Creating a Value Proposition For Today’s Workforce

In January, Ken Garner became Chief Executive Officer of what was then AMSP/NAPL/NAQP, succeeding Joseph P. Truncale, Ph.D., who had led the organization for 12 years. Garner is former President and Chief Executive Officer of AMSP, a former Chairman of NAPL, and former President of a major printing and mailing company. Shortly thereafter, AMSP/NAPL/NAQP was formally named Epicomm, representative of the “epic communications” industry it serves. With GRAPH EXPO days away from opening, Garner sat down with The Show Daily to talk about Epicomm’s mandates and what he hopes to accomplish as lead.

Show Daily: What are your top mandates moving forward?

Ken Garner: In the short term, we have to continue to effectively integrate and coalesce our three legacy associations – AMSP, NAPL, and NAQP - into a single organization. This requires balancing the unique needs and expectations of our five distinct member segments with the need to, when appropriate, speak and act with one Epicomm voice. Adding some level of complexity to the task is the generational transition that is taking place at the leadership levels of our industry. Epicomm must create a value proposition that is compelling and relevant to both “baby boomers” and “Millennials.”

Our industry is moving through an unprecedented period of discontinuity. It’s a period characterized by many challenges, but even more opportunity. Epicomm will continue to be an indispensable resource to our members as we help business leaders make better decisions by providing best practices, resources, research, tools, information, and advocacy.

As a leading industry organization, Epicomm has a responsibility to develop and support industry initiatives that benefit the entire related supply chain. Examples include, but are not limited to, driving much needed postal reform legislation and supporting the Graphic Arts Education and Research Foundation in its commitment to attract and retain a new generation of workers.

Show Daily: Coming from a business background, how do you see your background influencing your stewardship?

Ken Garner: The more than three decades I spent as a print and mail service provider has given me an excellent experiential foundation for serving Epicomm’s members. The challenges faced by “non-profit” and “for profit” organizations are not so different. Members /customers need to be well-served by the delivery of compelling, relevant, and differentiated value. This process must drive a positive return-on-investment for both the members and their association.

My business background helps me to better relate to Epicomm’s members. I understand what keeps them up at night and I appreciate what it takes to lead a successful business enterprise. I have enormous respect and admiration for those who work in our industry. There are occasions when I am able to share the benefit of my experience in helping members successfully navigate through difficult situations.

Show Daily: What are the key takeaways you want members to come away with from this year’s GRAPH EXPO?

Ken Garner: First, they need to invest the time to come and participate in all the show has to offer. I would like them to come with an open mind to new ideas, concepts, processes, and equipment. The experience at GRAPH EXPO should be an integral part of their business planning process.

GRAPH EXPO is so much more than an exhibition of equipment. It’s a laboratory and a classroom possessing the answer to your “next big idea” question. It’s a place to network with subject matter experts and colleagues.

GRAPH EXPO is a required experience for moving your company forward.

Show Daily: What are the top business and industry trends impacting your members in 2015?

Ken Garner: Consolidation continues as the industry still has not reached a balance between supply and demand. The rate and pace of consolidation is not what it was during the heart of the recession, but there is still plenty of merger and acquisition activity in both the supplier and service provider segments.

There has been an awakening to the reality that for the majority of companies committed to sustainable growth, maintaining the status quo is no longer an option. More leaders recognize that change, particularly when implemented in planned increments, is now a requirement for success. Some still have a tendency to translate every business challenge into the need for increased sales. While some measure of sales growth is necessary, it’s not the answer to every business challenge.

Many of our members have been busy diversifying their value propositions understanding that in order to maximize their value to customers and prospects they need to be able to manage multiple communication channels including social and mobile media. These same companies now understand that they must practice what they preach; that is, they must market their companies utilizing crafted multi-channel campaigns instead of relying on slick feature and benefit brochures alone.

There is a growing awareness that our industry’s growth and development will require the recruitment and retention of a workforce with a new and different set of competencies and capabilities. Developing and managing complex marketing campaigns with sophisticated tracking capabilities and the use of more precise data requires a new generation of managers and staff. Getting the “right people on the bus, in the right seats” will be one of the keys to business success.

Show Daily: What is the latest news form the U.S. Postal Service in terms of its viability and overall health?

Ken Garner: Our new Postmaster Genera,l Megan Brennan, and her leadership team will continue to battle significant challenges. Perhaps the most significant is legislative. Congress seems unwilling and unable to help. Attempts to introduce and pass legislation that would unburden the Postal Service from obsolete and unnecessary imposed costs have, up to this point, been unsuccessful. Meanwhile, postal leadership has developed and executed a number of measures to effectively manage the costs under their direct control. Industry has not agreed and supported all of the Postal Service’s initiatives, but the fact is that the financial results under their direct control have shifted to the positive.

I would offer the observation that with a few exceptions the working relationship between industry and postal leadership are positive and productive. In fact, efforts have been developing that involve an unprecedented collaboration between industry, the Postal Service, and the unions that make up the USPS workforce to formulate and introduce a legislative proposal that would benefit those three major stakeholder groups.

Issues related to the USPS change frequently and rapidly. I have no doubt that much that I have reported here will substantially change by the time this is published. Industry must engage, stay informed, and unite if we are going to move forward in a positive direction.