We are no stranger to cardboardat Samsill.  We make the RAW binder which is highly durabletype of chipboard/cardboard. All of our binders had some form of chipboard between the sheets of Polypropylene. We know our way around cardboard, but Chris Gilmour brings cardboard to an entirely different level.

Via Chris Gilmour via TwistedSiftler 

Chris Gilmour was born in Stockport, UK (1973), but now calls Udine, Italy home. Using only cardboard and glue, Chris creates incredible sculptures that do not use any supporting structures or wooden/metal frames. Everything you see is 100% cardbaord. His medium of choice is plentiful, cheap and lightweight.

Guido Bartorelli summarizes Gilmour’s work as follows:

Gilmour’s work includes stunning virtuoso life-size objects, as well as cruder and more essential reproductions, sometimes left at a stage that calls to mind drafts or models. These are however all based on objects we have all experienced first hand- a typewriter, a car, a bicycle, a wheelchair.

These objects are always carefully chosen for their evocative and conceptual power, for the potential for mnemonic narration that they contain. They offer a blank canvas upon which the viewer can project their own memories or experiences, recalling collective perceptions or the gestures and the rituals of daily life. All the objects have an uncanny power to provoke a sensation of attraction and a desire to interact in the viewer.

The ordinariness of the actions associated with these objects causes the viewer to unthinkingly act out the gesture associated with it- to type, or to open the car door- and it is this contradiction between the seeming functionality of the objects and the fact that in reality they are “fake”, this peculiar conceptual short circuit, which increases the bewildering effect of the works and lets us into a poetry of pure plastic forms. [Source]

All photos: Artwork by CHRIS GILMOUR (photography by Marco De Palma)

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This is dedicated to all our university friends gearing up for finals week.

Peter Root is a patient man. This is one of the cooler things we have ever seen done with simple supplies found in an office.

Here is what he had to say: (Source)

Ephemicropolis 2010

100,000 Staples
Approx floor area 600x300cm

Stacks of staples were broken into varying sizes from full stacks about 12cm high down to single staples. These stacks were then stood up and arranged over a period of 40 hours.

Click here to see feature in March 2012 issue of National Geographic Magazine.

The Making of Ephemicropolis from Peter Root on Vimeo.

What is Administrative Professionals’ Day?

Administrative Professionals’ Day (also known as Secretaries Day or Admin Day) is a holiday in several countries. Recognize the work of secretaries, administrative assistants, receptionists, and other administrative support professionals. In North America, it is celebrated on the Wednesday of the last full week of April (Today)

The idea began with Mary Barrett, president of the National Secretaries Association, now called IAAP (International Association of Administrative Professionals), and C. King Woodbridge, president of Dictaphone Corporation. They served on a council addressing a national shortage of skilled office workers. Together with Harry Klemfuss, public relations account executive at Young & Rubicam, they originated the idea for a National Secretaries Week.

The official period of celebration was first proclaimed by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Charles Sawyer as “National Secretaries Week,” which was held June 1–7 in 1952, with Wednesday, June 4, 1952 designated National Secretaries Day. The first Secretaries Day was sponsored by the National Secretaries Association with the support of corporate groups.

In 1955, the observance date of National Secretaries Week was moved to the last full week of April. The name was changed to Professional Secretaries Week in 1981, and became Administrative Professionals Week in 2000 to encompass the expanding responsibilities and wide-ranging job titles of administrative support staff. IAAP created National Secretaries Week (now Administrative Professionals Week) with two objectives in mind: to recognize “the secretary, upon whose skills, loyalty, and efficiency the functions of business and government offices depend,” and to call attention “through favorable publicity, to the tremendous potential of the secretarial career.”

Admin Professionals Week is now one of the largest workplace observances. It is celebrated worldwide.  Administratice Professionals Day is a trademark belonging to IAAP.

Source: Wikipedia

The ultimate question: Paper or Plastic?  Find out which is ultimatly better in this Saturday’s [INFOGRAPHIC]

Rebloged from this Gizmodo post

Yeah, you can those blue Bic pens in bulk if you want—a boatload costs about as much as your morning coffee. And all pens are pretty much the same, right? Of course not. Cheapo pens are much more likely to leave ink smeared across your nose, bleeding through your pants pocket, or glopping up your page.

But even cheap pens were state-of-the-art at one time. Let’s take a look at how writing with ink has evolved over the centuries.

Paintbrushes were the earliest precursors to pens, appearing in China as writing instruments around the first millennium BC. By 300 BC, the Egyptians were using reeds for written communication, and by the 7th century, Europeans had adopted bird feathers to drag ink along a page.

Quill pens were a huge innovation—they weren’t bulky or rigid like the writing tools that came before them. Their natural bend eased the friction between pen and page, and their slender profile made them easier to wield.

For hundreds and hundreds of years, dipping feathers in ink was the best way to put words on a page. But in the 19th century, people traded quills for metal writing instruments. The first machine-made steel pen point came out of England in 1828. It was great for manufacturers, but the dip, write, dip, write process was still just as tedious for wordsmiths.

Finally, in 1884, the American inventor L.E. Waterman created the first practical fountain pen. It wasn’t the first pen to hold ink inside, but Waterman’s was the first that regulated ink output. According to his patent, this is how he did it:

The tendency to a heavy and excessive flow of ink… will be compensated by an increased influx of air…to fill the vacuum tending to be produced within the reservoir, thus retarding the flow and automatically regulating the same.

While ballpoint pens also date back to the late 19th century, they didn’t take off until the 1940s. The “biro” pen made by Lázló Bíró, a Hungarian journalist living in Argentina, really kicked off the craze. Bíró′s was the first to use quick-drying ink and a ball to regulate flow. The combo reduced friction on the page and mitigated smudges.

Our ballpoint pens today use basically the same set up with upgraded components, better materials and more current engineering.

Ink has also improved over time. We want an even line with consistent thickness. No clumping, No clogging. Pen designers have put a lot of thought into the best way to achieve this. I called up Uni-Ball, the maker of the only pen I use, to learn more about ink magic.

“The traditional ballpoint pen [ink] is oil-based and very thick,” says Samantha Brown, Uni-Ball’s brand manager. “The Jetstream uses a hybrid ink, which is between a gel roller and a ballpoint.” That means it’s thinner and brighter than in a standard issue pen, so it’s easier to roll out. The formulation also allows the ink to retain its quick-drying properties, something you would lose in a straight-up gel pen.

There are many things about ink that normal people never think about: friction between the pen and the page, for instance. Test a bargain 12-pack pen and then test one that you threw down a few bones for. Chances are the one that cost more will generally feel better. It won’t stick on the page and the ink won’t stutter. The key to a better-feeling ballpoint is low-viscosity. The Jetstream achieves it by baking a lubricating solvent into its ink. The result is 40-percent less friction than what you get from a pack-o-pens.

The ink magic does not stop there. “It’s water resistant, bleaching resistant, ammonium hydroxide resistant, hydrochloric acid resistant, water resistant and bleaching resistant, too,” Brown explains. That’s all to protect bad guys from tampering with your checks and other important documents with a bottle of nail polish remover. Uni-ball uses Super Ink, a tamper-resistant formula they came out with in 1986—back then, check doctoring was rampant. The stuff embeds itself into the fibers of the paper along with the pigment and dye-based ink to hold strong when chemically challenged.

We’ve come a long way! Along with ink delivery, mechanics have made pens smoother to retract, a better understanding of ergonomics has made them easier to hold, and they even work well these days at high altitudes. You just have to buy a model with a full century’s worth of ball-point innovation built in. We write so infrequently these days, it’s worth a few extra bucks to make sure it’s a glob-free experience.

history of the pen

Huge News from Samsill this morning. We are officially announcing our Raw Ring Binder Series.  This is a fully biodegradable & recyclable series from Samsill.  It is also the first Raw Binder on the market that can be fully customized and printed on.

To see the full press release CLICK HERE.

Samsill is offering the first printed custom Raw Ring Binder on the market

An excellent poem by Mike V. about three ring binders

O, three ring binder, we’re not unalike;

Our cover’s deceptively plain.

Pockets swell with lingering thoughts,

Which most are remitted in vain.

Three rings lie within this chaos,

Where true permanence is obtained.

.

Everlasting paper fills our rings,

Longing to be immersed in wit.

You keep instructions organized,

In vast sections they do fit.

Responsibility is required to preserve,

The learning to which we commit.

.

O, three ring binder, we’re not unalike;

By knowledge we are bound.

Your three rings always cherish,

The facts that you have found.

And let’s share our information,

So education can abound.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE Press Release IN FULL!

Office life can be a tough life to live for some of us. We do everything we can to have our “little escapes” during the day. For some of us that is playing on the computer, others it is taking a walk, some like to chat with co-workers… I like to find and play with cool office tech items. Or cut up binders into mustaches. Whatever takes my mind of things.

Here are 19 gadgets that will help to turn that day job prison into a techy heaven!

1. Newton’s USB Cradle
   
   A new take on an old office classic, the USB Newton’s Cradle from Boynq gracefully suspends 4 USB cables aloft like the classic Newton’s cradle, affording you great functionality in a slick form factor.

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This post originally appeared at Sew Mama Sew.  It is quoted from this post

There are a million things to do with binders. This is a tutorial from Sew Mama Sew on how to make your own binder pouch to go in a Samsill binder.  This is good to holdpens and pencils or anything else you can imagine.

Anna from Noodlehead did a pattern review for us earlier in the year (here’s her introduction). We are so excited to have her back here today, sharing her Binder Pouch Tutorial for our month of Back to School fun! Anna has lots of great tutorials on her blog so be sure to visit and enjoy (we love theBicycle Bucket!).

From Anna: I had this project saved on my to-do list for a looong time… I’m so glad Sew,Mama,Sew!is doing a Back to School month! I love this project because of course I love zippers, but I think this will be a great project to send to school with your kiddos. You can even make it super-personalized by having your kids pick out the fabrics, or adding an initial, or you could even embroider a favorite animal– Go crazy! Extra bonus: when you make it yourself you know it’ll hold up to a lot of wear and tear.

Materials:

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This is a video tutorial on how to insert a spine insert into our DXL/Contour Binder.  Sometimes it can be tricky trying to get spine inserts into binders, especially ones with curved spines like our DXL Binder. We hope this video helps you cure those woes.

Cheers,

Samsill Marketing

One of our goals with this blog is to reach the world and let them know how cool office products & binders can be.  There are millions of things people can do with a simple binderor some everyday things in the office.  In the future we will be making more how-to videos to show some of these neat things.  For the time-being check out some of the how-to’s over at our Pinterest site as well as this “How-To make a Recipe Binder”

Now it is time to learn, from a young kid, how to make a catapult out of office supplies!

