now split the management duties — Greg handles sales, and Chris runs operations — while their father remains active, providing technical assistance and perspective gained through four decades in the printing business.

All three managers concluded last spring that, while FSC certification would be expensive and time-consuming, it was also quite necessary. The process began in the fall of 2007, and certification was granted this past May, an indication of the thoroughness demanded by the FSC, which reviews all processes and materials to ensure that they are forest-friendly.

Some of the guidelines are spelled out on those cards in Hadley’s recent promotion. They detail what the FSC calls “chain-of-custody protocols” for forest materials. This includes making extensive use of recycled and FSC-certified papers and vegetable-based inks, reusing paper (sometimes several times), efficiently managing paper and supplies, reducing those VOCs, and managing waste throughout production.

Printing on recycled papers or other types of FSC-certified stock is more expensive, said Greg Desrosiers, but many large customers — and smaller ones, as well — are willing to pay that price because they, too, want to differentiate themselves and make a statement to their customers about sensitivity to the environment.

“From printers to car makers — everyone wants to have a lighter impact on society,” he explained. “We’re doing it, and we’re trying to help our customers do it as well.”

But gaining FSC certification is only one of the investments — in capital, energy, and time — that Hadley’s principals have made in efforts to adjust to the economic conditions, increase the company’s capabilities, and, as both brothers said several times, differentiate itself within the market.

If there is a common denominator, said Greg Desrosiers, it is an overriding desire to partner with clients and potential clients to help them maximize their printing dollars, put their best foot forward when it comes to marketing, and, whenever possible, demonstrate their commitment to the environment — all while helping Hadley continue its pattern of solid, controlled growth.

Making an Impression

And as they talked with BusinessWest, the brothers Desrosiers offered a tour of the Hadley facilities, located in an old silk plant on one of Holyoke’s famous canals, pointing out some of these investments.

One stop was in the area where the company’s relatively new six-color press was being prepped for another job.

A $1 million investment in equipment and facilities, the 40-inch press enables the company to greatly increase capacity and take on projects it couldn’t before the acquisition, said Chris Desrosiers.

“It greatly expands our capabilities; customers can now come to us with a wider array of work,” he explained, noting that, when first installed, the new press was running maybe six hours a day. It quickly progressed to eight, then 10, and is now in use closer to 12 hours a day, or nearly an entire second shift.

Such increased capacity is one of the key reasons why the company will exceed last year’s numbers at a time when most printers, and most businesses in general, will see declines.

Another stop on the tour was in a section of the plant that had been leased out to another company. That venture went out of business several months ago, said Greg Desrosiers, and Hadley is now preparing that space to expand its bindery operations, a business segment identified as a growth area.

“That’s an example of how we look to make capital improvements, even in times like these, because we need to take such steps if we’re going to continue to grow,” he explained, adding that the company does not see huge spikes in growth because it prefers a more-controlled pace that enables it to ensure quality and good customer service.

Most of Hadley’s investments have been, or will be, well-thought-out steps, coming after months of careful planning and consideration of the business plan. But some are more reactionary in nature, including the need for a new heating system forced by the Holyoke G&E’s recent decision to no longer service steam customers along the canal — including Hadley.

“This wasn’t something we planned for, obviously,” said Greg Desrosiers, adding that the additional capital expense is simply another challenge the company will have to cope with.

In addition to needed capital investments, the company has made what hindsight has shown to be good business decisions, all of them based on long-term thinking.

Indeed, when fuel costs were spiraling past $4 per gallon months ago, increases that impacted printers on many levels, especially with paper costs, Hadley decided not to impose surcharges when many others did. It was a somewhat risky response, but one that has paid off with even greater loyalty from historically supportive clients.

“It’s our philosophy not to nickel-and-dime our customers, because we don’t like it being done to us,” Greg explained. “We felt as though, if we put our noses to the grindstone, we could make up the difference with added volume. We thought that if we just kept busy and worked harder we could get through it; and we did.

“Looking back, if we had put a fuel surcharge on our deliveries, we might have turned away a major customer,” he continued, adding that the decision, like many others, was designed to help customers large and small weather the tough times.

Speaking of investments, the marketing piece itself was a big one.

This was a five-figure expenditure, said Chris Desrosiers, adding quickly that it was another important step the company needed to take in that critical and ongoing process of differentiating itself.

“It’s a good thing we didn’t need anyone to print it for us,” he quipped. “Otherwise it would have been very expensive.”

Roll Players

Greg Desrosiers told BusinessWest that Hadly can’t effectively place the FSC logo on a business card, although some clients have asked if that can be done.

“It’s one inch by one inch, and that’s just too big,” he explained, adding quickly that it can — and does — go on just about every kind of signature piece.

It’s a logo that will be seen with increasing frequency, he said, as businesses continue to join the ‘green’ wave and look for ways to announce their participation in that movement.

That includes Hadley, which, while it doesn’t have a wind turbine on the roof, is as green as it gets in the printing industry. And it wants the world to know that.

George O’Brien can be reached at obrien@businesswest.com