Zingerman’s Delicatessen has collaborated with Dollar Bill Printing on countless projects for over twenty years. And like us, they’ve been a part of the Ann Arbor community for decades—they recently celebrated their 45th anniversary! Today, we’re celebrating our partnership with an exclusive interview with the team at Dollar Bill. They have over 300 years of combined experience, so they put their heads together to share their knowledge of the history of this local company and our work together.
As Sound as a Dollar (Bill)
Where did your company name come from?
According to our founder, Bill Slack,
While in grad school working on my MBA, sharing a house with three other guys (they were in law school), we shared food and expenses. They were not good at math. They were always overcharging me. They thought I wouldn’t notice…they nicknamed me ‘Dollar.’ Then later, after I worked for Xerox, and I was starting to open my own copy business, one of the guys was my lawyer, and he suggested ‘Dollar Bill’ for the name of my business.
Dream Team
How long have you worked with Zingerman’s Deli? What has that partnership been like?
Officially, we started working with Zingerman’s in 1997, but it’s likely we worked together before that! We’re proud of everything that Zingerman’s has accomplished since we first started working together before it even expanded to the entire Community of Businesses it has today.
Like Zingerman’s, we believe great customer service is the key to a business’s success. Quality customer service has allowed Zingerman’s to grow throughout the years, and we reflect that same commitment to customer service in our business model. We view our customers as our best asset and part of the Dollar Bill family.
What does customer service mean to you?
Customer service means learning about each client to provide the best quality service. We recommend products, develop ideas, help customers save money, and tailor each project to their needs. When they have issues or questions, we’re always here to listen. Customers learn to trust us because we see them as individuals, leading to long-term relationships and friendships.
Bang for Your Buck
photo courtesy of Dollar Bill
How is working with Dollar Bill different from the competition?
Dollar Bill Printing focuses on problem-solving instead of just printing images. We figure out what our customers want to achieve, then help them create products that meet their goals. Customers rely on our expert knowledge when trying to choose the right paper and finishing, design the perfect advertisement, or ship materials to the right people.
Our decades of experience have taught us how to do everything: overcome challenges, deliver materials on time, work with our customers to problem solve, expand our business, and create an environmentally-friendly business model. We’re intimately familiar with the community and have personal relationships with many clients. When they succeed, we’re the first to cheer them on.
Bet Your Bottom Dollar
We love how important the community and sustainability are to you! Why does having an environmentally friendly business matter?
Sustainability is important because it’s our responsibility to fight pollution that contributes to excess CO2 in the atmosphere. We believe most people want to help—they just need the right tools and education. Incorporating sustainability into our business model helps us act as role models for the public.
Dollar Bill Printing practices sustainability with five initiatives:
Recycle at least two-thirds of our production waste annually
Supply our customers with 100% recycled paper and Forest Stewardship Council-certified stock
Package our deliveries with recycled boxes
Encourage customers to choose paperless digital proofs over physical proofs
Maintain our FSC certification
Dollar Bill Printing uses environmentally friendly materials, such as non-toxic dry ink toner. This toner produces fewer emissions and doesn’t create hazardous waste. We choose ENERGY STAR products whenever possible and use recyclable and reusable materials for our digital printers. The printers in our facility produce zero hazardous waste, use as little energy as possible and generate virtually no emissions.
We also participate in the Washtenaw County Waste Knot Program, which encourages businesses, schools, non-profits, and government agencies to reduce waste and pollution. We maintain high sustainability standards to stay in the program and encourage other local businesses to do the same.
photo courtesy of Dollar Bill
What does being a part of the Ann Arbor community mean to you?
Being part of this community means giving back to our neighbors. Our Sales Queen, Stacy Collick, who has worked with us for over 34 years, helps with fundraisers, sits on non-profit committees (United Way Power of the Purse, Women’s Center of SE MI, Ozone House, and many others!), and has helped our non-profit partners throughout the years. We’ve donated printing services to Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS), the Ray & Mary Knight Foundation, United Way, and many more. We’ve also sponsored the Safehouse Center by donating the printing for Zingerman’s Jelly Bean Jump Up Calendar.
Penny for Your Thoughts
Is there anything interesting on the horizon for Dollar Bill?
We’re excited to announce that we’re moving to a bigger facility in Ann Arbor by the end of 2022. It will allow us to take on larger projects and serve more clients while maintaining our existing customer base. We were bursting at the seams at our old facility and this move is essential for our continued growth and performance in a new state-of-the-art facility.
Our move to 3768 Plaza Drive also means that we’re relocating to the Zingerman’s Southside neighborhood, near six of their businesses. We’ll open our new facility by the end of 2022 and we can’t wait to see all of you more often when we get a chocolate croissant or coffee while at work.
As Sound as a Dollar (Bill)