Cheers,

Samsill Marketing
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As you all know we make binders, pad holders, business accessories, and other organization supplies for the office.  Those are all AWESOME products but there are other things that we use in the office that are pretty cool as well.  The Stapler is one of those products. We deal with a lot of paper, 1200+ pages worth in the TitanBinder, naturally we have to staple a lot of that paper. Staplers can be our best friend, or worst enemy depending on the day.  Here is a ode to the stapler.
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Samsill produces the most innovative products in the industry. Our Antimicrobial binder was the first of its kind and still is the best of its kind. Our Clean Touch Antimicrobial binder uses the All natural silver-based antimicrobial additive by Agion. It prevents the growth of bateria, mold and mildew of the binder’s surface promoting cleaner offices, schools, and hospitals.

Agion is a partner of ours and last year a few companies rolled out base layers that incorporate the antimicrobial technology from Agion. Our friends over at gear.com had the write up.

I’ve had a number of base layers in my day — most of which haven’t survived, because of a few rips or sometimes just their general grunginess after a fair amount of usage. And there are more than a few of those that were tossed after having been loaned to a friend, whose B.O. unwittingly sped the item along its path towards the rubbish heap.

For those of us in this camp that is constantly searching for base layers that treat us right, a new material is in town: Agion Active. As eVent fabric opened the doors to a world beyond Gore-Tex in the outerwear category, perhaps Agion Active will do the same to move us beyond some of the age-old options we’ve lived with in base layers (Capilene, anyone?).

Agion Active is built to be anti-microbial to fight the stink of normal base layers. It’s secret sauce? A fabric finish technology that Agion claims is capable of making gear and materials that never smell. Agion says thecornerstone of this technology is silver, which doesn’t surprise me — for years silver has been considered a home remedy for killing microbes. That’s where the term “silver spoon” comes from — some claim that during the terrible infections and plagues that spread throughout Europe years ago, the wealthy would give their children a spoon made of sterling silver to suck on and it would help kill any germs they might incidentally ingest. As a result, to this day many individuals looking for natural alternatives to antibiotics, etc, will take a bit of colloidal silver (sometimes to unusual effect).

So it makes sense that this same approach could be used to kill smelly microbes in materials, namely base layers in this case.

Having used the shirt in a number of quite sweaty situations such as skinning into the backcountry in mid-winter or skiing hard all day at Snowbird in mid-June (yes, the lifts are still open!), I can say that this shirt is not nearly as stinky as most of my other base layers. I’m pretty stunned, in fact. I even loaned the shirt to a few friends who tried their best to stink it up — and the shirt has not come close to reaching the stink level of other materials.

At first impression, I would say that Agion Active has some good potential. What’s more, it’s a finish that can easily be applied at the end of the manufacturing process — meaning that it could possibly be used to promising effect for products other than outdoor gear, such as carpets and pet products. Seems like Agion may have taken some old medicine and put it to creative new use.

Clean Touch Antimicrobial Binder from Samsill

The ring binder was first patented in 1854 and since then they have been used for many things. The binder is the most efficient way to organize all kinds of materials. Since binders come in different sizes, colors, materials, and capacities, they are a universal tool for any type of organizational need. Binders also allow the user to become creative in what a binder is used for. Possibilities are endless when it comes to the many uses of binders.

Samsill has one of the widest, if not the widest, array of binder selection in the industry. There are WAY more than 8 uses for them but here are 8 that others have found useful.

Here are 8 uses for ring binders:

1. Sales pricing books
2. Owner’s manuals or employee handbooks can be easily organized into a binder
3. Organize school materials, homework, etc.
4. Organizing collections: Whether you collect stamps, baseball cards, or other memorabilia, plastic sheets and inserts are a great place to put collections and can be easily placed into a binder
5. Binders can make great scrapbooks or photo albums
6. Easel binders allow for making presentations easy
7. If you have a bunch of recipes lying around, a binder can be used to make a cookbook
8. A binder was originally created to hold loose leaf paper, which is a great place to write a journal, a book, or track goals

These are just a few examples of how binders can be used, but there are many more uses out there. Binders make organization easy and convenient, especially with binder accessories such as tabs and page protectors.

The Binders For Life series from Samsill are great binders to use for any of the 8 uses for binders.

This was the coolest thing we saw done with office supplies over the weekend. Have a look at these sculptures. Stunning.

via My Modern Met

Jennifer Maestre takes your average pencil and creates such a strong personal conflict—to touch or not to touch! The viewer is drawn in by the intricate detail and surprising choice of material, but at the same time, there is a desire to retreat from the sharp points. Maestre said, “There is true fragility to the sometimes brutal aspect of the sculptures, vulnerability that is belied by the fearsome texture.”

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Being an office products company like us, we focus a lot of energy on how do our products make other office workers happy.  While our cool and innovative products can help, the most important thing is company culture. Read the post below from DailyInfographic.

Call it a “case of the Mondays,” but surveys and studies show Americans’ happiness in the workplace decreasing each year. It is no coincidence that as job security ebbs happiness dissipates with it. But there are other factors to employee happiness at work, and the infographic below takes a stab at why you should care.
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Samsill makes Binders, Ring Binders, View Binders, and a TON of Custom Binders. If we made white boards we would DEFINITELY hire this dude!  I want to know how he draws such awesome artwork on a whiteboard without smearing it with his hand… Crazy good office supply art!

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March Contest Winner Announced!

Hi Samsill fans!  We are happy to announce our March Facebook “Like” Contest winner.  For those of you who don’t know we are doing a monthly contest on our Samsill Facebook account. We are giving away one $50 cash gift card to one of our lucky fans.  The prize winners are randomly drawn at the end of each month.

CONGRATULATIONS:  Laurie Norman Neidigh!!

Instructions on redeeming your gift card:

Send an email to marketing@samsill.comincluding the following

Name

Address (including country, city, state, zip code)

[One week to redeem the prize.  Must have email in by 5pm CST March. 12th, 2011]

Hi Altego fans!  We are happy to announce another Altego Laptop Sleeve Giveaway winner.  For those of you who don’t know we are doing a weekly contest on our Altego Facebook account. We are giving away one Altego Laptop Sleeve to one of our lucky fans each week.  The prize winners are randomly drawn from our Altego Brand Facebook fans.
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French landscape astrophotographer and astronomy journalist Laurent Laveder created a fun series of ‘moon’ images with a twist. Using a few simple props and the human form he’s transformed the moon into all manner of objects. He’s also pulled together a small book – Moon Games – featuring some of the images and some poetry (it’s in French).

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The three ring binder serves as an integral component to any office, home, or educational facility. It keeps papers organized and neat, and presents them in a professional manner. The invention of the three ring binder led to other inventions and innovations related to office implements.

The Three Ring Binder

• The three ring binder (sometimes referred to as a file in Great Britain) was invented by Friedrich Soennecken in 1886. The design is similar to the cover of a book: two rigid folders held together with a spine. Within the spine of a three ring binder are three equidistant rings that can hold paper or documents in place. The rings of the binder are spring loaded and, most often, circular. The ISO, or the International Organization for Standards, sets the distance between the rings at 80 mm apart.

Friedrich Soennecken

• Friedrich Soennecken was born in 1848 in Sauerland, Westphalia. His father was a blacksmith, and as a result Soennecken was exposed to ingenuity and creativity at an early age. On May 27, 1875, he founded the F. Soennecken Verlag, an office supply company in Remscheid, Westphalia.

Soennecken’s Other Inventions

• Soennecken’s main invention was the creation of the nib, or a round tip at the end of a pen. Along with this invention, Soennecken developed the “round writing” style of calligraphy. Round writing was designed to be both aesthetically pleasing and easy to learn and utilize. It is still used today. He also published several books in numerous languages, one of which is entitled Methodical Text Book to Round Writing, explaining this style of penmanship. In addition, Soennecken also invented and developed the two-hole punch. In 1888 in a letter to a friend, famous German philosopher Friedrich Nietzche praised the quality of the paper and pens Soennecken’s company produced. Soennecken died in Bonn in 1919. The company went bankrupt in 1973 and its trademark rights were purchased by BRANION EG in 1983.

Louis Leitz

• The design for the three ring binder was further improved by another German inventor named Louis Leitz. He introduced the hole in the side of the file for which the ringed clamps are fastened. Leitz was the founder of Esselte Leitz GmbH and Co KG. He was also a trained woodturner and worked as a mechanic.

Andreas Tengwall

• Another design for the three ring binder was developed by Swedish designer named Andreas Tengwall and patented under the name Trio binder. Tengwall’s design had four rings with two coming from each side in a fork-like fashion. The hole placement of Tengwall’s design is still used in Sweden for hole punching under the name “triohalning.” The holes in this design are 21 mm, 70 mm and 21 mm apart.

Sources: Here

We like office supplies around here at Samsill.  Tape is DEFINITLY an office product, and this is by far the COOLEST thing we’ve ever seen done with it!

Via Design Taxi

Dutch street artist Max Zorn has revolutionized the way we usually use duct tape by creating portraits out of them.

Using layers of translucent duct tapes, Zorn creates stunning portraits of pop culture figures like the Beatles and also classic artworks such as Vermeer’s ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’.

Zorn’s fascinating works have appeared on buildings, windows as well as street lamps all over Europe.

[via The Daily Beast]

Three-ring binders can help keep important papers organized. The ease in opening the rings adds to the convenience of separating papers into groups and using tabs to label sections. Three-ring binders are available in different ring shapes and sizes. Each ring shape has a different mechanism and is fitted into the three-ring binder differently. Knowing the difference in the types of three-ring binders will aid you in picking the right binder to meet your needs.

Read more

A good friend of mine, Mark from Marketing, is a car enthusist as well as a skier from Monaco.  He put a ski box on top of his Lambo but didn’t like the speed limit that put on his car. So he created a DIY aerodynamic kit for his Lambo out of binders.  Just another way to reuse old binders!!

From his blog:

I know you are not supposed to put a ski box on a Lambo and I do know that you are an absolute idiot if decide to build an aerodynamic improvement on the car with a some card board and duct tape. I guess that makes me a super idiot! Haha

As Janni will be waiting for me in Monaco tomorrow I decided that I am going to get there as fast as I can after the race. So I decided to design an aero modification that I think will help the drag, creating better fuel economy and most importantly taking away our high speed limit… 

Stay tuned tomorrow to see how our modification worked, I must say that with our only option of some card board and duct tape we did a pretty good job! 250km/h+ here we come? 

