Owner/President: Wendy Fergerson Company: Integrated Printing Solutions Address: 9215 Bond St. Overland Park, KS 66214 Phone: (913) 541-9400 Web Site:www.integratedprinting.com E-mail: Type of Business: Forms and Fulfillment Year Founded: 1989
Integrated Printing Solutions (IPS) sells printed materials to a diverse customer base. We form business partnerships that allow us to assist our clients in achieving their corporate objectives.
IPS creates custom forms and fulfillment solutions that streamline productivity and minimize costs. Our online ordering system allows organizations with multiple locations or departments to centrally manage the supply chain and take advantage of the economies of scale. The Web interface is programmed to identify each user by log in and will control who can order what and how much. Direct-to-plate technology allows even a novice print buyer to create custom pieces at the click of a mouse.
IPS prides itself on offering all the technology and supply chain integration of our large competitors, while maintaining personalized relationships as only a small business can.
Personal Wealth The purchase of IPS has opened the door to financial opportunities I never thought possible. Although money does not buy happiness, it is definitely a tool that makes more happy experiences possible.
Having been raised in a household of 10 children and very limited means, financial independence is not something that I am quite used to. I have been referred to on more than one occasion as "the queen of the nickel," and it is not something I am ashamed of. Conservative choices in both my personal life and the business have played a large role in making possible the ownership position I enjoy today.
Community Wealth When you evaluate the impact that small businesses have on the economy, it is quite amazing. It is sometimes a bit scary knowing that I am responsible for the financial well-being of my employees. Each time I make a choice, I must consider how it will impact IPS, as well as our client and vendor partners. We make a conscious choice to utilize local production mills in an effort to pour as much revenue as possible back into the Kansas City metro area.
Social Wealth IPS and its employees take an active role in trying to make the greater Kansas City area a better place. We have chosen to make children the focus of our company-giving program. We operate a donation program that encourages our business partners to allow schools and community outreach organizations to make use of items that would otherwise be discarded.
In addition to the donation program, our company was a major sponsor of the 2005 KEYS Youth Dream Home fundraiser. The KEYS program provides residential care and treatment to adolescents ages 12 to 18. Its primary mission is to create a hope-filled, positive future for youth and their families.
My husband, Matthew Fergerson, and I also are licensed foster parents in Clay County. Although we have no children in our care, for the last six years we have been actively involved with one family with four at-risk children. Over the years, we have helped ensure that the children in the household have access to dance lessons, swimming lessons, gymnastics and the chance to play basketball. All of the kids in that household have come to view me as Santa, because the gifts on their Christmas list arrive when we come to visit. Although we have two children of our own, we became foster parents so that we could provide a safety net should one of these children ever need it.
Financing I purchased half of the shares in IPS in 2003, and then acquired the rest of the shares in 2006.
Financing the purchase of IPS was by far the largest financial risk my husband and I have ever been willing to undertake. When the opportunity to buy the first shares presented itself, a trusted industry contact offered to loan me the money. In the end, it was a combination of funds from him and a home equity loan that financed the initial share purchase. In 2006, the resources needed to become the company's sole owner came from a bank loan using our personal residence as collateral. If I ever have a prospect that questions my commitment to the business, they only need to know how much I love my home to understand that I will do whatever it takes to satisfy our customers.
Support Systems The Kansas Women's Business Center and the Helzberg Entrepreneurial Program (HEMP) have given me access to seasoned professionals with a wide range of skills to draw on. The level of support I have received through the HEMP organization constantly amazes me.
Accomplishments In 2003, IPS was in poor financial shape and had a culture of unhappy, undedicated employees and inefficient processes. Since my arrival, we have upgraded the technology and fine-tuned the processes. We have hired dedicated, conscientious employees and taken the company to a positive equity position. I am confident that there is not another forms and fulfillment company in the Kansas City area with a stronger service offering.
Challenge In many areas of business, there is truly an "old boy's club" mentality. The printing industry is no different. I can't tell you the number of sales presentations I sat in with a male business partner, where the speaker hardly gave me the time of day. It apparently did not matter that I owned 51 percent of the company-I was still a girl. In the beginning, I used to make the pecking order clear, but I gradually learned to use the way a person interacted as a measuring stick for their morals and beliefs.
