Every month we gather the managers to look at the previous month’s numbers—sales, profitability, impression counts, packages sold, new customers, invoice volume, average ticket, job mix—anything that reveals trends and shows how we’re progressing toward our goal of growing medical and pharmaceutical print and packaging.

Because these meetings always happen in arrears (we reviewed September on October 20th), there’s often a lag before the Employee of the Month write-up goes out.

But the delay doesn’t change the conversation—we still choose the winner and explain exactly why they earned it.

What made September 2025 so special (and more than a little ironic) was that we selected the very same person who won in September 2024: Mary McLaughlin. When I realized it, I pulled up last year’s write-up and smiled. Everything we said then is still true—only now it’s even truer.

September wasn’t a record sales month, so the focus remained on cross-training and organization. To free Lupe for more selling time, we brought in a new team member and asked Mary to train her. No surprise—Mary is simply the best trainer we have. Her command of every machine (Xerox, Iridesse, the new Skandacor digital die-cutter, Duplo dimensional UV, Horizon scoring/perforating/folding, even the cutter) means anyone she teaches becomes instantly more valuable.

Mary has been the heartbeat of JP Graphics since May 2005—twenty years now. I honestly don’t know how we would have survived this industry without her work ethic, her calm demeanor, and her rare ability to handle an entire job from start to finish: cutting her own stocks, printing, finishing, and seamlessly handing off to bindery when needed. Give it to Mary, and you know it will be perfect and on time.

The entire management team feels the same way:

• “Mary is a one-person show!!” ~ Dave
• “When there’s a rush job, she gets it done and brings it to bindery with plenty of time left.” ~ Claudia
• “Mary is ALL business.” ~ Michelle
• “Mary is diligent. Asks questions if she’s unsure. She does it all.” ~ Debbie
• “Mary works so well with bindery, she brings the work, tells us if it needs lamination or cutting. She helps out so much.” ~ Norbi
• “Mary is ‘That Girl’ who gets it done. I could never have survived this long in this business without her. She is family to me.” ~ Joan

In the end, as the old printers’ saying goes: “Good ink on good paper, handled by good people—that’s how you make something last.” Mary McLaughlin has been our “good people” for two decades running. Congratulations again, Mary, September 2025 Employee of the Month!