This week we will move our order-fulfillment operation and warehouse to a nearby structure with more than 8,000 square feet of space, plus a loading dock and dedicated space for tool assembly and production of glue and our soft wax finish.
So if you place an order this week, it might be delayed several days as we move everything into the new space. Apologies for this short interruption in service.
We are not abandoning our Anthe headquarters and storefront on Madison Avenue in Covington. In fact, moving our fulfillment operations will allow a lot of good things to happen at our circa-1890 factory building.
Most important, we will have space for a huge number of books at the new warehouse, which is only a couple miles from Anthe in neighboring Newport, Kentucky. This will allow us to deepen our stock of our existing titles and to stop playing the endless game of Tetris at Anthe whenever a new shipment of books arrives.
Why did we run out of space at Anthe so quickly? I don’t like to speak ill of people who cannot count, but an inventory audit at out last fulfillment center was sub-optimal in the “addition” department. We needed more space than we thought.
The new warehouse, which I now dub “Beacon,”1 will fix all those problems. And there is lots of room for growth at Beacon because we will be able to stack books higher than one pallet.
So what will happen at Anthe? Lots.
The storefront will continue to operate on the first floor. And we hope to have it open six days each week by the end of the year.
We plan to rearrange the storefront and re-open the passageway between the storefront and the picking floor at the rear of the first floor. Why? Because that is where a new woodworking school will go. Details to follow on the school.
The second floor of Anthe will become our print production offices. As I have mentioned earlier, we plan to use Risograph machines to print some of our titles. We need room for these machines, the paper to feed them and (eventually) the machines to bind and finish books. Our current editorial offices there will remain. The only big change is that we will move tool production to Beacon. Right now, we are assembling hammers and finishing Crucible tools in the same space we are editing books and printing full-size plans and scanning images and signing books and rooting out typos. It’s cramped up there.
What about the third floor of Anthe and the basement? For me, that is the huge news. We have no plans for those spaces. We are going to sit on them and use them to grow LAP. We could put in a bunkroom for students. Or an apartment for visiting instructors. Or a machine room for ourselves.
Or a petting zoo.
I’m just happy to have some space to think and dream with. For the entire 19-year history of LAP, we have been pressed for space. For now, we have some room.
— Christopher Schwarz
1 The warehouse facility was built for Beacon Printing about 37 years ago. That is one of the reasons it perfectly serves our needs.
Holy crap! All kinds of news. Your hegemony will soon be complete. Amaze amaze amaze.
Weird technical question. How high can you stack books before those on the bottom are harmed?
Congratulations.
PS. You should add an axe-throwing area in back of Beacon.
The steel racks for warehouse have “stories,” like a building. So there will be three floors of pallets, each with a steel floor. We are finally moving into the 20th century!
I imagine it really hurts every time one thing has to be cleared out or discontinued to make room for another. Hope this gives you more freedom in that area.
Ugh I swear something is bugged in the comment reply UX.
It will.
20th or 21st?
20th. 21st would have robots involved.
Wow, you guys are setting up for world domination …
Did you buy Beacon, or are you renting?
Lease was the only option.
Any chance you can elaborate on what a Risograph printing machine is and how that compares to the printing of most LAP books? Just curious as I am sure it is something really good.
Risograph always reminded me a little of the old fashioned mimeograph machine, with its rotating platen.
Risograph is similar to screen printing. We won’t be printing all of our books using these machines. For full-color books, offset is still the gold standard. But the Risograph will allow us to make books that are much closer to being handmade. Perfectly imperfect.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risograph
That sounds awesome.
Welcome to Campbell County.
This. I also live in Kenton but base my business out of Campbell.
Man, I couldn’t be more excited. This is really cool, and amazing to see the growth at LAP! The whole community benefits from your endeavors, and its heartwarming to see it flourishing!
Do I hear an implication that liability insurance for a strictly commercial space is not the problem it was when a residential space was involved? If so, hallelujah!!
That is correct.
Space for an extraordinary amount of books AND a risograph AND a petting zoo? Fantastic news! Congrats folks!
From a business management point of view, the statement that jumps out at me is “an inventory audit at out last fulfillment center was sub-optimal in the “addition” department.”
I am sorry but this is on LAP. You have to tighten your inventory management as this is working capital tied up. I know accountants get “rained on” but this is precisely the kind of thing that can land a thriving business in trouble over time.
As a rough guide, your initial book order less your sales (have a tight grip on those numbers please) = inventory on hand or very close (accounting for spoilage). If you do consignments with suppliers, that adds another layer of complexity, as those numbers must be accounted for too.
All businesses start with the hope and vision of throwing the yoke of numbers but ultimately to run a successful business you have to know where you stand at all times. There is an old saying in accounting, “what gets measured gets done.”
Have some quick and dirty guides for key metrics and do rough counts (once a month) until you have properly working inventory management system. Wishing you continued success. Cheers.
Got it.
Sounds like a great plan. Congratulations.
Congratulations! This is fantastic news and I am so happy LAP is doing so well. Deservedly so.
Congratulations to you and John!
Your third floor dilemma is a nice one to have but don’t take too long or before you know it will be filled with stuff you didn’t remember you had, where you got it from and how it got up there. 🙂
As a cautious person I am always impressed by how people like you move through the world. I have also learned well-intentioned words of caution serve no purpose. Onward and upward!
Congrats on the new Beacon space and the exciting plans for the Anthe Building. With the risograph machines & future bookbinding equipment does that mean LAP might do limited runs of books now out of print?
Have you come up with a name for the woodworking school, or will there be a contest to name it?
Hey, cuz!
That’s one possible use of the machines. And if there is demand for a title we would take on that job.
My interest is in making a sort of book that we cannot get manufactured anywhere. When I’m farther down this path, I’ll try to explain what I’m after. First I need to learn to use the machines.
There’s not a name for the school yet. It is going to be an independent entity, and the people running it have to make that decision.
Chris, Megan, and all –
Congratulations on the upcoming / in-progress moves. I look forward to class announcements for the Anthe Building next year.
That said – and many thanks to Esther for her comment about the insurance issue ’cause I planned to ask that, too – I have two other questions:
1) is Beacon Printing still a going concern? Do you use them? (or … the less said / answered the better?)
2) re: the Risograph machine – I LOVE your monograph on Roman Workbenches, and have it loving kept in PDF and printed loose-leaf plus a staple or two. Will you at some point offer Roman Workbenches as a “real live” book? I would be first, or at least early, in line to purchase a copy …
-Nathan
I’m fairly certain Beacon closed (the owner retired). But they did not print books, so no, we didn’t use them.
We did offer a letterpress Roman Workbenches…so it’s possible one of those might show up on the secondary market. I don’t know what plans we have for a Risograph – Chris has to, as he notes, learn to use it first!
Wonderful news to hear! I love hearing you get into Riso, I’ve done it once but definitely want to do more of it in the future. Congrats on your growing business and capabilities.
I am really excited that you are continuing to expand. This means that the interest in what you are offering is expanding as well and speaks well for the future of the craft. I look forward to seeing you guys at Handworks!
Have an amazing day!