"We've been here a little while," said Devis, noting that the Legislature established a printer in 1854. "We've got quite a history."
Devis, though, is proud of the work his 130 employees do in working around the clock, five days a week.
The 75,000-square-foot plant near Olympia Regional Airport is a complex collection of machines that do everything from cutting paper before making envelopes, to sorting, stapling, collating, binding and inserting.
Though the plant has a long history, its technology is state of the art.
Not only does it maintain traditional printing technology, it also offers the latest in digital print capability.
"We have a foot in the past and an eye to future," Devis said.
Lots of glue
On a tour of the plant this week, Devis stopped by a machine that applies three kinds of glue on envelopes: one for the back seal, two to hold the folded paper together and a third to secure the film on window envelopes.
Devis' array of machinery finishes an average of 150 printing jobs daily, mostly for the various departments of state government. Your legislator's newsletter likely is shipped from the Tumwater plant. So are the tax forms that get mailed to your home.
The department also does jobs for cities, counties and school districts throughout the state. The jobs could include everything from business cards for the Port of Olympia to lesson plans for North Thurston Public Schools.
As the state becomes more diverse, the department handles jobs well beyond the English language.
"We can print in nineteen different languages," said Dan Swisher, assistant director of the plant.
The printer is one of the state's first four agencies, Devis said.
The Washington Territorial Legislature established the printing office in 1854, which at first was a private printer. A 1933 law created the department as a state agency. For many years, the department operated in the ground floor of the General Administration Building, but moved to the New Market Industrial Campus on port land in 1983.
The department is not part of the state general fund budget. That means it does not operate on an appropriation from the state general fund budget, Devis said. Instead, the department must be self- sufficient from what it charges various state departments and its customers outside of state government.
Some of its major customers spoke favorably of the printing department's work.
"We always get everything on time, everything is always correct," said Jennie Foglia-Jones, the Port of Olympia's special projects coordinator. The department's production for the port has included envelopes and business cards.
Its technology also allows the port to check on designs online as opposed to working with proofs, Foglia-Jones said.
"They have great customer service," said Rose Reynolds, a forms and records analyst for the state Liquor Control Board. "A lot of times we have short turnaround times. We tell them what we need and they do it."
Reynolds said she was retiring this week after a 35-year career with the Liquor Control Board. After retirement, Reynolds expects to take a temporary job with the state printer.
"I like them so much I want to work for them," she said.
