Yongting Tan
Case Western Reserve University - Weatherhead School of Management
Chris Laszlo
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AGC, Academy Graphic Communication, is a design and print communication firm located in Cleveland, Ohio. AGC is progressively engaged in adopting sustainable business practices, one of which is to use vegetable- and soy-based inks and varnishes during its printing process.
AGC exclusively uses EcoPride process inks and varnishes manufactured by Cleveland, OH based Braden Sutphin Ink Company. EcoPride inks and varnishes are formulated with a combination of soy and vegetable oils. These inks and varnishes contain less than 3% petroleum distillates and less than 5% volatile organic compounds (VOC), with a minimum of 45% renewable resource content. That's important when it comes to de-inking, the key process in paper recycling. Some printing materials, such as toner-based inks, are difficult to remove during the recycling process because they cannot not be sorted apart, neither automatically nor manually. The EcoPride inks and varnishes AGC uses are easier to de-ink when the printed product reaches the recycling center which reduces pollution to the environment.
When I asked Courtney Dolinar, AGC's Vice President, why her company chose to use these inks and vanishes, she said, "We use these products because we are concerned about our employees’ health. I am sure you smell some smells when I showed you around our factory. But the environment here is pretty much above the standard. In many other companies, the smell is much worse. We want to minimize our employees' exposure to harmful chemicals and solvents. Then our product manager started to find out if there were any other raw materials that were more green and less harmful. We knew Braden Sutphin Ink Company and how their ink would benefit our printing procedure. After that, we built up a good business relationship."
AGC has become a "thought leader" in the community by showing how to approach traditional business practices in new, innovative and environmentally-friendly ways. By promoting the recycling of paper, recycling inks and solvents, and by using soy- and vegetable-based alternatives, AGC has become a leading pioneer in encouraging positive change in standard ways of doing business.
As a result of its use of vegetable- and soy-based inks and varnishes, which reduces the amount of volatile organic compounds entering our environment, AGC has been attracting attention and gaining more business. VP Courtney Dolinar told me there was a time when some new clients would express concern over the pollution resulting from traditional printing processes, and would suggest ordering fewer printed copies. But Courtney said that would change once she explained the innovations AGC had introduced. It has led to more volume and, through word of mouth, more clients. AGC, employing about 30 workers, is averaging about $4.9million annually.
One of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, #11, targets a reduction in the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, which includes paying special attention to air quality and waste management. AGC's innovative business practices address this goal. The vegetable- and soy-based inks and varnishes AGC uses contain less harmful components than those traditionally used. That makes it easier to de-ink paper during the recycling process which, in turn, reduces the amount of harmful gas released to the environment.
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Courtney Q. Dolinar, Vice President
AGC The Creative Advantage, founded in 1967, is a design and print communication firm located in Cleveland, Ohio. It is a full-service, creative marketing firm consisting of three comprehensive facilities: The Creative Advantage Design Studio, Sustainable Print Solutions, and Fulfillment Yields Interest. It provides its clients with the ease and convenience of a single source for all their marketing needs. It does this by providing a wide range of specialties including creative design, web integration, interactive marketing, sustainable solutions, commercial printing and direct mail.