The Oklahoma Public Employees Association led the way in a recent legislative tour of the Department of Central Services Central Printing and Interagency Mail facility. The tour was in response to legislative discussions about the possibility of additional printing services being contracted out to the private sector. The news first broke on OPEA’s podcast, The Break Room.
“The Central Printing service was created in 1968 and has grown tremendously,” said OPEA Executive Director Sterling Zearley. “With the latest addition, a state-of-the-art digital printing machine, DCS is the leader in providing more efficient printed material which is particularly necessary as agencies are being asked to make some cuts.”
The tour by the Chair, Rep. Jason Murphey and Vice Chair, Rep. David Derby of the Government Modernization Committee, accepted OPEA’s invitation to tour the facility. Zearley and Deputy Director Scott Barger were accompanied by DCS’s Chief Financial Officer Randy Ross and the administrator for the printing service, Mark Dame in reviewing the entire operation.
“This operation does not receive any appropriated state funds,” said Ross. “Revenue is derived solely from the services rendered to agencies, department and other governmental entities.”
Dame reviewed some of the high-quality printing jobs recently done as well as the cost savings associated with the job. Dame pointed to a $7,500 cost savings to OSEEGIB on their newsletter and $10,575 dollars on a printing job for the Oklahoma Police Pension and Retirement system.
“With these types of savings, every state agency should be looking at their current practices and seeing if it makes sense to bid printing services with DCS,” said Zearley. “More than half of all state agencies utilize the services DCS printing provides from business cards, letterhead, envelopes and advertising material. It really makes sense for all agencies to visit with DCS about not only this service, but also about the fleet-management operation in DCS as well.”
Representatives Murphey and Derby concluded the tour by having lunch with the employees at the facility. “Both Representative Derby and Representative Murphey are former public employees and were impressed with the quality, savings and overall value of the state’s printing operation,” said Zearley. “I think this tour was an eye-opening experience for the legislators and hopefully employees can rest easy knowing OPEA is working hard to highlight state services and protect employee’s jobs.”
