Serving Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming
December 23, 2015
Award Deadline Nears

A reminder to send in your best print pieces for the Print Excellence Awards!  You know you have them - outstanding examples of ink on paper and other substrates, projects that wowed your customers that you are proud of, campaigns that differentiated you in the marketplace.

This year's Print Excellence competition is once again a regional competition with printers from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming all competing to be the best of the best.  Winners of WSPA's Print Excellence Awards are also automatically entered in PIA's Premier Print Awards Competition, the largest in the world.

Call for entries will soon reach your desk  - the rest is up to you!  Deadline for entries is January 31, 2015.  You should have received your entry forms in mail but additional forms can be found online.  CLICK HERE.

Award ceremonies will be held on April 7, 2016 in Phoenix (Rustler's Rooste) and April 28, 2016 in Denver (Embassy Suites Downtown).  Mark your calendars!
Combating Employee Theft - Part 2

Last week, E-Connects discussed the serious issue of employee embezzlement.  Here in Part 2 of the series are steps you can take to protect yourself, according to Doug Karpp, national underwriting leader for Crime & Fidelity as Hiscox, a specialty insurer. 
  • Send bank statements directly to your home for a review to ensure they can't be falsified prior to reconciling accounts
  • Periodically review payroll reports to look for anomalies.
  • Establish best practices.  You should require dual signatures or dual review on disbursements (checks and wires).  It is also important to create separation in key business processes.  For instance, separate the money from record keeping so that no single employee can control a process from beginning to end, and don't let the accounts payable person reconcile bank accounts.
  • In staff training sessions, illustrate the damaging effects that fraud can have on your company, and provide advice on how to spot it.
  • Have everyone from management, auditors and the leadership of your company talk about fraud prevention.  Be sure employees are aware of internal controls and ask them if they know of any weaknesses in the controls and how to improve them.
  • Conduct comprehensive audits designed to identify fraud.  Surprise audits are particularly effective because fraudsters will not have time to alter, destroy or misplace records and other evidence.
Arizona Legislative Update

Arizona voters will have an opportunity to vote in a special election on May 17, 2016 to amend the State Constitution to allow for temporary increases in the distribution from the permanent State Lands fund for education finance.

The chief provision would increase the distribution to schools from 2.5% to 6.9% through fiscal year 2025. Current year distribution would be $259 million. Companion legislation appropriates additional amounts from the general fund for school districts and charter schools; $50 million annually through FY 2020 and $75 million annually for fiscal years 2021-2025.

The referred constitutional amendment also provides for a number of exceptions to the school finance inflation formula including prohibiting the legislature from funding inflation if the growth in transaction privilege taxes is less than one percent.

Elaine Arena
Colorado Raises Minimum Wage

It's official, the Colorado 2016 minimum wage starting January 1 will be $8.31 (and $5.29 for tipped employees).  The official notice was issued on December 10 in the Colorado Register. The state's minimum wage is tied to the inflation, but the state has the ability to make adjustments.  A hearing was held on November 9 where the state Department of Labor (DOL) reviewed the data and heard public comments.  DOL has not issued a revised minimum wage poster yet, but we'll let you know when they do. 
More Good News About Print

Findings from the October Institute of Supply Management's Report on Business survey show the printing industry continued to show significant strength for the month.  Of the 18 manufacturing industries covered by the survey, the printing industry was ranked number one in four growth categories: shipments, new orders, production, and employment.  Additionally, print was ranked number two in terms of export orders.
Ask The Tech Experts
    
Ask The Tech Experts is a resource of PIA's Center for Technology and Research that features the responses to questions covering a wide gamut of topics. 

If you would like to ask a technical question, simply email Dillon Mooney at  dmooney@printing.org or call PIA's toll-free hotline at 1-800-910-4283.

Why does my sheet curl when left overnight in my digital press feed trays?

The pressroom's relative humidity is different than the paper's ambient relative humidity.  Paper fibers are hydroscopic, which means the paper will always adjust its ambient relative humidity.  Paper fibers expand or shrink three times greater in the direction of the width of the fiber than the length.  This uneven expansion causes the sheets to curl.   The paper may never go back to its original dimensions.  Remove unused paper and wrap it in a moisture barrier.

How do we prevent gloss ghosting?

There is no certain method to always prevent gloss ghosting.  Print the side with the heaviest coverage first.  Once the ink has set, wind the delivery piles to help displace solvent vapors.  allow sheets to dry at least 24 hours before printing the back side.  Use low-VOC/high solid inks.

Large Employer Requirement

Large employers (50 FTEs+) will now need to provide their employees with health care information for tax purposes.  To help alleviate confusion among some employees with the new 1095-C Form, Printing Industries of America has established a resource link. FAQs and sample letters have been created by members, consultants, tax preparation services and even the IRS.  If you are looking for sample language see PIA's 1095 Sample Letters and Information page.

This page requires you to login.  If you have any difficulty, simply call PIA's Member Central at 1-800-910-4283 (ext. 770). 
Call For Nominations

Western States Printing Alliance (WSPA) is calling for nominations for the Z.A. Prust Industry Achievement Award.

Established in 1991, the award is named in honor of Dr. Z.A. "Zeke" Prust, who started the Graphic Communications program at Arizona State University in 1958.  For almost three decades Dr. Prust served as professor and ultimately Department Chair of the program.

His accomplishments, both professionally and personally, have been an inspiration to generations of students, faculty members and the entire graphic arts community.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

A nominee for the Z.A. Prust Industry Achievement Award must:
  • Be widely recognized as having made a major contribution to the graphic arts industry
  • Supported educational programs within the community as they relate to graphic arts
  • Worked to maintain and improve the image of the industry.
Nominations must be emailed by March 15, 2015 to Michael Makin at mmakin@wsprint.org.

Employee Recognition Awards

We all know that our people are our greatest assets yet how often do we let them know just how valuable they are - particularly in front of their peers?
 
Once again, this year's Print Excellence Awards events will also feature the WSPA Employee Recognition Awards where member companies can single out exceptional performance by team members.  These awards were a huge hit last year and for good reason - everyone likes a pat on the back in front of their peers.


Start thinking now who has made a difference in your shop and nominate them for a WSPA Employee Recognition Award. Recipients will receive a beautiful certificate at the Print Excellence Awards and be recognized before their peers at these well-attended events.

Deadline for nominations is March 15, 2016
Weekly Photo Feature: Are you Kidding Me?!

Each week, E-Connects shares incredible photos on just how lax individuals can be when it comes to safety. 

The goal - to keep a safe work environment front and center on the minds of all of your employees.

Pictured: Hang on, I'll get it!

If you come across a funny safety pic you think should be featured, email Michael Makin at mmakin@wsprint.org.
Happy Holidays From WSPA

As 2015 comes to a close we would like to thank you once again for your membership support.  WSPA has seen many changes this past year and we look forward to a very successful 2016, providing a number of exciting events and educational programs.

From our family to yours, we wish you all of the best of the Holiday Season and business prosperity in 2016.

Please note that there will be no E-Connects next week.  Your weekly newsletter will return on January 6, 2016.
Quote For The Week

"The better a man is the more mistakes he will make for the more things he will try."  

Peter F. Drucker
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