Celebrating A Century of Innovation & Growth

 

In 1928, Philip James Green, founder and namesake of P.J. Green, Inc., hand-delivered advertisements and promotional items door-to-door from his east Utica garage. Almost a century later, three more generations of the Green family have faithfully followed his tailor-made operational hard work blueprint, culminating in the company’s nomination for the 2024 Business of the Year award by the Utica Chamber of Commerce.

Currently, Green’s grandchildren — Marianne Reynolds, Kerry Gradel, and Terence “Rick” Green — co-own the business, which is qualified as a certified Women Minority Business Enterprise; their siblings Sharon Catlin and Kristi Zbytniewski are also integral employees, the latter as manager of the monthly newspaper New Hartford Town Crier, a sister company that mails about 8,000 copies to the town’s residents. Reynolds’ son, Andrew — P.J. Green’s great-grandson — oversees the printing operations.

Working from its 125,000-square-foot building at 100 Whitesboro St. in Utica, as well as offices in Syracuse and Albany, P.J. Green’s staff of approximately 80 employees provides customized marketing solutions for clients in several states. Services offered include printing, database preparation, mailings, direct marketing consulting, and branded (company-specific) promotional items.

Company president Marianne Reynolds emphasizes P.J. Green’s efficient, multi-faceted business model: “Our ‘customer first’ philosophy, leading-edge technology, and talented, dedicated staff ensure that clients’ messages are delivered to the right audiences, at the optimum time, and at the best price.”

She acknowledges that challenges the company faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath necessitated innovative approaches, such as continuously contacting paper suppliers to contend with rampant supply-chain disruptions. During a period when many employees preferred working from home, recruiting staff for a manufacturing business that requires on-site personnel also proved difficult. However, “We got creative and filled the positions with great success,” notes Reynolds.

An increase in using social media and other digital methods as advertising tools, combined with rising postage costs, directly impacted mass mailings — an essential component of the company’s original business model. Again, the company adapted its services to meet budget-conscious customers’ needs with more demographically fine-tuned “targeted mailings” that provide profitable value for their clients’ advertising investment costs.

P.J. Green’s recent addition to general commercial printing focuses on creating both attractive and utilitarian branded promotional products such as tote bags, umbrellas, stadium seat cushions, and — its most popular item — pens. States company vice president Green, “Sales of these customized items soared because they are powerful tools that can showcase companies and raise message awareness.”

Green pointed out that the company also expanded its operations to include “large-scale variable printing that few in our region can offer and brought revenue from all over the Northeast to Utica.” To accomplish this service, it purchased state-of-the-art Indigo presses as well as innovative finishing and production equipment; these include camera-based devices for booklet-making and inserting, resulting in “fail-proof matching.”

Green also stressed that P.J. Green, like its customers, embraces environmentally conscious practices, including using Forest Stewardship Council’s-certified paper, indicating that it has been responsibly resourced, processed, and is typically composed of a minimum of 10% recycled content. “Some projects require 100% recycled paper, and we gladly cater to the need,” he adds.

Notably, as a certified RecycleOne program participant, the company also recycles paper, cardboard, and press oil — a component of the inks used on-site. Inside an impeccably clean supply room, large recycling bins are used for storing paper, while an impressive Hewlett Packard Indigo oil recycling machine equipped with several cylinders reprocesses the oil, leaving no waste residue. “Our entire printing process is environment-friendly,” explains Andrew Reynolds, adding, “We use environmentally safe inks and fluids which do not produce toxic emissions or waste.”

P.J. Green’s focus on providing quality service has secured the loyalty of numerous customers, including Hospice & Palliative Care. Confirms Chief Operating Officer Joanne A. Moskal, “For over 30 years, we have trusted P.J. Green with our printing and mailing needs. The team goes above and beyond to deliver exceptional service and is consistently reliable and responsive.”

Looking toward the future, P.J. Green’s plans include continued innovative investing by employing “top-level” talent, combined with adding technology such as software and highly automated equipment. Affirms company president Reynolds, “During the last five years, we have strived to make the company top of the industry. Our goal is to continue to provide more efficient service and reduce overhead.”

Green imagines his grandfather’s impression of his namesake company today: “He surely would not recognize his company, but he would be proud of how generations of his family have worked to honor his name, his company, and his legacy.”

 

By Philomena Lawrence, The Rome Sentinel