Printing Services now managed by outside firm

The University's Printing Services and Copy Center are now under the management of an outside firm. Berland FM, a family-owned Chicago business for 60 years, began managing Printing Services and the Copy Center on March 18, and on May 1 the company will assume full operation of both services.

Printing Services and the Copy Center have been losing money for several years, said Stephen Klass, Director of Auxiliary Services. "We found that printing services are simply not one of our core competencies as a university."

All Copy Center employees will remain University employees, he said, and those at Printing Services will become employees of Berland FM.

The selection of Berland to operate the University's printing services involved focus groups representing the heaviest printing-services users on campus. "We found that it is very important to have on-campus experts with whom people can work hand-in-hand for their printing needs," Klass said.

Printing Services and the Copy Center will be managed on campus by Richard Draney, Berland's vice president for operations. Draney had been the on-site director for printing for the past six years at Northwestern University, where Berland has managed all printing since 1990.

"People at Northwestern are overwhelmingly positive about Berland's performance," Klass said. "We expect Berland to provide us with the same excellent-quality service."