Upbeat View of PIP

As the owner of six PIP Printing Centers in Southern California for the past 20 years, I was dismayed to read “PIP Faces Challenge of Making Buyout Pay” (Business, May 23).

The comments made by two disgruntled PIP owners in no way represent the mainstream of PIP Printing owner opinion. As a result, the article paints a biased and distorted picture of one of the Southland’s most successful franchise operations. The reporter’s claim that a “large number of PIP franchisees are restless” is inaccurate. As in any large organization, there will be individuals who are discontented. In PIP’s case, a handful of owners are unhappy with the terms of their original franchise agreement and tend to blame their business woes on the franchise corporation.

The beauty of franchising and the reason it works so well for PIP Printing and other major franchisers is that a business owner is supplied a basic business formula that has been tested and works. The headaches of creating a marketing, operational and financial plan have already been tried and perfected by the franchiser. Naturally, like any business, hard work is still required by the individual franchise owner to overcome competition and to meet the demands of the marketplace.

The article leaves readers with the impression that PIP Printing owners are not recognized by the franchiser. That is not so. Much of PIP Printing’s success is due to management’s ability to listen and to act on franchisee’s concerns. PIP was one of the first franchise companies in the nation to create owner steering committees to participate in important business decisions. As chairman of PIP’s Image Steering Committee, I have spent countless hours meeting with PIP management to represent the interests of my peers. These committees have worked hand-in-hand with PIP management and played an active role in the decision-making process.

The reporter stated that PIP franchise owners are uncertain about their future in the wake of the buyout. The future could not look brighter. PIP remains the dominant force in the business printing category, and its joining up with a well-capitalized equity partner enhances our position to further build our business. The merger makes good business sense.

Next time, print the positive story on PIP Printing. With the majority of PIP Printing’s 1,225 stores succeeding, PIP is one franchise that must be doing something right.

DONALD W. BECKHART

Pomona