For Emile Vaughan, President of Davis Direct, green has always been his color. Of course, it was all about the golf greens in the beginning of his career. Vaughan has always had a passion for golf.

When he was in college, it was all he wanted to do. He graduated from Auburn University Montgomery with a degree in Information Systems, and immediately wanted to go out and play golf for a living.

In order to become a member of the Professional Golfers Association (PGA), you first have to qualify. “I played on mini-tours, and went through tour qualifying schools to get into the PGA, but didn’t get my card in the finals. It was then I decided I was chasing a dream,” states Vaughan. 

After deciding he didn’t want to pursue playing golf for a living, he became the Golf Pro at Bonnie Crest Country Club in Montgomery. As his family started to grow, Vaughan transitioned his career from golf to the business world. He was faced with the decision to either work as a Sales Representative for a local printer or as an Insurance Adjuster with Allstate. “Obviously, I took the job with print, ”states Vaughan. “It just fits me. I like the technology and the production aspect. I like seeing something go from an idea to a final printed piece.” 

Vaughan’s career in the printing industry expanded with several priners. In 1995, he joined Davis Printing as one of its partners. His son Mitchell Vaughan joined the DavisDirect team in 2008, and handles inventory management, estimating, and special projects.

Over the years, Davis Printing has grown to incorporate more than just printing services. In 1997, Davis acquired a small mail house, Mercury Mail, to handle its mailing services. In 2006, the companies merged to become Davis Direct, Inc. Davis Direct continues to be a leader in the print world. In August, Davis Direct was awarded the 2009 EcoMAX® Green Leadership Award for leading the way with its FSC certification and other sustainable initiatives. 

Davis Direct is the only printer in the River Region to achieve FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) Certification and has taken great strides to put sustainable practices into place.

“FSC is the only definitive way that you can know you are using wood from a forest that is being responsibly managed,” states Vaughan. The FSC was established in 1993 and is regarded as the most important initiative of the last decade to promote responsible forest management. The FSC trademark provides the link between responsible forest production and the end-user of the products. 

While FSC certification is unique to Davis Direct, the company has also implemented a number of other sustainable initiatives. In January of 2009, Davis installed a solvent recovery system that has reduced the need for solvent waste disposal by approximately 95%. Solvents are used for numerous press activities in the printing industry. The system allows Davis to reuse its solvents, dramatically reducing the amount of solvent it has to purchase.

Recycling is a key component of Davis’ workflow. At each printing station, there is a large corrugated cardboard box dedicated to recycling 100% of its production by-product. Davis recycles approximately 225 tons of paper each year. 

Davis also recycles 100% of its aluminum printing plates. Each job that is printed requires its own aluminumprinting plate, creating 13,000 pounds of metal waste that is recycled each year.

Beyond the paper on which a job is printed, the ink is the most important component. Davis Direct produces approximately 20% of jobs using 100% vegetable based inks. The remainder of the jobs are printed using inks that contain no more than 5% petroleum products. All of Davis’ inks are low in VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). 

“Sustainability is about what makes good business sense. We have implemented these changes to be more efficient and save money. A lot of green practices are just smart business practices. Usually one of the mantras in the green movement is to conserve…what better rule is there for a business than to conserve?” says Vaughan.

Printing Facts:

• In 2008, more than 57% of paper consumed in the U.S. was recovered for recycling, more than any material.
• The average person’s paper use for a year — 440 pounds — is produced by 500 kilowatt-hours of electricity, the sameamount used to power one computer continuously for 5 months.
• Less than 10% of U.S. power comes from renewable sources, but in the pulp and paper industry, that figure is greaterthan 60%.*

Source: The Print Council, "Why Print is Green", November 2009.