Hi Altego fans!  We are happy to announce another Altego Laptop Sleeve Giveaway winner.  For those of you who don’t know we are doing a weekly contest on our Altego Facebook account. We are giving away one Altego Laptop Sleeve to one of our lucky fans each week.  The prize winners are randomly drawn from our Altego Brand Facebook fans.

CONGRATULATIONS:  Charlie Osteen

Instructions on redeeming your gift card:

• Send an email to marketing@altegobrand.comincluding the following
• Name
• Address (including country, city, state, zip code)
• What size & color you want

Altego Laptop Sleeve

The 3-ring binder is something that can be seen in schools and offices around the world. This binder is helpful because it gives students and those in offices the ability to organize and store whatever papers and documents they may have. The 3-ring binder is useful because not only does it keep papers organized, but it also helps keep papers protected from dirt or grime.

Hi Altego fans!  We are happy to announce another Altego Laptop Sleeve Giveaway winner.  For those of you who don’t know we are doing a weekly contest on our Altego Facebook account. We are giving away one Altego Laptop Sleeve to one of our lucky fans each week.  The prize winners are randomly drawn from our Altego Brand Facebook fans.

CONGRATULATIONS:  Kevin Penner

Instructions on redeeming your gift card:

• Send an email to marketing@altegobrand.com and mbrown@samsill.com including the following
• Name
• Address (including country, city, state, zip code)

Altego Laptop Sleeve Giveaway Announced!

Hi Altego fans! We are happy to announce another Altego Laptop Sleeve Giveaway winner. For those of you who don’t know we are doing a weekly contest on our Altego Facebook account. We are giving away one Altego Laptop Sleeve to one of our lucky fans each week. The prize winners are randomly drawn from our Altego Brand Facebook fans.

CONGRATULATIONS: Rochel Rand-Sidell

Instructions on redeeming your gift card:
• Send an email to marketing@altegobrand.com including the following
o Name
o Address (including country, city, state, zip code)

VIA BUZZFEED

1. Cable Catcher

2. Razor Safety Cover

Via: dinosaursandrobots.com

Hi Samsill fans!  We are happy to announce our October Facebook “Like” Contest winner.  For those of you who don’t know we are doing a monthly contest on our Samsill Facebook account. We are giving away one $50 cash gift card to one of our lucky fans.  The prize winners are randomly drawn at the end of each month.
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This story comes to us from the great people over at Co.Exist.  Here is an excerpt from their article.

The Amazon is home to more species than almost anywhere else on earth. One of them, carried home recently by a group from Yale University, appears to be quite happy eating plastic in airless landfills.

The group of students, part of Yale’s annual Rainforest Expedition and Laboratory with molecular biochemistry professor Scott Strobel, ventured to the jungles of Ecuador. The mission was to allow “students to experience the scientific inquiry process in a comprehensive and creative way.” The group searched for plants, and then cultured the microorganisms within the plant tissue. As it turns out, they brought back a fungus new to science with a voracious appetite for a global waste problem: polyurethane.

The common plastic is used for everything from garden hoses to shoes and truck seats. Once it gets into the trash stream, it persists for generations. Anyone alive today is assured that their old garden hoses and other polyurethane trash will still be here to greet his or her great, great grandchildren. Unless something eats it.

The fungi, Pestalotiopsis microspora, is the first anyone has found to survive on a steady diet of polyurethane alone and–even more surprising–do this in an anaerobic (oxygen-free) environment that is close to the condition at the bottom of a landfill.

Student Pria Anand recorded the microbe’s remarkable behavior and Jonathan Russell isolated the enzymes that allow the organism to degrade plastic as its food source. The Yale team published their findings in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology late last year concluding the microbe is “a promising source of biodiversity from which to screen for metabolic properties useful for bioremediation.” In the future, our trash compactors may simply be giant fields of voracious fungi.

 

This is great news for us and the rest of the world.  Plastics can be very harmful to the environment.  That is why we, at Samsill, take such great care to recycle almost everything, use post consumer content, use as little plastic as possible without degrading performance, and buy our supplies through environmentally friendly suppliers.

We also have the ONLY traditional biodegradable binder on the market. It is one of our top sellers and it is fully biodegradable (meaning it breaks down in a traditional landfill environment unlike most plastics).  2012 is going to be a HUGE year for us because we are introducing quite a few new, full environmentally friendly, products to the binder market.

Stay tuned for more.

Like Saturdays INFOGRAPHIC said, this is the beginning of “COLOR DAYS” around Samsill.  We are extremely happy to announce our NEW FASHION COLORS FOR 2012.

and be sure to check out our 2012 FASHION COLOR PRESS RELEASE that went out this morning!

This Saturday starts our “Color weeks” here at Samsill.  We have the largest selection binder colors on the market.  Every two years we come out with new “Fashion Colors” that are selected by a world renowned color expert.  This INFOGRAPHIC shows just how wild the world of Color really is and how it should be done right.  Enjoy.

 
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CONGRATULATIONS:  Lindsay Varner Bowen (Lindsay Varner)

I, Mark in Marketing, wrote this blog for my personal website but I think it high beneficial so I decided to re-post it here. I do believe strongly in my methods below and I think it could help all! Enjoy! Feedback is ALWAYS appreciated! Thanks!

I love to be busy. In fact, if I don’t have 10 different things on my plate at once I find that I’m not near as productive as when I do.  Being busy demands organization. I’ve become quite a “list” junkie. I live off my to do lists and outlook calendars and reminders.  Another responsibility that comes with being busy is to take time to stop.  “Smell the roses” as they say. Stopping gives me time to reflect on how I am doing in the grand scheme of things. Often my foresight gets shortsighted. I’m thinking only in hours or days in advance. Stopping gives me the ability to look 5, 10 years in advance. It allows me to ask questions like,

“What do I want for my life in 5 years?”

“Is what I am doing now helping me towards that goal?”

It is essential to reflect and look forward. But more than anything it is vital to enjoy where I am NOW. Stopping lets me do that.

I read an INC Magazine article yesterday that had GREAT advice that I am going to start doing each day.  It gave 10 questions to ask myself each day to evaluate my day and make sure what I am doing is worth my time. Here is an excerpt.  I recommend everyone to find their, “stopping time.” Find time each day to ask yourself these questions. I strongly believe it will help.

Real success comes from the quality of your relationships and the emotions that you experience each day. That’s where these 10 questions come in.

Ask them at the end of each day and I absolutely guarantee that you’ll become more successful. Here they are:

1. Have I made certain that those I love feel loved?

2. Have I done something today that improved the world?

3. Have I conditioned my body to be more strong flexible and resilient?

4. Have I reviewed and honed my plans for the future?

5. Have I acted in private with the same integrity I exhibit in public?

6. Have I avoided unkind words and deeds?

7. Have I accomplished something worthwhile?

8. Have I helped someone less fortunate?

9. Have I collected some wonderful memories?

10. Have I felt grateful for the incredible gift of being alive?

Here’s the thing.  The questions you ask yourself on a daily basis determine your focus, and your focus determines your results.

These questions force you to focus on what’s really important. Take heed of them and rest of your life—especially your work—will quickly fall into place.

The Super Bowl is coming up! The Biggest American sporting even of the year! This INFOGRAPHIC is about Super Bowl Ads.  Admit it, a lot of you enjoy the commercials just as much as the game!
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Hi Altego fans!  We are happy to announce another Altego Laptop Sleeve Giveaway winner.  For those of you who don’t know we are doing a weekly contest on our Altego Facebook account. We are giving away one Altego Laptop Sleeve to one of our lucky fans each week.  The prize winners are randomly drawn from our Altego Brand Facebook fans.

CONGRATULATIONS:  KHovy Pamintuan (Kitt Hovy)

Instructions on redeeming your gift card:

• Send an email to marketing@altegobrand.comincluding the following
• Name
• Address (including country, city, state, zip code)

Via My Modern Met

Think you have the time, dedication and patience to create an artwork like this? First, try and comprehend these numbers. 6 million matches. 16 years of life. Bulgarian artist Plamen Ignatov used that many matches and spent that much time to create this impressive miniature model of the Rila Monastery. Made of wood, matches and gems, it’s now on display at the Museum of Archaeological in Sofia, Bulgaria.

The Rila Monastery is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. It is regarded as one of Bulgaria’s most important cultural, historical and architectural monuments and is a key tourist attraction for both Bulgaria and Southern Europe. It has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
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Samsill is a private company but a lot of our competitors are public. 2011 was a year full of IPO’s and 2012 is expected to have one of the largest IPO’s in history, Facebook’s.  What are the numbers behind a Facebook IPO? Find out in this weeks [INFOGRAPHIC].

via FastCoDesign
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Well I (Mark in Marketing) have been sick on and off for two weeks now and I came across this Top 10 List and I thought it was appropriate.  I try to push through illnesses but I think it’s time to rest up before I get the entire office sick.  These people, however, always think they’re sick but aren’t! Slackers ;)

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Altego Laptop Sleeve Giveaway!

Hi Altego fans!  We are happy to announce another Altego Laptop Sleeve Giveaway winner.  For those of you who don’t know we are doing a weekly contest on our AltegoFacebook account. We are giving away one Altego Laptop Sleeve to one of our lucky fans each week.  The prize winners are randomly drawn from our Altego Brand Facebook fans.
more »

Most people wouldn’t pair office products and good design together. Here, at Samsill, we refute that claim. We put A LOT of time and effort into the design of our products.  It is evident that Lexon puts a lot of time into their design work as well. These are beautiful office products.
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The second most common new years resolution, behind loosing weight, is to quit smoking. What are the true numbers behind the awful habit?  (Click to view larger)

In the past six months we have been doing a big push into social media.  We update our sites daily with news from us, the industry, and elsewhere.  To stay up on the latest in office products follow our sites!

Samsill Facebook

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January  Contest Winner Announced!

Hi Samsill fans!  We are happy to announce our October Facebook “Like” Contest winner.  For those of you who don’t know we are doing a monthly contest on our Samsill Facebook account. We are giving away one $50 cash gift card to one of our lucky fans.  The prize winners are randomly drawn at the end of each month.
more »

Altego Laptop Sleeve Giveaway!

