Quick Printing is the only business resource serving the quick and small commercial printing niche in North America. Quick Printing is the authoritative source for business information, emerging technologies, shop profiles and management insight.
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M a y 2 0 1 4 / Q U I C K P R I N T I N G 21 w w w. M y P R I N T R e s o u r c e . c o m Harris had planned to hire more employees in 2014—and perhaps sooner rather than later. In January, G&H; Soho became one of the first in the NYC market to install a new Accutrim HD1680: a fast, efficient, and flexible three-knife trimmer from Colter & Peterson (C&P;) to handle the influx of hardcover, paperback, spiral, and saddlestitched work. The firm also bought a Polar 66 reconditioned paper cutter from C&P; to cut book covers and jackets. "Since we purchased the three-knife trimmer and paper cutter, we've booked so much new work. For us, it is a win-win-win situation," remarked Harris, who serves as president of the com- pany. "After nearly 30 years, we know the book business. It's in our DNA." Roots in Books Harris also knows how important it is to seize the moment when business is good. His father and uncle began the business in 1946 called Ganis and Harris, and Burstein began Soho Studio in 1971. They decided to combine companies in 1985. Twenty years ago, desktop publishing success led the way; they were one of the area's first to use digital information for publishers' bound galleys with Xerox DocuTech. Business was booming, and the company moved to Hoboken. Belt tightening and the DocuTech led G&H; Soho through tough times in 2001, when two major clients informed Harris on the same day that they were taking advantage of cheaper rates in India for typesetting books. The company survived the recession in 2008 to 2009, only to have the bottom fall out in 2010. But the turning point for today's renaissance came from a decision to move to their current 12,500-square-foot facility in mid-2012. Five months later, Hoboken was devastated by Hurricane Sandy. G&H; Soho is now a complete digital shop. An HP Indigo press handles the color books, color inserts, and both paperback and hardcover covers. There's also an Océ press from Canon Solu- tions America to print black and white text and a Horizon 270 binder from Standard Finishing. Harris said the average run length is typically between 100 copies and 300 copies, with the occasional run of 2,000. Half of the work is 6x9-inch, and it also does 7x10- and 8x11-inch sized books primarily for academic and university publishers and individuals. What sets G&H; apart from other digital book printers is the willingness to print non-standard sizes and customize the book to satisfy their clients. The shop is humming, running 15 hours a day during the week and a 10-hour shift on Saturday. Bindery Bottleneck Last September, Harris says he and Burstein discovered they had a problem in their bindery department. "We had a bottle- N ow in their 29th year of oper- ation at G&H; Soho Inc., Jim Harris and Gerry Burstein have experienced the incredible highs and lows of owning a business in the printing industry. The small Elm- wood Park, NJ shop has always operated in the metro New York City area, and business for the niche book printer is certainly on the upswing. G&H; Soho banks on new Colter & Peterson Accutrim HD1680 three-knife trimmer for its book production needs. QP Staff Report The New Age of Book Finishing Book bindery: Trimmer operator Dan Imperato (left) and company co-owner Jim Harris at G&H; Soho's new Accutrim HD1680 machine. QP_21-22_0514 CompanyProfile.indd 21 4/15/14 4:58 PM