Bound to Succeed

our infatuation with all things electronic will never diminish our true love for books. They provide us with a full sensory experience, immediate gratification and sometimes, the inclination to cherish. In comparison, CDs and Web browsers, as Ms. Ella Fitzgerald would opine, just “ain’t got that swing.”

In fact, a 2005 survey by Phoenix-based Publications Management indicated that custom publications grew for the fourth straight year, increasing by 18.7 percent. The survey noted companies are using custom publications as direct-response marketing tools to communicate to a variety of external audiences, reaching out beyond employees and current customers. Not only are page counts climbing, but the use of four-color and full-color images increased from 39 percent of publications in 1999, to 59 percent in 2005.

This isn’t news to Paul Parisi, president of Charlestown, Massachusetts-based Acme Bookbinding. Parisi was vacationing in France when he graciously agreed to speak with Print Professional. As luck would have it, Parisi had just left the gift shop of the Musee d’Orsay in Paris when reached on his cell phone. He commented on the number of people queued up to buy books depicting the artwork they just enjoyed. “You can buy CDs, but it’s not the same,” said Parisi. “People want pictures so they can remember, and a book is a simple way to do that. In fact, a book is one of the simplest inventions—it’s right up there with ... the wheel.”

Artistry and Technology

Acme Bookbinding specializes in manufacturing hardcover and paperback books for large, well-established publishers with rigorous manufacturing requirements and discriminating audiences, as well as small shops and individuals. “We have no minimum, but as you might expect, prices are better if you buy more books,” Parisi commented.

“I like to say our business is packing parachutes and delivering wedding cakes,” he continued. “We can’t make mistakes, and everything we do is time-sensitive. The big challenge in our business is doing it right and getting it done on time, which requires a combination of equipment, technology, skill and organization.”