Hi Altego fans!  We are happy to announce another Altego Laptop Sleeve Giveaway winner.  For those of you who don’t know we are doing a weekly contest on our Altego Facebook account. We are giving away one Altego Laptop Sleeve to one of our lucky fans each week.  The prize winners are randomly drawn from our Altego Brand Facebook fans.

  more »

It is a few days into the New Year and it is about the time when the holiday season hype is over and things are slowly getting back to normal.  A lot of you probably made New Years resolutions, as so many people do, but maybe this year is different. Maybe this year is the year to keep your resolution. Whatever your resolution was, even if you didn’t have one, this article could be the difference between starting the new year off right, or wrong. It was quite a paradime shift in my traditional way of thought, maybe if can help you too.

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It has been quite a year for us, here at Samsill & Altego.  Some great things have happened (Speedy Spine!) and we are working on great things for 2012.  We cannot wait to see what 2012 has in store for us. Thank you to all of our customers & loyal fans who make what we do a lot more fun and exciting. From everyone here at Samsill, Have a Happy New Year. May you and your loved ones be blessed beyond measure in 2012.

Some of our favorite posts from 2011. . .

(In no particular order)

1.) Samsill Introduces New Speedy Spine Ring Binder – Here

2.) 5 Steps To Improve Productivity Through Organization – Here

3.) The Best Bamboo Office Products – Here

4.) Most Innovative Pens in Office Supplies – Here

5.) Top 10 Things to Look for When Buying a Binder – Here

6.) The Best Breast Cancer Awareness Office Products – Here

7.) Breast Cancer & Plastic – Here

8.) Top 10 Reasons To Buy Local – Here

9.) Recipe Binder DIY – Here

10.) Ergonomics (The Science & The Best Products) – Here

11.) Best Movember Mustache Products – Here

12.) 2011 Office Products Shopping Guide – Here

13.) Top 11 Mommy Blogs – Here

14.) Samsill Christmas Party & Tacky Christmas Sweater Photos – Here

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Due to the Christmas Holiday we are behind on our Weekly [INFOGRAPHIC].  Though, this week’s graphic is quite astounding. We all know the numbers in the internet are huge, but this graphic really puts those numbers into perspective! Just how much goes on in 1 minute in the digital world?

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This week was Samsill’s annual Christmas & tacky sweater party. What fun it was!  This is a fun time of year and we try to make it as much fun as possible.  Enjoy our photos!
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Hi Altego fans!  We are happy to announce another Altego Laptop Sleeve Giveaway winner.  For those of you who don’t know we are doing a weekly contest on our Altego Facebook account. We are giving away one Altego Laptop Sleeve to one of our lucky fans each week.  The prize winners are randomly drawn from our Altego Brand Facebook fans.
more »

What Love means to a 4-8 year old . . 
Slow down for three minutes to read this. It is so worth it. Touching words from the mouth of babes.
A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds , ‘What does love mean?’

The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined See what you think:

‘When my grandmother got arthritis , she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time , even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love..’

Rebecca- age 8

‘When someone loves you , the way they say your name is different.

Billy – age 4

‘Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.’

Karl – age 5

‘Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.’

Chrissy – age 6

‘Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.’

Terri – age 4

‘Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him , to make sure the taste is OK.’

Danny – age 7

‘Love is when you kiss all the time.. Then when you get tired of kissing , you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that.

They look gross when they kiss’

Emily – age 8

‘Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents
and listen.’

Bobby – age 7 (Wow!)

‘If you want to learn to love better , you should start with a friend who you hate , ‘

Nikka – age 6
(we need a few million more Nikka’s on this planet)

‘Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt , then he wears it everyday.’

Noelle – age 7

‘Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.’

Tommy – age 6

‘During my piano recital , I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling.

He was the only one doing that. I wasn’t scared anymore.’

Cindy – age 8

‘My mommy loves me more than anybody
You don’t see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.’

Clare – age 6

‘Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.’

Elaine-age 5

‘Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.’

Chris – age 7

‘Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.’

Mary Ann – age 4

‘I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.’

Lauren – age 4

‘When you love somebody , your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.’ (what an image)

Karen – age 7

‘Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn’t think it’s gross.’

Mark – age 6

‘You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it , you should say it a lot. People forget.’

Jessica – age 8 And the final one

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.

Upon seeing the man cry , the little boy went into the old gentleman’s yard , climbed onto his lap , and just sat there.

When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor , the little boy said , ‘Nothing , I just helped him cry’

When there is nothing left but God , that is when you find out that God is all you need.

Heavenly Father , please bless all my friends in whatever it is that You know they may be needing this day! And may their life be full of Your peace , prosperity and power as he/she seeks to have a closer relationship with You. Amen.

If you’re under the age of 30 this probably doesn’t surprise you. If you’re above 30 than maybe you didn’t have the chance to be “digital” in university. Here are the numbers behind the digital revolution among students. more »

This week it is about YOU.  There is a 2 in 3 chance that if you are reading this blog you are a millennial. Meaning you are between the age of 18-29.  That statistics holds up around here. The people who contribute to this blog are in that age range (or just slightly above it.) Our generation is unlike any generation in history. In fact, all those hippies in the 70′s? We have very little in common with them (which I cannot say I’m to disappointed about).

Office products & binders are usually thought of in the context of large companies and big office buildings. At Samsill we know that isn’t our only demographic. We don’t forget about all the DIYers, moms with kids, moms with scrapbooks, chefs with recipies, etc. who use our binders for their daily tasks. That is why this week we’ve decided to post our Top 11 favorite mom blogs. These are blogs we read weekly to stay on top of what is happening in the “momosphere.”

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What a year it has been. 2011.

Altego Laptop Sleeve Giveaway!

Hi Altego fans!  We are happy to announce another Altego Laptop Sleeve Giveaway winner.  For those of you who don’t know we are doing a weekly contest on our Altego Facebook account. We are giving away one Altego Laptop Sleeve to one of our lucky fans each week.  The prize winners are randomly drawn from our Altego Brand Facebook fans.
more »

From OddityCentral:

Cincinnati-based photographer, Kelly McCollam recreates classic paintings, particularly Vincent van Gogh’s, using salts, spices and food coloring.
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The Fundamental Elements of Design from Erica Gorochow on Vimeo.

Direction, Design, Animation, Writing: Erica Gorochow
EP, Writing: Karl Sluis
Sound, Music: Michael Coffman

Hi Altego fans!  We are happy to announce another Altego Laptop Sleeve Giveaway winner.  For those of you who don’t know we are doing a weekly contest on our Altego Facebook account. We are giving away one Altego Laptop Sleeve to one of our lucky fans each week.  The prize winners are randomly drawn from our Altego Brand Facebook fans.

CONGRATULATIONS:  Diana Acosta

Instructions on redeeming your gift card:

• Send an email to marketing@altegobrand.comincluding the following
  • Name
  • Address (including country, city, state, zip code)

An interesting INFOGRAPHIC this week via Business Insider.  Think social media is still for your kids or celebrities to promote themselves? You’d be wrong. In fact, if you’re unemployed it could be the ticket to your next gig.
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Samsill a huge manufacturerer and supplier of office products in the country. But we don’t make everything.  That is why I get excited when I find other cool office products I can add to my collection in my office. Here is a list of some awesome office supplies I am adding to my “Office Supplies Christmas Wish List.”

Enjoy!

• Whale organizer

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As 2011 comes to a close, Samsill, wants to reminisce a bit. We make office products (along with some other things) and as society gets more technological commodity products are often forgotten about.  It is  true that a lot of commodity products are declining and eventually won’t be needed anymore. Technology is quickly replacing a good portion of the industry.  With that said, there are new commodity products that work with technology that are quickly on the rise. At Samsill we like to look forward to where the industry is going.  It is an exciting time in our industry and we are putting the pedal to the metal to say ahead of the curve.

Below is a list from Yahoo with some interesting things that babies born in the last 12 months will never know about.  What surprised us was some of these things listed aren’t that old themselves.
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Hi Samsill fans!  We are happy to announce our October Facebook “Like” Contest winner.  For those of you who don’t know we are doing a monthly contest on our Samsill Facebook account. We are giving away one $50 cash gift card to one of our lucky fans.  The prize winners are randomly drawn at the end of each month.

CONGRADULATIONS:  Virginia Kepner from Oregon!!

Instructions on redeeming your gift card:

• Send an email to marketing@samsill.comincluding the following
  • Name
  • Address (including country, city, state, zip code)

[One week to redeem the prize.  Must have email in by 5pm CST December. 8th, 2011]

Altego Laptop Sleeve Giveaway!

Hi Altego fans! We are happy to announce another Altego Laptop Sleeve Giveaway winner. For those of you who don’t know we are doing a weekly contest on our Altego Facebook account. We are giving away one Altego Laptop Sleeve to one of our lucky fans each week. The prize winners are randomly drawn from our Altego Brand Facebook fans.

more »

Oh the joy of a Monday after a holiday break. It never gets easier!

This made us laugh. Hopefully it cheers you up too!

Happy Monday!

Samsill Marketing

I hope everyone had an excellent Thanksgiving! If you were wondering just how enormous the numbers are behind thanksgiving, here is a quick snapshot.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of use at Samsill Corporation.  We are extremely thankful for all of our customers, because if not for you, we would not be here.  Thank you all from the bottom of our heart.

May you all be blessed on this special holiday.

Cheers,

Samsill Marketing

One, of many, of our motto’s here at Samsill is “Do not throw out a material that can be reused or recycled.”  We strive to reuse and recycle all waste, scraps, etc.  WouldBeWaste.com has a similar motto which is why we love their products.  They have neat and intuitive ways to reuse, what otherwise, would be trash.

Their first products are reused wood for a desk. What they said about their product:

Our first range of products are unique desktop accessories made in small batches and finished by hand. Designed to display a clock, Post-it notes and iPhone holder. Each product will have a limited and numbered run of ten.

We are also producing a selection of one-off products to include a Table Lamp and Wall Clock. All of the materials used to create these products were saved from the recycling bin of stores, workshops and studios across London.

It is time once again for the weekend’s infographic.  We have it pretty easy in the states. We can travel with hardly any restrictions or visa’s.  Not all countries citizens have it so easy. . .
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The TITAN 6″ BINDER – Samsill Corp.

|www.samsill.com|

The first ever six inch binder. It is the largest binder on the market. The Titan is made of heavy-duty construction and supported by a locking heavy-duty D-ring.  Most impressive this binder holds over 1200 pages.  No other binder comes close to the TITAN’s storage capacity.

The TITAN comes in 3 different styles.

First, it is available in our Antimicrobial Reference Binder (163 series).  This binder not only holds 1200+ pages but it also doesn’t allow germs to grow on its major surfaces.  That is a big deal for anyone that is going to have a lot of different hands touching this binder!

