Jeff Butterfield, Production Manager for Hudson Printing, is no stranger to the printing business. Celebrating his 24th year at Hudson Printing, Jeff has a hand in every part of the production process. From working with clients to determine the best process for their project to ensuring every last piece is packed on the delivery truck, Jeff makes sure Hudson Printing earns its reputation as one of the most trusted printers in North America.
What started as a job while going to college has turned into a thriving career. Jeff started at Hudson after graduating from high school as it gave him the flexibility to attend college. While Jeff changed majors several times, including stints in Child Psychology and Medical Administration, he graduated with a degree in Computer Science – all while continuing to work for Hudson.
“You would never think that my studies in child psychology or occupational therapy would help in my career, but it has,” said Jeff. “My education has helped me to keep the best interests of our clients and employees at heart and look long term to improve the overall strength of the company.”
With a career in the printing industry that spans over two decades, Jeff has witnessed firsthand the impact technology has had on the industry.
“In the 90s there was a major technology growth spurt, and Hudson dove right in. When we see a technology that benefits customers, we jump on it,” said Jeff. “We don’t let industry barriers dictate how we’re going to proceed. We’ll seek out partners that help us meet customer needs with quality and efficiency.”
The fast pace of printing and the creativity involved in troubleshooting problems is what keeps Jeff interested and excited about his job.
“Things change really quickly and I enjoy the variety. After all of these years, the excitement of what each day will bring is still there,” said Jeff. “We need to meet deadlines to fulfill client expectations, and when machinery goes down, we have to think creatively to get the job done. The process of finding alternative solutions to a set process really gets me involved and keeps me engaged.”
The creative problem solving of Jeff and his team not only helps complete customer projects on time, but also help meet what at times can seem like impossible timelines or technical challenges. Jeff and his team have earned a reputation for finding ways to meet impossible deadlines, or even overcome technical problems that no other printer can.
Aware of Hudson’s ability to complete challenging printing jobs, mobile app company Inkly approached Hudson earlier this spring to fulfill a daunting request: to receive, print and fulfill more than 100,000 unique Mother’s Day card orders within a few days.
“To successfully complete Inkly’s Mother’s Day promotion, we reached out to our partners and conducted a lot of research to make sure we could handle it,” said Jeff. “We then told Inkly about our processes for handling this project, including our fail safes and backups. We went forward with the project and it was a huge success. Now, printing cards for Inkly is part of our daily business.”
In today’s business climate it’s unusual to find someone who has stayed with a company as long as Jeff. He attributes his 24-year long career with Hudson to the company’s commitment to its customers and employees.
“Some companies only go above and beyond for certain customers, but we go the extra mile for everyone. To consistently provide everybody with quality results, we look at procedures and staffing so nothing slips through the cracks,” said Jeff. “It seems like so many businesses now just care about the bottom line, but Hudson isn’t like that. The company’s core values are a commitment to its customers and providing a stable environment for its employees, and that really resonates with me.”