Obermeier launches Production Management for print job coordination

BOULDER — A mole, or shirt, that once was worn by the wife of a chief in the Sanlas Islands of South America hangs in Michele Obermeier’s Production Management office to represent her career change from a top management position at U S West to starting her own small business.

“I wanted to keep it as a reminder,” Obermeier said. “We use new technology, and I don’t want to forget its all about relationships, like in the village, they all worked together and made something beautiful.”

Obermeier started Production Management in July after retiring from 20 years at U S West. The print and electronic communication company manages the details, coordinates with printers, negotiates prices and delivers the final products for items such as brochures, annual reports, banners, newsletters and electronic communications.

The bright colors in the mole, including purples, reds and yellows, served as the inspiration for Production Management’s bright logo and even the colors of the walls in the office, Obermeier said.

Most of the walls at Production Management are painted a bright yellow and others are a deep red. “Yellow is cheerful and warm,” Obermeier said.

The mole is one of two Obermeier’s colleague’s brother traded a speargun for when he spent some time with a tribe in the Sanlan Islands.

When both Obermeier and her friend, Kathy Duncan, retired from U S West and went on to start their own small businesses, Duncan gave Obermeier one of the moles. Duncan, who opened Key Ventures, a limited liability business that she runs from her home, said she thought the mole was a perfect gift for Obermeier before she started a print business.

“It has a sewn alphabet,” she said. “I thought it was perfect for a celebration of her new business.”

Obermeier, 56, was eligible for retirement from U S West after 20 years with the company when she turned 55 in April of last year, not long before the Qwest merger. While she could have stayed on with Qwest, she had been wanting to start her own business for a long time.

“I retired the day before the merger,” she said. “I had been with U S West 20 years, and I wanted my retirement papers to say I retired from U S West. I have a lot of allegiance and gratitude to U S West. In 20 years there I learned a lot about being a businesswoman. I retired with a pension.”

Obermeier has an undergraduate degree in journalism and her first job, 25 years ago, was at the Colorado State University printing and publications department, she said.

“I always had this dream of getting back into graphics and print products,” she said.

During her last four years at U S West, Obermeier worked at the Denver office as vice president of network procurement. Before that, she worked at the U S West Advanced Technologies office in Boulder as director of operations.

After she moved to the Denver office, Obermeier, who lives in Lafayette, had an hour and a half commute to work every day, she said. “I have gotten three hours back into my day,” she said. “Its a huge difference.”

Obermeier feels more connected to her community now that she lives and works in the same area, she said.

“I am president-elect on the board of the YWCA in Boulder County,” she said. “I didn’t have as much time for that before. Now I have time to make a difference for that non-profit.”

Obermeier’s new job allows her to use her background in technology, as well as her experience in marketing, she said. “I’m very excited to be doing something entrepreneurial,” she said.

Another advantage of running a small business over working for a large corporation, Obermeier said, is she has more of an opportunity to help the people who work for her.

“At U S West I had a team of 250 people,” she said. “Now I have a team of three. I now feel I have a better chance of helping my team do meaningful work and be successful and that really makes a difference to me.”

During her years of working with Obermeier at U S West, Duncan said she was impressed with how well Obermeier works with people.

“Michelle, above all people I’ve ever worked with, is a champion of people and women’s issues. She is a glass ceiling breaker,” Duncan said.

As well as being a strong leader, Obermeier also is extremely creative and has an eye for detail, Duncan added.

Although it may seem there are many differences between working for a large corporation and running a small business, Obermeier said there actually are more similarities. “Focusing on the customer is the number one priority in a big company and a little company,” she said. “Also, deadlines are critical in a big and a small company.”

Obermeier’s first client was Stratecom, a 10-year old company owned by her husband, Bill, and another of her clients is Qwest, she said. Workhorse Advertising, a new Boulder agency, is another client.

Chris Beatty, creative director at Workhorse, said he appreciates Production Management because the company takes care of everything, and he does not have to deal with printers. “Laura Norwood from Production Management comes in and picks up my stuff, and I don’t get printers calling me.”

Norwood worked for Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, a huge advertising agency in San Francisco, before coming to Boulder, Beatty said.

“The art director there is picky,” he said. “If she can please him, she can definitely please me.”

Since starting Production Management, Obermeier said, the staff has worked hard to build a base of suppliers and customers. “We ask prospective customers to give us a chance,” she said. “People are doing that and coming back.”

For information on Production Management, call (720) 406-7900.

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