Second, the TITAN comes in our standard NON-stick D-Ring view binder.

Customizable nonstick clear overlay on front, back and spine material is environmentally friendly and will not stick or lift copy from cover inserts or contents.

Acid-free, archival safe polypropylene. Locking D-ring keeps documents secure and holds up to 25% more sheets than standard round rings. Two clear inside pockets for additional storage of loose papers. Holds sheet size 8.5×11. Contains 46% post-consumer recycled content.

• Customizable nonstick clear overlay on front, back and spine
• Front, back and spine material is environmentally friendly and will not stick or lift copy from cover inserts or contents
• Acid-free, archival safe polypropylene
• Locking D-ring keeps documents secure and holds up to 25% more sheets than standard round rings
• Contains 46% post-consumer recycled content

Made in USA with domestic & foreign components

We post a lot of recycling and upcycling content on this blog, but for good reason.  Recycling is more than just a passing “green” fad.  Recycling possibilities are truly endless. Every day there is hundreds of new posts online about neat new ways to recycle and upcycle.  Samsill is committed to sustainability, which is why we love to post about recycling.  3 ring binders aren’t something a lot of people think about when the words “biodegradable” or “environmentally friendly” come up.

Samsill is trying to change that stereotype.  We currently have the worlds only traditional biodegradable binder and we are working on a lot more environmentally friendly products to hit the market soon.  More on that later. For now, lets enjoy how incredibly awesome this world map made from computers is.

(Via LikeCool)

British artist Susan Stockwell has completed a gigantic world map(21 feet x 13 feet), the map made from recycled computer components for the University of Bedfordshire. The piece uses motherboards, electrical wiring, fans, and myriad other components.” Jump more see more pics.\

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Today (November 15th, 2011) is America Recycles Day.  Here is what the website says:

Since 1997, communities across the country have come together on November 15 to celebrate America Recycles Day. More than a celebration, America Recycles Day is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to the promotion of recycling in the United States. One day to educate and motivate. One day to get our neighbors, friends and community leaders excited about what can be accomplished when we all work together. One day to make recycling bigger and better 365 days a year. Get involved!

Help the world we live in, take the pledge to recycle and reuse instead of discard.  Here at Samsill we took the pledge. We use 100% recycled chip board any time we can. And all of our products are made up of at least some recycled material.  We also make the ONLY traditional biodegradable binder.  If you choose to throw it away instead of recycling it (which all of our binders are 100% recyclable) the binder will break down in <5 years as opposed to 20+ year.

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Who knew Office Products could be so much fun! Check out this music video from Hudson (a great indie folk band from Melbourne. more »

In keeping with the Mustache and Movember theme, here is this Saturdays [INFOGRAPHIC]. Who knew facial hair had so much history? more »

In celebration of Movember (and raising awareness for prostate cancer) we thought we would have some fun with this weeks blog.  We have assembled the best and funniest Mustache Products we stumbled upon this month.  There are some good ones! Here is a quick write up of Movember from their official website:

During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces, in the US and around the world. With their Mo’s, these men raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men.

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WOW! This is incredible.  Two years to do this 1000+ frame stop motion video with 288,000Jelly Beans.
more »

Altego Laptop Sleeve Giveaway!

Hi Altego fans!  We are happy to announce another Altego Laptop Sleeve Giveaway winner.  For those of you who don’t know we are doing a weekly contest on our Altego Facebook account. We are giving away one Altego Laptop Sleeve to one of our lucky fans each week.  The prize winners are randomly drawn from our Altego Brand Facebook fans.

CONGRATULATIONS:  Chelsy Hernandez

Instructions on redeeming your gift card:

• Send an email to marketing@altegobrand.com including the following
  • Name
  • Address (including country, city, state, zip code)

It is Saturday.  You’re at home sleeping in, not thinking about work.  But wait, do you sleep in everyday?  According to this Saturday’s infographic you do.
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Ergonomics.  Not a word that is often used and therefore not a word that a lot of people know.  Ergonomics is defined as the study of designing equipment and devices that fit the human body, its movements, and its cognitive abilities.

The Economics of Ergonomics (via HumanScale)

Ergonomics has much more to it than simply promoting comfort and reducing injury risks. Good ergonomics increases productivity and employee morale. It reduces costs and contributes to company goals; therefore impacting the bottom line.

The largest and most important assets of any organization are the employees. A good ergonomics program is the best way to maximize their potential.

Companies that invest in ergonomics see drastic reductions in lost work days and costs associated with workers’ compensation claims. Companies can even reduce energy costs and earn tax credits through compliance with building standards.

Incorporating ergonomics into company strategy, an organization can create a streamlined business model that operates more efficiently and generates greater profits. It all starts by creating a better place to work.

A few neat Ergonomic Products:

Utility Knife Maketicus (via Tuvie)

The idea behind Utility Knife Maketicus is to create a wide application utility cutting tool. Art. Lebedev Studio, a Russian modern industrial design company has come up with ergonomic design that becomes the basic body of this knife. The innovative multi-faceted body design makes this knife very comfortable to use in any position.

Utility Knife Maketicus allows you to work with your hand “floating” or supported, feel free to move your hand in any position.

Designer: Art. Lebedev Studio

Samsill DXL/Contour Cover Ergonomic Binder

Designed with elegance, the Contour heavy duty binder solves the common problem of overhanging top-loading sheet protectors and index tabs with patented construction. Curved back spine gives upscale appearance and ergonomic grip.

Samsill had the DXL/Contour Cover binders tested for comfortability by United States Ergonomics. It was awarded the Comfort Certification as a result.

Samsill Ergonomic binders are about ease of handling. Ergonomic products are designed to increase your productivity and comfort. The DXL/Contour Cover Ergonomic Binders are certified by United States Ergonomics with the Comfort Certification for this very reason. The contour curved-back spine adds a more comfortable grip. The unique construction of the cover easily houses oversized indexes and sheet protectors. As well the Soft Click™ rings opens with one easy motion increasing productivity and comfort.

Ring is mounted on back lid to allow pages to lie flat and reduce wear. One inside pocket on inside front cover for additional loose paper storage. Contains 41% post-consumer recycled content. A Binders for Life™ product – Lifetime Guarantee.

• Heavy duty binder solves the common problem of overhanging top-loading sheet protectors and index tabs with patented construction
• Curved back spine gives upscale appearance and ergonomic grip
• Maximizing functionality these binders feature Soft-click locking round rings, opens in one easy motion
• Ring is mounted on back lid to allow pages to lie flat and reduce wear
• One inside pocket on inside front cover for additional loose paper storage
• Contains 41% post-consumer recycled content
• A Binders for Life™ product – Lifetime Guarantee

Hi Samsill fans!  We are happy to announce our October Facebook “Like” Contest winner.  For those of you who don’t know we are doing a monthly contest on our Samsill Facebook account. We are giving away one $50 cash gift card to one of our lucky fans.  The prize winners are randomly drawn at the end of each month.

CONGRADULATIONS:  Sue Bates from VA!!

Instructions on redeeming your gift card:

• Send an email to marketing@samsill.com including the following
  • Name
  • Address (including country, city, state, zip code)

[One week to redeem the prize.  Must have email in by 5pm CST November. 7th, 2011]

Altego would like to announce our first LAPTOP SLEEVE GIVEAWAY RECIPIENT.

SOPHIE MICHALIK from Germany. Congrats!

Please send an email to marketing@altegobrand.com and we will hash out details from there! Check back next week for another winner!

Remember: The more you comment & like our Facebook page, the better chance you have of winning!

more »

Facebook privacy is a hot topic right now.  Facebook constantly is making changes which means it’s user base also has to make those changes with it.  FB is constantly trying to make itself more secure & private, yet open at the same time.  Check out some of these privacy issues Facebook is faced with in this weekends infographic.
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We are blessed to have such wonderful & loyal customers.  The below post comes from a close friend of ours who made an incredible DIY recipe binder from our Antimicrobial Binder & our Sheet Protectors.  What a great DIY!

I decided that my recipes needed a face lift, especially since I have been finding so many fun recipes on the web.  So I thought I would tell you how to make recipe binder, like I did.

Organization of my recipes isn’t something I have really made time to do in the past other than to print and throw into a box, but then when I was trying to host a meal or just simply plan the week’s food I had to pull everything out and rummage through tons of recipes just to find one that I wanted. Frustrating!

The first thing I did was think about what I wanted out of a recipe binder.  I’m a messy cook – so protecting my recipes from spills and messes was first priority.

I grabbed a box of sheet protectors – I prefer non-glare when cooking it’s easier to read (200 in a box at Sam’s!)

And Samsill has a sweet line of Antimicrobial protected binders so I figured since this binder is prone to messes why not have it working for me to keep bacteria, mold and mildew from growing on it.  So I nabbed a fun color (I love green!)  If you are interested in these binders the website has a dealer locator to make getting one super easy.

As I was looking for index tabs to use I ran across binder pocket folders which were cool and I thought would be perfect for holding those odd sized recipes or even coupon.  But I can be pretty cheap and so I thought – “I can make those”.  When I got home I found and old pocket folder and made my own template. I decided to use empty cereal boxes since they are large pieces of cardboard… and again I didn’t want to buy anything.

The template prints on 4 letter size pages and then you tape them together and cut out the individual templates to create the folder.

After I made my pockets I decided it was time to create a cute design for the front and insides.  I knew I wanted to some how include a menu planner, shopping list and spine label.  So if you like it feel free to download and use the art for your own personal use or gifts… please don’t sell it.  Link is below.

Click to download art
My binder categories are:

• Appetizers/Drinks
• Sides
• Salads
• Breads
• Meats
• Breakfast
• Soups
• Veggies
• Desserts
• Sandwiches

That’s just how I roll… but I would suggest looking at your recipes and how you plan meals and create your own categories.  As I was picking these I just flipped through me recipes and wrote down words as they came to me.  Then I narrowed the categories a bit and came up with this assortment.

On the front I can plan the weeks meals or if hosting I can plan the full meal by writing with a dry erase or overhead projector marker.  Super easy to wipe off with a damp paper towel.

I decided it would be fun and quirky to use the cereal box print on the outside of the folder, but if that’s too much chaos for you the tan inside of the box can be used as the outside.  Also you could cover these with cute scrapbook paper to your liking.

So that’s it, my DIY recipe binder face lift.  If you have any questions about the templates feel free to email or comment.  Happy cooking! Oh and don’t forget to like my Recipe Binder Pin on Pinterest.

Thanks Constance! Check out here blog here.

Please leave comments if you enjoyed this DIY recipe binder post.

