The U.S. Government Printing Office is celebrating 150 years in operation.  Signed into law by President Buchanan, the GPO actually opened its doors under the Lincoln administration—Abe was the only President who has ever visited the plant, strangely! Managing more than a $1 billion in printing, the GPO is an important part of the U.S. printing industry, funneling much of that printing to the private sector.  But the agency has also taken a leadership role in leveraging the digital technologies that are so critical to success in today’s competitive print marketplace.

Of course, much has changed in the last 150 years, and the GPO is utilizing social media site YouTube to get that message out—one of the many ways the agency is leveraging technology to accomplish its mission.  The seven-minute video is well worth watching if you are interested in gaining a better understanding of what the GPO does and how it has evolved over the years.  The video also points out that the GPO, like many printing businesses, is, in many ways, a family operation.  WhatTheyThink interviewed members of two of the families featured in the video earlier this year.

U. S. Public Printer Bob Tapella also announced this week that the GPO has completed its seventh consecutive year of positive results—this coming at a time when government as a whole is increasingly under fire for large deficits, uncontrolled spending and even lack of relevancy—from both sides of the aisle.

If you are in Washington D.C. and have the time, a visit to the GPO can be a very interesting experience. I have visited twice and found it fascinating. Contact GPO’s Public Relations Office at 202-512-1957 to make arrangements.