Big Picture - March 2019 - 16

SMALL BUSINESS

Sustainability
Think your shop is too small to make a difference
by implementing sustainability initiatives? Think again.
BY A N YA R AO

BIG PICTURE

March 2019

Auto Trim Design
output both of these
projects onto 3M
Envision SV480mC
non-PVC film. The
window graphics
were printed using
the shop's Epson
SureColor S80600.
The truck wrap
was output using
an EFI Vutek
GS3250LX Pro.

16

SUSTAINABILITY. It's a buzz word that continues to
gain traction within nearly every industry, including the world
of wide-format digital printing. Some print service providers
might view their company as too small to make any measurable impact by switching to more eco-friendly business
practices. Or perhaps they fear that going green will cost them
money, instead of bringing in profits. But showing off your
shop's social and environmental responsibility could actually
bring in customers and even save you money in the long run.
A study in Stanford Social Innovation Review suggests that 90
percent of CEOs say sustainability is fundamental for success.
The companies run by those CEOs are likely your customers.
If your clients haven't started asking questions about how you
print your graphics, they will soon.
There are many small ways a shop can begin to make an
impact - recycle often, choose more eco-friendly inks, and
use recyclable substrates - but some PSPs decide to meet the
rigorous requirements to certify their efforts via the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP), which they can then
tout to their customers. SGP, a nonprofit organization that
verifies printing companies' sustainability practices, has been
around for more than 10 years. While many SGP-certified
wide-format businesses are large companies, the certification
is certainly not limited to big print service providers.

Small, But Mighty
With a team of 14, Auto Trim Design (autotriminc.com),
located near Toronto in Concord, Ontario, proves that
sustainable business practices aren't reserved just for the big
players in the wide-format industry.
Auto Trim Design is a family-owned and -operated print
service provider. The shop prints signage, floor graphics, wall

wraps, and more, but vehicle wraps are their specialty,
encompassing 80 percent of jobs flowing through the
11,000-square-foot space. They do one-off vehicles, but much
of their work is for companies seeking to promote their
businesses via wraps on a fleet of vans, trucks, or cars.
The shop, which has been around for more than 25 years,
obtained SGP certification last year. Auto Trim Design is a 3M
Select Platinum Graphic Provider. To earn that status, in addition
to training, a business must have some type of third-party
accreditation marking their quality. A contact at 3M suggested to
Auto Trim Design's owner Paul Hosie they might consider SGP
accreditation because the PSP was already attempting to reduce
their shop's environmental impact. The requirements of the
SGP-certification process helped them take it to the next level.
Being a small PSP did, however, present some challenges.
The process can often take a year or more, and for Auto Trim
it took the latter. At least two people need to be part of an
internal committee that meets regularly to enforce and
enhance the sustainability plan. Staff turnover delayed the
process a bit, plus the two employees dedicated to the SGP
program were taking on their new roles in addition to their
regular job responsibilities at the busy shop.
While there are some costs associated with making
environmentally focused changes to business practices and
obtaining SGP certification, there are also distinct advantages.
Hosie says sustainability efforts can be viewed as a way to
differentiate the business. "There are not many in our industry
that are pursuing this goal and it helps us to stand out from
the competition," he says.
Being able to tout SGP certification to potential customers
has been helpful in closing some deals. "Some customers even
require it," says Jason Hughes, Auto Trim's project manager.


http://www.autotriminc.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Big Picture - March 2019

https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_202010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_202009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_202008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_20200607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_202005
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_202004
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_202003
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_20200102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_20191112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201909
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201908
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_20190607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201905
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201904
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201903
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_20190102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_20181112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201810
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201809
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201808
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_20180607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201805
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201804
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201803
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_20180102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_20171112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201710
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201709
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_20170607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201705
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201704
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201703
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_20170102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_20161112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201610
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201609
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201608
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_20160607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201605
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201604
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201603
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_20160102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_20151112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201510
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201509
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201508
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_20150607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201505
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201504
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201503
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_20150102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201411
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201410
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201409
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201408
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_20140607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201405
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_20140102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_mediainksourcebook1314
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_sourcebook1314
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_20130102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_20121112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/STMG/bp_201203
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com