Cheers,

Samsill Marketing

Thanks to The Green Groove for this article

The city of Dallas recently announced a new effort to become the first city in the state of Texas to add food and drink containers to its residential curbside recycling program.

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This weeks infographic is all about the companies we work for.  How does your companies perks stack up against some of the most innovative in America?  Employee perks are going to be changing quite dramatically in the next decade. Think your company is prepared to make the change?

1. Buy Local – Support Yourself

• Several studies have shown that when you buy from an independent, locally owned business, rather than a nationally owned businesses, significantly more of your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses, service providers and farms — continuing to strengthen the economic base of the community.(Click here to see summaries of a variety of economic impact studies; these include case studies showing that locally-owned businesses generate a premium in enhanced economic impact to the community and our tax base.)

2. Community Support – Support groups & keeps the community unique

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This week we have two great DIY articles and videos dealing with binders & organization.

We all love coupons! They can save us a TON of money but they can also be a pain. Organizing coupons in a coupon binder is a quick way to sort them all out and find the ones you need quickly. more »

By the end of this month the world is expected to have 7 Billion people. That is a lot of people.  To put that in perspective: You could meet a new person every second for 221 years straight and still NOT meet all 7 billion people.

Many developed nations are slowly declining in population (due to higher percentages of elderly) while Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest birthrates. more »

Baseball Playoffs are in full swing. The World Series starts this week so we thought it appropriate to post an infographic dealing with some of the crazy numbers surrounding baseball. Enjoy. more »

This really doesn’t have anything to do with office products but it is Friday so lets just have some good spirited fun! We cannot wait for this movie to come out on Thanksgiving. The Muppet’s are fantastic! Happy Friday mates! more »

What to use & what not to use

I must thank our friends at the Think Pink, Live Green column on breastcancer.org for this week’s blog. 

Plastic. It is a polarizing material. Love it or hate it there is no denying it or getting away from it. Plastic has helped revolutionize the world in many ways but it has also caused its fair share of problems. It isn’t healthy to ingest…at all. Cancer and many other diseases have been linked back to plastics. There are a bunch of different types of plastic and each has different issues. This post is to help you become knowledgeable about the material and figure out what is okay to have around and what is unhealthy. more »

I have so much respect for people who can take something seemingly so simple, like office supplies or a pencil, and turn it into a piece of art. more »

It is well known that Samsill is environmentally conscious but one thing a lot of people may not know is that we like to advocate recycling awareness.

Recycling aluminum, paper, & plastic has been around for years.  Yet there are so many other things that most people just throw away because they do not know they can be recycled.  Binders are a great example.  Another item a lot of us either throw away or keep in the back of our closet is our old athletic shoes.  Who knew you could recycled those (or give them to people in need)? more »

We lost a great innovator and business genius this week. Here is a slight ode to him. more »

Since October is Breast Cancer awareness month we have decided to dedicate this week’s list to the cause.  Breast cancer is something that affects over 200,000 Americans each year. Breast Cancer awareness has spiked in the last two decades due to causes like Susan G. Komen, 3 Day for the Cure, and others.

This week we focus on products in the office supplies sector that support the cause by donating proceeds or bring awareness. more »

Hi Samsill fans!  We are happy to announce our September Facebook “Like” Contest winner.  For those of you who don’t know we are doing a monthly contest on our Samsill Facebook account. We are giving away one $50 gift card to one of our lucky fans.  The prize winners are randomly drawn at the end of each month. more »

This is a post I, Mark B, wrote for my personal blog but I think it fits well for us as a company too.  As an office products manufacturing company we produce new products and have product rollouts.  Introducing office supplies to the world isn’t clearly as glamorous as introducing the next iPhone but both us and Apple face the same difficulties.  Managing consumer expectations is a top priority when introducing new things. Consumers with low expectations are going to be “blow away” with quality products and will tell all their friends how great a product is. On the other hand, consumers with high expectations are a lot more likely to be let down or have their expectations met. Both of which are less likely to merit peer to peer marketing.

Apples announcement of the iPhone 4S yesterday is a great example of a company that didn’t manage consumer expectations. Below is the post I wrote.

(NOTE: this is an opinion article written by Mark Brown and reflects his views only and not the views of Samsill Corp.  It is his voice and does not speak on the behalf of any other employee with Samsill Corp.)

A lot of people are discussing Apple’s iPhone announcement yesterday and how it was a “disappointment.”  I feel completely differently so I thought I’d “chime” in with my opinion.

Apple is notorious for “leaks.”  Many regard Apple as one of the most secretive technology companies. That may be true in certain respects but almost any time they are about to launch a product there is usually some sort of Apple produced leak to a select few Apple endorsed media outlets.  This is actually a genius marketing ploy because people thrive off of curiosity. A secretive company leaking a product creates a ton of buzz.  This also allows Apple to create realism in the media market. It gives them the ability to control what the media thinks and many times create under-expectation.  The media and the masses come to expect something that Apple has secretly endorsed and then Apple blows everyone out of the water with much more.  For example, the iPhone 4; it was “accidentally” dropped in a bar and happened to land in the hands of a tech savvy person who knew exactly who to sell it too.  It created a ton of buzz about the phone. It also gave people realistic expectations about what the phone would look like.

What was different about this time is Apple had no real significant leaks.  My theory is: due to Steve Jobs health issues and the Japanese tsunami affecting the supply chain issues were created that Apple had to deal with before worrying about trivial information.  Since there was no leak the media needed something “tangible” to grab hold of (media doesn’t do well with unknowns, hence the ridiculous theories that come up in trial investigations, etc.).  A few media outlets started throwing around iPhone 5 terminology (at first simply because it was the 5^th installment of the phone).  Once that started circling people then started to create rumors about “what they HOPED to see in a new iPhone.”  Those HOPES & WANTS were then turned into “the next iPhone will definitely include [bigger screen, slimmer, etc.].”  By October 4^th, 2011 everyone came in expecting all these “guaranteed improvements and a whole new phone”.  BOOM, Apple let everyone down. “Only hardware upgrade? No new style? WHAT?!” “Apple never lets anyone down.”  BUT WAIT, LETS LOOK AT HISTORY.

Apple’s product launch history is as follows:

iPhone –

• Summer 2007: iPhone
• Summer 2008: iPhone 3G
• Summer 2009: iPhone 3GS
• Summer 2010: iPhone 4
• Fall 2011: iPhone 4S

iPod –

• Fall 2001: iPod
• 2002 – 2004: iPods with slight modifications
• 2004: iPod Mini
• Summer 2005: iPod Classic Color
• 2005: iPod Nano
• Fall 2007: iPod Touch
• 2010: iPod Nano square
• 2011: iPod Nano (slight improvements)
• 2011: iPod touch (slight improvements)

iPad –

• Winter 2010: iPad
• Spring 2011: iPad 2

*Not a complete history of all Apple products

As we look back at Apples device product launches we see that there almost always second versions of the same device layout.  The 3G wasn’t immediately upgraded to a 4; instead it was slightly modified into the 3GS. The iPod’s had multiple generations before a new iPod was introduced. I will also go out on a huge limb to predict the next iPad will still look the same as the iPad 2 but have slight modifications (like a higher resolution screen).

We forgot to ground our expectations in something solid, LIKE HISTORY. History doesn’t lie and it is usually a good predictor of what is to come (although certainly not 100% accurate.) Expecting an iPhone 5 was WAY OUT OF LINE and had no merit but it is what we “all wanted” so we expected Apple would deliver.

Another issue affecting this release was time. Apple is hardly late and we’ve come to expect a new iPhone every summer at WWDC.  Since that didn’t happen this year everyone became antsy for a new phone. Anxiousness almost always causes us to lose sight of reality. Everyone was hyped up and excited for a new phone and we lost sight of what we all should have expected (a great life lesson).

I fully admit Apple has done a lot of this to itself. Apple has produced such amazing products in the recent past that we’ve all come to expect the next amazing thing even if, in reality, it is expecting too much.  Apple could clearly see the hype that was surrounding the iPhone announcement so their PR team and media management team ought to have done something to damper the mood to allow for less “consumer let down.”

Either way I believe the iPhone 4S will still be hugely popular and could very well be the “best smart phone” like a lot of writers are saying. Obviously this is all my opinion and disagreements are always welcome. I love to hear what other people think & their different viewpoints.

The Power of Hope is the largest and most comprehensive fundraising campaign in City of Hope’s history. This ambitious initiative will raise $1 billion in support of its mission — to cure and prevent cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. The campaign will culminate in 2013, City of Hope’s centennial.

Since its founding, its work has been advanced by generous individuals, corporations, foundations and chapters from across the country. This national support has already helped it raise $550 million of its $1 billion goal.

Today, City of Hope is better positioned than ever before to change the landscape of cancer research and treatment.

To learn more about the Power of Hope campaign and support City of Hope, please visit http://www.powerofhopecampaign.org.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, something we fully support here at Samsill.  We will be doing a lot of BCA themed posts this month. What better way to start the month then with an [INFOGRAPHIC] about BC.  Ladies, please go get screened!

It is time, once again, for a new TOP 10 list.  Sometimes in life we have to make hard decisions about big purchases.  Buying a TV, for example, is a big purchase that generally includes a lot of research trying to figure out what is the best TV for you.  Other purchases include little to no thinking, like buying office supplies.  Most people go into Staples looking for something in particular, like a binder.  Once in the store they go directly toward the binder aisle and pick out the first binder that fits their needs.

This week we’d like to challenge the traditional thought process about buying office supplies by giving you 10 things to genuinely think about when buying a binder.  A binder, like a computer, holds important papers, photos, etc. Why wouldn’t you take the same care when purchasing a binder like you do when purchasing a computer?

This week’s top 10 is comprised of input from all employees here at Samsill as well as some close friends that are current students.  The responses are recorded in order from most frequent response to least frequent.

1.) Spine Inserts

1. Easy loading – spine inserts can be a pain to insert. If you plan on making spine inserts for more than one binder this is very important factor to keep in mind.  Time is money so wasting time on loading spine inserts is a huge waste.
2. Easy organization – Spine inserts are one of the best ways to organize multiple binders. Binders are usually kept on shelves or in file cabinets and the only part visible is the spine. Having an easy to read spine insert is key to knowing what is in the binder with just a glance.
3. Presentation & organization – A lot of companies and individuals use binders for presentations. A neatly done spine insert can add that extra “oomph” to a presentation binder.

