Chautauqua Institution

Chautauqua Institution

Located in southwestern New York State, the Chautauqua Institution is a non-profit education center and summer resort for adults and youth located on 750 gorgeous acres. More than 7,500 individuals are in residence on any day during a nine-week season, and more than 100,000 attend scheduled public events. The arts, education and recreation are fostered, celebrated and advanced.
Case Study: Chautauqua Institution
Industry: Non-profit
Service(s): Lineage Optimize & Lineage Accelerate

Challenge

The task of keeping the public informed of the institution’s events and offerings falls to Jim Freay and his small team. They regularly mail out letters, invitations, announcements, programs, brochures, fundraising campaign mailers, and other pieces to interested parties across the Northeast.

When Freay began to notice that his mailroom equipment was becoming less and less dependable – and his service reps’ wellness calls fewer and farther in between, he knew it was time for a change. The work of the Chautauqua Institution wasn’t slowing down; he needed to be able to keep up with demand.

“When I first came into this position, we were still having people come in to hand-stuff envelopes and put address labels on,” said Freay. “With the volume of material we send out, it was taking five people a week just to get through prepping a single project. It just wasn’t working.”

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“When you do have to think about it because of a repair or something like that, it’s taken care of quickly, easily, and completely. That kind of attention to detail is extremely valuable to me and my organization.”
– Jim Freay, Chautauqua Institution

Solution

Research and recommendations led Freay to Lineage and Sales Representative Mike Jaworski. The Lineage team was exactly what the Institution needed. After time spent ascertaining the exact needs and requirements of Freay’s position, a mix of products was suggested that would speed up mail sort and prep time by directly printing each mail piece, while ensuring address accuracy and postal discounts.

The solutions included:

“We were able to implement a number of our products in our effort to solve Jim’s challenge,” said Jaworski. “It’s been just the right mix.”

Achievement

It is no longer necessary to bring in extra people to ensure timely labelling and delivery of mail – no matter its dimensions or contents. Important Institution materials are shared in an expedient fashion, ensuring smooth operation for Freay, consistent satisfaction for the growing crowds, and continued financial success for the organization. Has the new equipment made a difference?

“Actually, it’s been phenomenal,” said Freay. “It’s so nice when something that is a part of your daily work is such a no-brainer that you don’t really have to think about it. And when you do have to think about it because of a repair or something like that, it’s taken care of quickly, easily, and completely. That kind of attention to detail is extremely valuable to me and my organization.”

With Lineage for almost a decade now, Freay has been especially pleased by both the equipment’s reliability and that of the team behind it. Now on his second five-year lease, he said he appreciates Lineage’s understanding of his responsibilities and their close, personal attention to building long-lasting relationships. That type of earnestness, so integral to the Institution’s success through the years, is lived daily by Lineage.

“At Lineage, we deliver first-rate service – and always in an exceptional timeframe,” added Lineage’s Paul Klein, the general manager of the company’s Buffalo office. “Our goal is to try to get to you within four hours. We try to be personal, prompt and professional.”

For Freay, there’s a lot to be said for a strong, steady relationship and the reliability that goes along with that. He’s now able to use machines that work – and that means productivity. That, in turn, keeps the Chautauqua Institution’s mission going strong. It brings a smile to Freay’s face.

Succinct and sure, he says, “I’m extremely satisfied.”

That’s the Lineage mission at work.

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