Hello All
My name is Jason Beck I am 38 years old and have been in the printing field of some sorts since I was 16. I started out as a helper on a 38" Omsca 4 color. (What a dinosaur) I worked for that company for 5 years moving up to be lead in my 5th year. I had a knack of seeing color and it all just came to me like riding a bike. I lost all trust in family owned business's due to the fact that one day on a Monday I showed up for work and I stuck my key in the door and my key would not open the door. I tried all of the doors in the building and I couldnt get in. The funny thing is the key opened the door on that previous Friday. So I went back around to the employee entrance and looked through the window to find that my press was half gone. "Literally half gone" it appears that the owners fell behind on payments or they simply just drank all the funds away and the machine was being reposessed.
Luckily, after going back home and getting a call from the owner about two hours later I returned back to the shop to hear the full story on why half of the machine was gone. By this time the press movers were already back in the building finishing up what they started. The owner told me the story and I simply asked "How are you going to pay me" he said I dont know! Well we never recycled plates back then so we had seriously 2 pallets of plates that stood about 4ft tall. I said, I want all of the plates! He said take'm. Litho aluminum went for alot of money in the late 80's early 90's. Long story short I never trusted another printing company after that and proceeded to job jump for about 10 years, just going where the money was, taking odd jobs throughout but still remained in the field. In the earlier years I was in my early 20's and everytime I went for an interview, people wouldnt believe I knew how to run a press. I would just tell them let me run the press for a day, and if it appeared I didnt know what I was doing, then just tell me to leave. I didnt even want to get paid for that day. Once they saw I did know how to run a press and get color and make adjustments, I would get the job.
I have run Harris (Omsca), Miller perfectors, Heidlebergs, Komori's, Man Roland, and several small presses. I stepped out of the offset business for about 5 years now and have been in the wide format inkjet printer industry. I like it alot, the money is good, but man do I miss running a press. The offset printing jobs here in Dallas are very scarce and most anybody in their position is very happy to stay.
I have since been serving the repair side of the inkjet industry. I sell and perform service on Mutoh, Roland, & Mimaki digital printers. I like being my own boss, but I am just an indiviual trying to compete with the top dogs of the industry. I need something more consistant to take care of my family.
So with all of that said. If anybody reading this post knows of any company in or around the Dallas/Ft Worth area looking for a good employee that knows the business, please let me know.
I would be willing to take a 2nd Pressmans position just to get back in the field again. I miss the smells and the challenge of running a press.
Sorry the post was so long but I saw everybody giving detailed information, so thats why I did.