2.) Color Options

1. Color Coding a project – I, Mark, use this technique a lot. I am a visual person so I like to have a different color binder for each category of my life (i.e. Blue = financials, White = School work, Black = receipts, etc.)
2. Fashion Colors for uniqueness – People love to be different, what better way to show off your personality than having a binder in neon green, purple, or Kermit?
3. Colors for different sizes – Another great way to organize is to buy binders in different colors for each size. (i.e. 1”- White, 1.5”- black, etc.)

3.) Durability

1. Heavy duty vs. Economy – Binders hold precious materials. You want a binder that is going to hold up for many years, sometimes lifetimes. Although sometimes you just want a binder for a presentation that must be turned in, meaning you’d want the cheapest one out there. Think about what the binder is going to for and how long you want it to hold up.
2. How long to use binder – 6 months vs. lifetime?
3. Flimsy appearing or feeling/looking sturdy – sometimes appearance is all that matters.  Once again think about who is going to see and feel the binder and whether it is worth going with better quality material.

4.) Rings

1. Heavy duty rings – It is arguable that the rings are the most important part of a binder. After all it is what makes a binder different than a folder. Taking a close look at the rings is heavily important! Rings are not all created equal.
2. Rivets – Look at the rivets that attach the rings to the chipboard. A lot are not good and will detach with too much paper.
3. No Gap – Look to see if they will “gap.” Look to see if after a lot of open and closes if they will still clamp together uniformly or if they will bend.
4. Unlocking – Look at the unlocking mechanics. Will it hold up with extensive use? Is it loud and annoying? Does it lock the rings so they won’t open on accident?
5. Round ring vs. D ring – D rings are usually easier to load, they hold 25% more paper, and the paper lies flatter. Round rings are sometimes attached at the spine which could be valuable for certain applications.

5.) Price

1. Perceived value compared to price – Price can be very important depending on the application of the binder. As stated, if only needing a binder to turn in then a low price would be important. If a binder is needed and expected to hold up under tough conditions then a higher price would be expected. The perceived value of the binder is important. If you want to help the environment then biodegradable binder would be more important, thus having higher perceived value, which would result in a price that reflects that higher value.

6.) Holding capacity – Sometimes we just want a binder that will hold a lot of paper.  A 5 or 6 inch binder can be heavy and huge so having a 4 inch binder that will hold as much paper as a 5” can be highly beneficial and space saving.  Also be sure to look if the paper will hang out the end, extra long binders or ones with a contoured back can prevent this.

7.) Made in the U.S.A – If you’re an American reading this then it is probably important to you that we do all we can to support our “local” worker. Buying a binder that is made in the USA isn’t something a lot of people think about but it can be very beneficial to your neighbor!

8.) View vs. Storage – It is important to think about the application of the binder to figure out if you want a binder with a view pocket on the spine and front or if a simple storage binder will work. View binders are helpful for organization but some people, like me, like to organize by color so storage can be better, and less expensive.

9.)    Non Stick material – If using a binder for archival purposes or you plan on keeping the binder for more than 6 months then a “non-stick” binder is extremely important to consider. A PVC binder will “stick” to you papers meaning that some of the ink will rub off on the binder ruining your papers as well as the binder. A non-stick binder can be a lifesaver for a company or individual who wants to keep long term paperwork in top quality.

10.) Special Features

1. Interior pockets – binders come with no pockets, two pockets, 4 pockets, or a multitude of pockets. If you’re like me and like to keep recent work in the pockets this could be an important feature to consider.
2. White board on inside – Some binders have cool, differentiating factors like including a white board on the inside. If you’re looking for something unique this is a factor to consider before buying.
3. Etc. – There are a lot of niche players in the binder industry so if you want something more than a traditional binder this is an area you may want to put a lot of thought into.

This is certainly not an exhaustive list of possibilities to consider but we think it is a good representation of the most important things to look at when buying a binder.  We hope you found it helpful & be sure to comment with any additional thoughts you have!

Cheers!

Samsill Marketing Team

BINDERS! How much fun are they? As much fun as you want to make them!  YouTube has videos of everything so you better believe there’s some binder videos on there.  Here are some of our favorite!

Dilbert:

I Like Big Binders

How to: Organize Binders

We will try to always post fun videos each week or every two weeks with new office products videos we find.

Cheers,

Samsill Marketing

American’s are wasteful, no denying that. Water isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when we think about waste but we waste a LOT of it. It hits home, especially when we are in a terrible drought like we are here in Texas.

In light of fall starting and school beginning for just about everyone we wanted to highlight some innovative pens we stumbled across this week.

Pens go hand in hand with office supplies… Pardon the pun :)

Ruler Pen

A ruler and pen in one by ShiKai Tseng, “If you’ve ever found yourself in the situation of being without a ruler yet needing to draw a straight line, you’ve probably tried to improvise with other stationery, such as pens… The cap is the length of the whole pen, and is printed with ruler markings at one edge.”

USB & Laser Pen

Take notes of other presentations, pop the USB in the computer and give your own presentation with a laser pointer all with this one pen. Neat.

Color Picker Pen (Concept)

Innovative concept pen by Korean designer Jinsu Park allows you to scan any color from your environment and instantly use it for drawing.

The color is detected by the RGB Color Sensor inside the pen, then the red, green, and blue inks are mixed together to create the desired color.

Cramp Free Pen

This pen eliminates the strain usually associated with writing for long periods of time by employing the weight of your hand to provide downward pressure.

Lipstick Pen

Can get a guys number & keep looking fly all with one instrument!

Everyone has their opinions about our education system but I think that one thing most people can agree upon is that there are a lot of underprivileged kids that aren’t getting a good enough education.  At Samsill we do everything we can to help the efforts of those trying to help the education system.  

Here is an opportunity for you to help out as well. An excerpt from NBC News:

Come to the Plaza and help TODAY help America’s kids and their teachers with school supplies.

Join TODAY and NBC News for Education Nation–a special week of programming focusing on improving education in America. From September 26th to September 30th, we’ll have a special collection during the live show.  These items will go to schools hurt by budget cuts and teachers who spend their own money to support their students.

Now’s your chance to help our nation’s students. Come to Rockefeller Plaza. Bring new, unused school supplies, such as notebooks, pens, pencils, rulers, book covers, backpacks, pencil cases, crayons, erasers, and calculators.  When you visit, you may meet a special guest who cares about our nation’s schools as much as we do.

If you can’t be here in person, you can still help in your own community.  Just go to
DonorsChoose.org/EducationNation to help your classrooms thrive and schoolchildren succeed.

And be sure the visit the Education Nation Experience in Rockefeller Plaza from September 23rd to the 27th.

If you’re in NYC and reading this then we highly encourage you to donate some of those old Samsill binders you aren’t using anymore! Or go to the Donors Choose site to help those kids who aren’t getting the school supplies they need.

Samsill Marketing Team

This is a bit off subject from office supplies but it is extremely interesting and comical so why not post it?!

From Business Insider:

Due to crowd violence at recent rival soccer games at Fenerbahce’s stadium, Turkey’s soccer association took a new approach. They banned all the men, and let women and children under age 12 attend for free.

On Tuesday, 41,000 women and children attended the game against Mansasipor. Instead of fights throughout the crowd, the visiting team was welcomed with cheers, and both teams threw flowers into the crowd.

Sometimes innovation and creativity is the best solution for a looming problem.

Good Monday morning Samsill fans!  Samsill is highly committed to giving back to those around us. That is why we have products in our “Binders For Life” campaign that are more than just binders. Each binder is meant to help a greater cause, like Breast Cancer or the environment.

All of our binders are also made 100% in the USA. Our manufacturing facility is located in Fort Worth, TX.  When you purchase a binder from us the money you pay is staying right here in the USA!

I am sure most of you have heard about Dakota Meyer, the Marine who recieved the Medal of Honor, but we cannot get enough of his story.  He is a true U.S. hero and we salute him. On top of all that he is raising money for his charity to help children of wounded vets go to college.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Samsill Marketing Team

[INFOGRAPHICS] are the new PowerPoints. An easy to read & understand graphic display of data. We love these here at Samsill so we’ve decided to start a new blog routine, [INFOGRAPHIC] Saturday.  Each Saturday we will display a new Infographic for our audience to enjoy and analyze over the weekend.  (Note: these are infographics from other sources, we do not take credit for any of the work done on the infographics unless otherwise noted.)

This weekends graphic is about ROI on Social Media.  Enjoy!

Bamboo has quickly become the “in thing” pertaining to the green movement. It is easy to understand why; It has natural beauty without the cold feel of metal, it has fantastic strength, and most of all it has the best regenerative properties of any plant.

This week’s list is dedicated to our new, yet old, wonder product, Bamboo, and the innovative ways it is being used in office products. (Click on picture to be taken to that products website)

1.)    The Bamboo Pen

Head over to Factory Direct Promo’s to buy these earth friendly pens.

2.)    Woody Bamboo Eco Friendly Flash Drive

There are a lot of these out there. We like this one because it comes with a fun renewable box! Plus the more digital work being done means less paper = more trees.

3.)    Bamboo iPad & iPhone case

This case from Grove Made and made out of bamboo is way to cool!

4.)    Bamboo Furniture Bookshelf II Hemingway

Made by LDK Design this bamboo bookshelf will add some cool pizzazz & renewable functionality to your workspace.

5.)    Bamboo Laptop

Technology can get cold and neutral, warm things up with this awesome bamboo laptop by ASUS.

Bonus:

6.)    Biodegradable Binder by Samsill!

Samsill is highly environmentally conscious which is why we make the only traditional biodegradable binder. There are a lot of “eco-friendly” (aka cardboard) binders on the market but Samsill makes the only eco-friendly binder that has all the conveniences and durability of any typical plastic binder.

Think twice next time before buying an everyday product. Have a look and see if it comes in a renewable material.

Top 10 Bamboo Facts

Since we can’t get enough of bamboo here are 10 interesting facts about bamboo! [Source: Factory Direct]

1. A renewable resource
Bamboo is actually a grass and not a tree. Therefore it grows rapidly and can produce fully mature bamboo plants in 3-5 years.

2. Balances CO2 & O2
Bamboo produces 30% more oxygen than trees. Bamboo does not need to be replanted, is self generating and can be harvested every 3-5 years.

3. Wood replacement
Bamboo is flexible and lightweight and arguably stronger than steel and most hardwoods. Bamboo is also more affordable than wood. In parts of the world it is so cheap it is used as scrap. It can be used as a construction substitute for any sort of wood. The many uses of bamboo make it perfect for fencing, flooring, building posts and house walls, or anything that could be made from wood.  In this case office products.

