Charles Printing

Charles Printing is a self-described “affirmative business” which provides printing services to customers in Hawkesbury. Such services include colour printing and copying, and tasks related to print finishing such as collating materials. One particular employee, Lucie Jenevieve Roch, described a number of duties that she performs on a day to day basis: answering the telephone, photocopying, laminating, and filing.

Training comprises a large component of the enterprise, as the skills, abilities, and ways of learning vary substantially from one employee to another. The manager and the two pressmen provide the training to workers on the various tasks providing repetitive opportunities for skills development (Jedynack, 2007). Some projects are specifically utilized as training tools to assist new employees in their skill development.

Groupe CONVEX focuses on the expansion of innovative businesses and the creation of conditions in the workplace that positively impact employees.

History

Charles Printing was originally established as a mainstream business, but was purchased by Groupe CONVEX when the owner was nearing retirement and could not find a successor. Since its purchase, the business has grown and now provides employment for a business manager, two pressmen, and 5 employees.

Organizational Structure

The Board of Directors is composed of 6 individuals from the Prescott-Russell area, each with differing areas of expertise, who meet monthly and make strategic and policy decisions, as well decisions regarding larger purchases such as equipment. Each of the 9 enterprises has a manager in charge of making decisions related to the day to day operations of the business, recruiting, hiring and supervising the employees. All of the business managers meet 4 times a year and report to the Executive Director who is responsible for the overall development of strategies and businesses, administration, financial aspects, and the human resources of Groupe CONVEX.

Funding

Funding is received from SCAPR, grants and revenues derived from the businesses. Profits, as well as deficits generated by all of Groupe’s businesses are combined and reinvested into the overall budget of Groupe CONVEX. Recently the organization was granted $130,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to assist with public awareness with other businesses and organizations who want to learn more about developing social enterprises, and to produce resources such as a CD and DVD.

Impacts & Outcomes

Groupe CONVEX is not involved in the administration of ODSP for employees, because it is trying to maintain a business environment rather than a social service (Arcand, 2007). Carole Jedynack of Charles Printing stated that “we give them real jobs, real responsibility and real work. I find it fascinating to see how they love what they do…”

Groupe CONVEX is always seeking innovative ideas for enterprises, and they often begin from within the community. Recently, for example, the Casselman Chamber of Commerce contacted Groupe CONVEX about the community’s need for an LCBO and Beer Store Deposit Centre. Currently community members have to travel outside of the village for this particular service, resulting in economic leakage through the purchase goods in other communities. By introducing this service into the community, the Groupe will not only provide additional employment opportunities for people in receipt of ODSP, they will also be plugging some of the holes in the region’s economic leakage (Arcand, 2007).

Success Factors

Partnerships are critical to the success of Charles Printing, which allows them to encounter more work to achieve sustainability. Like all of the Groupe’s 9 enterprises, Charles Printing belongs to its local Chamber of Commerce, which assists in its promotion, and the Groupe’s enterprises are also able to support and promote each other through referrals. Charles Printing has benefited from the partnerships developed with the other print shops in Hawkesbury; sometimes doing finishing work for which the other shops do not have the capacity. Likewise, printing projects that cannot be completed in house at Charles Printing will be sent to other local businesses (Jedynack, 2007).

Currently 45% of ODSP recipients have moved from trainees to employees.

Lessons Learned

One barrier that was identified specifically related to ODSP was the fear that employees and their families experience when reporting their income, and the subsequent deductions to their ODSP pension. Parents fear the increased income because they want to ensure their

children’s finances for the future (Arcand, 2007). However, one change to the ODSP structure (Ontario regulations, 2006) that was identified as an incentive to work was the ability to maintain health benefits (Arcand, 2007). Maintaining health benefits contributes to reducing the fear about and creating more incentives for individuals entering the workforce.

LMV has demonstrated its ability to adapt to changing economic conditions, identify opportunities and needs, and diversify their operations in order to capitalize on these opportunities and meet these needs. It demonstrates that there is a need to ‘change with the times’ in order to maintain viability; it is necessary to be able to adapt and diversify. They have demonstrated how a small, remote northern community may create and maintain a successful business that creates long-term jobs for its community members, while creating products that are safe and healthy for its local residents and regional neighbors.

Groupe CONVEX was described as providing employees with “self-esteem”, “valorization”, “social inclusion”, “community integration”, and “pride of working”.

Future

Charles Printing still has a lot of potential for growth. Purchasing an additional printer and press would create more employment and training opportunities. These purchases would also be responding to the move towards digital printing that currently exists in the marketplace. Employees may be able to learn more easily on the printer than the press (Jedynack, 2007). This is important because developmentally disabled individuals’ productivity is on average less than that of an employee without a disability (Arcand, 2007). Groupe CONVEX enterprises are designed to operate similar to mainstream businesses, and the community and customers respond to them that way. Some customers do not identify the social purpose until after they enter the store (Jedynack, 2007). The process for hiring employees is comparable to other businesses where individuals hand in their resume, an interview is conducted, and after a successful probationary period they are hired. Innovation and new ideas are always a way of developing and sustaining Charles Printing.