Business As Usual at Progress Printing Plus
Tom Thornton says it’s “business as usual” at Progress Printing Plus where he is Director of Informations Services. However, for a business that is the largest privately held printer in the state of Virginia with a plant sitting on nearly seven acres in Lynchburg, their business is anything but usual. Progress Printing Plus was founded in 1962 by T.D. Thornton as Progress Printing.
The plus was added in 2012 because the company now offers so much more than just printing to its 700 coast-to-coast clients. They like to say that the “Plus” in their name represents the people in the plant who make the difference in every project.
Thornton was speaking about how the 60-year-old family-run business has fared through the long COVID-19 pandemic. He attributes a good deal of the normal day-to-day operations to the ability to be flexible because of their phone system from Carolina Digital Phone. Like many businesses making it through the lockdown, Progress Printing Plus was forced to modify how they do business. Most of their staff were able to cover for those workers who were sidelined during the pandemic. While they needed to downsize some temporary workers during the lockdown, they were able to maintain their entire customer base.
Progress in the Making
When their Receptionist retired, the company installed a kiosk where customers now come to check in when visiting. The cloud-based PBX system they have from Carolina Digital Phone allows them the flexibility to operate without a live person at the reception desk. And, with life slowly returning to normal, Thornton notes that business has really picked up.
Of course, there have been some setbacks. Because of the lockdown, one of their large machines – critical to the printing business – did not receive its regular maintenance. As a result, that machine is now “down for the count.”. And, with the huge business demand, they are currently operating 24/7 to keep up with the workload.
Never Too Big For A Personal Touch
Even though they are a large company, Progress Printing Plus provides many personal touches in everything they do. From the smallest job to the largest projects. they undertake, the same craftsmanship is used to individually design and produce the finished printed material for their customers. The professionals at Progress Printing Plus work with their customers from concept to design and final production. This helps to ensure that the result is the highest quality catalogs and publications.
When it comes to their commitment to operating as an environmentally responsible business, Progress Printing Plus is respected and sought after by their diverse client base. 98% of their waste stream is recycled and used for new products. From design to mailing, they provide information and resources to assist in making environmentally conscious decisions. They print 98% VOC-free, recover solvents, and produce virtually clean air. Print is recyclable, sustainable, and renewable.
Asked about his experience with Carolina Digital Phone, Thornton says the service has been “stellar, dependable, and affordable. We are saving money over what we used to do. Having to worry about PBX onsite is a real nightmare.”. Thornton has seen his share of phone systems including multiple on-site PBX systems. The last system the company had was an Ericsson system that “got old and nobody would work on it. It was a nightmare,” Thornton mused.
In addition to the dependable and flexible phone system from Carolina Digital Phone, Thornton enjoys the friendly customer support he gets. “Every time I call, it’s like I am talking to someone I have known for years,” he says.
If you are looking for help with your business telephone system, you can contact Carolina Digital Phone at (336) 544-4000.
