Business News

Timothy Keran of Western Graphics Honored for Commitment to Continuous Improvement

Thursday 28. February 2013 - Timothy Keran, CEO and owner of Western Graphics, is the inaugural recipient of Printing Industries of America's Managing for Improvement Award. The award is bestowed upon a manager in the printing industry who has demonstrated the ability to create real and lasting improvement for his or her company.

Keran was selected by the judges from among a variety of nominations received nationwide. His nominator lauded his success at creating a culture that has inspired Western Graphics employees to share their knowledge and creativity. In the last five years, the company has completed more than 2,000 employee-initiated projects and demonstrated striking improvements in rework, lost-time accidents, and sales per employee.
Keran’s innovative practices in collaborative goal setting and communication is reflected within each department’s visible scorecards, daily stand-up “huddles,” and weekly performance review meetings. At monthly all-staff meetings he reviews finances, shares team-by-team results, and recognizes employees. Supervisors hold quarterly coaching conversations with each employee. Keran also instituted a profit sharing plan that rewards employees for improving efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Western Graphics is a 50-employee commercial printing company in St. Paul, Minnesota, that provides front-end document creation, offset and digital printing, wide-format displays, and fulfillment and distribution services. It is a six-time recipient of Printing Industries of America’s Best Workplace in the Americas Award.
Keran will receive his award at the 2013 Continuous Improvement Conference, April 7-10, in Indianapolis, Indiana.