With a history dating back 117 years, Koke New Century has been a force in Eugene's economy for generations. The current president, Melissa Koke, works to uphold the legacy of QSL and its focus on relationship-driven, community-focused support. In her own words,

“Owning a business is both a privilege and a responsibility” - Melissa Koke

On a sun-soaked day in August, the NWCU team had a chance to sit down with Melissa and learn more about what it's like to run a local business, how they've stayed in business, and how community plays a role in everything they do.

Here's what every business owner - big or small - needs to know.

"Choose a good team, both internal and external." - Melissa Koke

Even before QSL Print Communications was owned by the Koke New Century family of printers, the Koke family already had over a hundred years of experience providing Lane County with print communications. And along the way, they learned that choosing a good team is essential to growth and that leaders must cherish their team and their connections.

Many of the QSL Print staff have worked there for decades and take irreplaceable pride in their team and the work. The production floor of QSL is filled with cutting-edge, precision machinery that they use to produce truly amazing prints. And it's clear that none of the machinery would be worth it without staff that want to be there.

We walked the production floor with Melissa, and she greeted each employee by name, aware of their unique needs and wants in the workplace. "I'd love for you to meet our cutter," she says, "but he's averse to cameras."

We met one worker whose task was hand-packaging hundreds of containers. Melissa mentioned that they were looking for equipment that would make the job easier and that they'd teach the worker how to use it. A subtle nod to the mentality that nothing replaces a good team member.

The same applies to QSL's external partners and clients, like NWCU. At QSL Print, they have the experience needed to elevate their client brands, such as their craftsmanship toward color mixing, their dedication to catching errors, and their appreciation for their history.

On full display at QSL is a decommissioned antique printing machine from a bygone era and across from it is a state-of-the-art Indigo Press. The Indigo Press comes with virtual reality goggles that let the customer service reps, themselves a world away, see through the wearers eyes to diagnose and fix an issue. The contrast of such a high tech machine and an antique printer shows how far Koke New Century has come and how far they'll go. But as the Koke New Century family knows, no business is without challenge. Here's how QSL Print overcame a massive challenge early on.

"The Pandemic Changed Things for Us" - Melissa Koke

For QSL Print, the pandemic was a game changer. One that occurred shortly after Koke New Century stepped into ownership. Like many new business owners during the pandemic, the rules changed. After all, even the best planning couldn't account for a worldwide change to regulations, costs increasing across the board, and a sharp decline in revenue, all of which are far outside the control of any business owner.

"But we never laid anyone off. Everyone kept their jobs." - Melissa Koke

How'd they do it? QSL took a deep dive into their business finances, market, and sustainability. Mix that with a bucket load of hard work, and you're beginning to get the picture — a picture they'd print in high-definition.

It's clear that QSL came out stronger on the other side of the pandemic, and the experience has shown just how strong their team and the company's core beliefs truly are.

Another big challenge QSL faced had a rather serendipitous ending.

"So," Melissa begins, "It was perfect timing. We were looking to finance a special bulk order machine through a local client as opposed to the manufacturer. So, we went to NWCU. You guys made the approval process so easy and so quick!"

Here's where partnership comes into play.

"Shortly after we received the machinery, you guys (NWCU) submitted a specialty bulk order that we were able to fill because of how easy NWCU made the loan process.”

While QSL could’ve purchased the specialty machine outright, they used an NWCU business loan to support their purchase. If they hadn't purchased the specialty machine, they wouldn't have been able to complete NWCU's bulk order.

“We consider the impact our decisions can have on our community.” - Melissa Koke

One core value that QSL Print Communications and NWCU share is our commitment to our community. QSL Print doesn't only serve Lane County. But they make sure to have a positive impact wherever they are. They support the Arts and Business Alliance of Eugene, Food for Lane County, work with veterans, do volunteer gardening, and so much more.

“NWCU has helped us overcome critical challenges” - Melissa Koke

NWCU is proud to call QSL Print Communications a member and a partner. They're a special part of our community, and learning how one of our business loans helped them expand lets us at NWCU know we're on the right path. One of our core values is to help our community thrive. Businesses like QSL Print help us do just that, one step at a time.

Learn more about how NWCU's innovative business solutions to take your business to the next level.