The panelists at the Xerox Premier Partners Executive Breakfast Briefing on
sustainability were, from left: Steve Damman, QuantumDigital; Robert Kashan,
EarthColor Patricia Calkins, Xerox; Chris Hutson, DCG: Digital Color
Graphics; and Bob Wagner, Xerox.

Here’s one view on why sustainability is an issue that we’ll be grappling with for a long time: The earth’s population is currently around 6 billion. To provide the resources for everyone to share the Western World’s standard of living would require the resources of three planets, according to the United Nations Environment Program.

That was how Patricia Calkins, Xerox vice president of Environment, Health and Safety, set the stage at the Xerox Premier Partners Global Network Executive Breakfast Briefing on sustainability, Monday, Oct. 27, at the Hyatt Regency at McCormick Place. It featured a panel of Calkins and three CEOs from leading Xerox customers, members of the Premier Partners, describing their “green” initiatives.

I organized and hosted the breakfast forum, and I’m the global leader of the Premier Partners, a global network of nearly 800 leading print providers from 48 countries.

About 135 attended, and they peppered the panelists with questions on this important issue. That’s not surprising: a poll of the Premier Partners that was released at Graph Expo found that 75 percent of members now see sustainability as a core, “must-have” capability. Click here for the full survey results.

The three customer panelists were Steve Damman of QuantumDigital, Austin, Texas; Chris Hutson of DCG, Digital Color Graphics, Indianapolis, Ind.; and Robert Kashan of EarthColor, based in Parsippany, N.J. They all went green for similar reasons — ultimately to do the right thing for the community, their employees and future generations. Their customers also appreciate and demand it. While sustainability initiatives can be expensive, they generate environmental — and sometimes cost — savings, and they are a requirement in more and more requests for proposals, the panelists noted.

Damman reported that QuantumDigital has a modest, but well-documented program that is showcased in its customer materials. “When you show yourself to be a leader by bringing sustainability up before your customer asks, that helps make you a market leader in their eyes as well,” he said.

Chris Hutson of DCG, Digital Color Graphics, described how DCG captures heat generated by its Xerox iGen3® 110 Digital Production Press to fully heat its plant, generating dramatic savings. “We have a sign in the lobby letting visitors know the heat they feel is recycled from our press,” he said.

Robert Kashan of EarthColor, described his company’s well-funded and comprehensive green program, which has a dedicated sustainability director and bio-oxidizers that make the plant’s air cleaner than the air outside. “I feel fortunate that we have the scale and revenue base to support these initiatives,” he said. “It’s the right thing to do.”

All in all, it was a great event. If you weren’t able to attend, a podcast of the session will be available here shortly.

Bob Wagner
Vice President, Xerox Creative Services Business and Xerox Premier Partners Global Network
Xerox Corporation