The Right Strategy: Creating an Environmentally Friendly Footprint for Tomorrow

• Date: Wednesday, September 24
• Time: 4:30 networking, 5:30 program, 6:30 dinner
• Location: Bridgewood Resort/Hotel, Neenah
• Presenter: dik Bolger, Owner/President

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As the leader of Bolger, dik focuses on sales and marketing strategies that put forth ideas for communication and print materials that minimize waste, ensure cost efficiencies and that measure results. Under his leadership, he established Bolger as a Total Quality Management (TQM) facility. He is responsible for the full service concept of Bolger and the initiatives to establish the company as a community oriented and environmentally friendly organization.

In his 30 years in the graphic arts, dik has extensive pressroom experience, heading the production area for 18 years before he became Executive Officer directing Sales and Marketing. In addition to leading the company in initiatives for the present as well as long range planning, dik is a keynote speaker for Bolger's educational seminar series, and for the printing industry.

Education

Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota

PIA and PIM Management Programs

NAPL Management Programs

Community

Believing in community involvement, dik is associated with Minnesota Book Arts, having served on the Board, including Board President. Under his guidance as president, the organization underwent a significant change in their history by moving the facility to a much larger location, tripling the number of people who can enjoy the many unique aspects of our industry He is a past chairman of the University of Minnesota Cancer Research Board, and is a member of The Playwright’s Center Board. He is also a founding member of the Minnesota Keystone Program whereby companies contribute a percentage of their profits for the benefit of local charities. dik is also very active in environmental causes, including the Minnesota Great Printers Project.

dik is married and has a daughter. He loves sailing, bicycling and is an avid promoter of the arts.

Take away notes - Posted after program

1.                  ROI and “selling” sustainable practices within a company. Not all sustainable practices will increase ROI, but some will. dik recommended starting with practices that positively impact profit, such as reducing waste. His key is: first get the accounting equation to work in favor of sustainable practices, and then seek executive support for engaging in sustainable practices as a business culture.

2.                  Start with an audit.  dik’s first audit was an unexpected experience, prompted by a 19-year-old that asked him what Bolger was doing to be sustainable. This young person and dik walked around, noted things being done, and note opportunities for things that could be done. This audit gave dik more sustainability insights in 2-hours than he had gained during the prior two years.

3.                  Don’t be fooled. What do sustainable claims really mean? Who is telling the truth? dik gave several examples where claims of sustainability were not entirely true. An interesting example dik provided is florescent light bulbs. These bulbs are promoted as requiring less energy than incandescent bulbs. However, they work by using mercury, which may be even more problematic. So when you hear claims of sustainability, get clear follow-up information.

4.                  Competitive advantage. Becoming a user of sustainable practices entails quite a learning curve and happens over time. Your competitors will also face this learning curve. Therefore, competitors cannot easily copy your sustainable practices. If your clients or downstream customers care about environmental footprints in the supply chain, then a focus on sustainable practices can be a very strategic part of how you differentiate.

5.                  Understand the big picture. Aside from normal business analysis, the bottom line is that pollution problems exist, and everyone pays the price. Pollution is not a problem of “us” versus Los Angeles or China. This is a problem that will hit our children and our grandchildren. At some point they will consider our actions today and wonder, “What were they thinking?”