4. A natural & lasting controllable barrier
Bamboo reduces rain run-off and is proving to be a very valuable weapon in the prevention of soil erosion in many parts of the world because of its extensive root system and large canopy. Bamboo works to helping control water pollution because of its high nitrogen contents.

5. Versatile & fast growth cycle
Bamboo is one of the most eco-friendly plants due to its versatile short growing cycle (it is harvested every three to five years as opposed to the 20 to 50 years of its wood counterparts), and its yield per year is about 20 times higher, sometimes more than timber.

6. Essential material for cheap earthquake architecture
Strong, flexible and lightweight, Bamboo is essential in earthquake architecture. In Limon, Costa Rica, only the bamboo houses from the National Bamboo Project stood after their violent earthquake in 1992. Bamboo can tolerate high values of deformations in the elastic range. Bamboo houses, when properly constructed can sway back and forth during an earthquake, without any damage to the bamboo.

7. A renewable resource for agro-forestry production.
The advantage of bamboo over trees is the short time from planting to harvest. Bamboo’s ability to sustainably provide building materials and edible products for many years or even decades, and versatility of use which outmatches most tree species. For its ecological adaptability, and wide range of uses, bamboo can be an essential component of many agro-forestry systems.

8. An ancient medicine
Bamboo as an ancient herbal medicine has been used for thousands of years in Asia. Often used for its tonic and astringent properties, it is also considered an aphrodisiac. Bamboo ancient remedies are still used in many health and body care products today.

9. Culture and the arts
Bamboo is deeply rooted in the daily life of many cultures. Bamboo culture always plays a positive role in encouraging people to hold on when facing tough situations.

10. A critical element of the economy
Bamboo grows best in tropical zones which just happen to be many developing countries around the world. Bamboo crops provide jobs that support the people’s livelihood. As popularity of bamboo grows, these countries are enjoying access to a wider market. The continued use of bamboo helps developing economies.

Social media ad spending has been on the rise since its inception. In recent years it has exploded. When will we reach a point that more is spent on social networking sites then on traditional advertising?

Hi Samsill fans!  We are happy to announce our August Facebook “Like” Contest winner.  For those of you who don’t know we are doing a monthly contest on our Samsill Facebook account. We are giving away one $50 gift card to one of our lucky fans.  The prize winners are randomly drawn at the end of each month.

Since we didn’t hear from our first contest winner we are announcing a new August winner! (Remember you only have a week from the announcement day to claim the prize)

CONGRADULATIONS: Jane Eurich!!!!

Instructions on redeeming your gift card:

• Send an email to marketing@samsill.com including the following
  • Name
  • Address (including country, city, state, zip code)

[One week to redeem the prize.  Must have email in by 5pm CST Sept. 16th, 2011]

At the end of the day do you feel like you’ve been busy all day but you aren’t actually sure what you accomplished? I know that is a common problem for me (Mark from Marketing) and a lot of other co-workers of mine.  I am responsible for social media at Samsill and as anyone who spends any time on the internet knows, there is A LOT of information blasting through it every second.  Information overload.  Samsill is a smaller company which means I also have other responsibilities, besides marketing, that I must do each day.  Before I know it, it is 5pm and even though I have been busy all day I find myself asking, “What did I actually accomplish today?”

I quickly had to learn how to manage all the information and also allot time to accomplish other tasks.  Working for a binder company allows me to keep my papers organized but it didn’t help much with digital media.  I have compiled a list of key things I have implemented to keep me sane and help me deal with all the information. (This list is compiled of suggestions that helped me personally; they may not be for everyone.  Take it for what it is worth and I hope they can help you stay organized!)

1.) To Do List –

1. PROBLEM: I know to do lists seem obvious, and I thought they were too, but just having a generic to do list isn’t enough.  If your to do list isn’t effective then it is a complete waste of time.  I found myself making a new to do list every morning when in reality I was rewriting 90% of the stuff I had on my previous days list.  I found this to be a huge waste of time.
2. SOLUTION: Create ONE to do list each week and organize the list itself. Every Monday I start a list with the most important & vital things at the top.  The next section are things I’d like to get done within the week, but aren’t as vital as the top duties. The last section is the least important and are usually duties that I’d like to do at some point but do not have a timeline. These are also things that I can mix into my daily schedule if I need to mix things up.  Throughout the week as I get more duties I just add them onto my list where they fit depending on their vitality.  I also prepare my list electronically via Microsoft OneNote which is compatible with my work computer, personal laptop, and iPhone, allowing me to access my list and add to it or take away from it from anywhere.  This also gives me the ability to copy & paste and strike through finished items quickly improving my productivity and time management.

2.) Start your day with a plan –

1. PROBLEM: Some days I come into work with a lot on my mind. Personal stuff or business stuff it doesn’t matter, it still takes my mind off of the daily tasks at hand.  I sit down at my computer, two hours will be gone yet I haven’t accomplished anything.   My brain is being pulled in too many different directions and I can’t focus.
2. SOLUTION: To counteract that blurred feeling I look at my weekly to do list and pick two or three things to focus on that day. Obviously I cannot always get those things done that day but Instead of having a list of 20 things that definitely won’t be accomplished I have a list of three focuses that have a much higher probability of being finished.  It is also common knowledge that finishing tasks gives us a sense of accomplishment boosting our moral.

Excerpt: A friend of mine told this hint and I tried it yesterday and found it highly helpful. A lot of times I’ll leave work still thinking about what I need to get done tomorrow.  I’ll go to bed “doing the list” (a.k.a putting a to do list together in my head before I fall asleep).  This is terrible for one’s health.  What his suggestion was is instead of starting the day with a plan; finish the day with a plan. He updates his daily duties at the end of each day instead of in the mornings.  That way while all the day’s work is still fresh in the mind it is easy to know what three for four tasks need to be accomplished tomorrow.  I tried it last night and it was amazingly powerful. I didn’t think about work once while I was away from my office because I know when I got back to work this morning I’d have my priorities laid out for the day.

3.) Organize FAVORITES

1. PROBLEM: I spend 90% of my job on the computer and about 95% of that time is spend on blogs and social media sites.  Like I said before, there is way more information being thrown at me then I could go through in a lifetime. A lot of that information is really neat and I tried to read every word of every post. Unrealistic.  I also would keep internet tabs open to read later. Which is a good to an extent but I would have 40+ tabs open and it would freeze my computer.  I’d put those tabs into my favorites to read later but before long my favorites box looked as though a bomb exploded in a typography studio.  Just a bunch of random letters and favicons that had no meaning.
2. SOLUTION: Organize favorites into MEANINGFUL folders and subfolders.  By meaningful I mean make folders that mean something to you.  I used to make generic folders with generic names, like “blogs” or “technology.”  Those are great names if they mean something to you but for me they did nothing.  I still couldn’t find sites that I was looking for.  Instead I created names and folders that were clear and concise.  Each morning I have a list of news sites that I visit every morning, so I created a favorites folder called “Morning News Sites.”  I also have a list of blogs that I try to check each day so I created a folder called “Daily Blogs to Visit.”  It also isn’t bad to have the same site in multiple folders.  One site I check regularly is Inhabitat(a green design blog) but it doesn’t just fit into one category.  I have it under my “Green” folder and I also have it under my “Architectural Design” folder.  Having favorites that mean something to you can be a great organizational tool for improved productivity as well as sanity.

4.) Take a step back

1. PROBLEM: Getting caught up in the digital medium and forgetting what your focus was for the day. This happens to me all the time. I’ll stumble upon a bunch of cool new sites which lead me to other cool sties and before I know it I am off on a tangent that has nothing to do with the task at hand.
2. SOLUTION: Every hour or so I take time to stand up from my desk and look at what I am doing from a bird’s eye view to evaluate if I am accomplishing something. Surprisingly I’ll find that I am off on a tangent and wasting time.  Standing up regularly prevents me from the common problem of getting trapped in the digital sphere and helps me keep my focus.  It is also good for health reasons. Actually standing up away from the desk and stretching or going for a walk around the office helps muscles stay active and keeps blood flow circulating.

5.) Time Management

1. PROBLEM: Wasting too much time doing one task and not having enough time to do the other duties. I noticed when I was involved with one thing, like searching out content to update our social networks or researching ideas, I quickly lost track of time and would spend all day doing only one task. .
2. SOLUTION: Even if there are no official deadlines doesn’t mean that time can be thrown out the window. Time is the most valuable asset we have, it ought to be cherished. What I have learned to do is manage my time between my three or four tasks throughout the day.  I don’t have set schedules (i.e. work on one thing from 8 to 10 then the next item, etc.) instead I simply keep track of how long I am working on something. I know when I come in at 8am I will work on daily updates the first two hours of the day. When 10am nears I know it is time to wrap things up.  Some days I finish at 9am and other days I finish at 10:30. It isn’t about how long is spent on each task; it is about being AWARE of how long is being spent on each task.  That way at the end of the day I can account for each out of the day and know I didn’t waste time doing one task longer then I needed to be.

I hope these tips helped you in your day to day struggle to keep up with your life! Continue to check back here for more helpful lists and how to articles.

While you are here check out our Speedy Spine binder that helps improve productivity by making an everyday task easier and less time consuming.

Cheers,

Samsill Marketing Team

Breast Cancer Awareness and the pink ribbon are iconic symbols of survival.  Now the nurses who help the women through the toughest times are getting in on the action.  The Pink Glove Dance was started by Medline, a healthcare supplies manufacturer.  It is a fantastic campaign and quite a neat video.

Be sure to check out the Pink Glove Dance site here.

Here is the YouTube video. . .
While you are checking out Pink Gloves be sure to check out Samsill’s Bound for a Cure binder.  We have our very own Breast Cancer Awareness binder that donates a portion of the proceeds to Breast Cancer Awareness & The Breast Cancer Research Foundation!  It is also a great gift for any of those secretaries, professors, students, or anyone else that may need to stay organized while they fight and beat breast cancer.

Samsill is located in Fort Worth, TX.  We all travel a lot for different purposes but we all see way too much of DFW Airport.  The next time I fly I will be slightly more at ease because DFW was just announced as the highest ranked airport for “green” energy usage by the EPA.

Fort Worth Business Press printed the story on their website.  Below is an excerpt:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) named Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
to its National Top 50 list of partner organizations using the most renewable electricity to help
reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions and protect human health.

D/FW Airport ranks at No. 48 among the nation’s top purchasers of renewable energy, and ranks
at No. 8 on the Top 20 Local Government purchasers list produced by the EPA.

D/FW Airport is the highest ranked airport for green energy usage, and one of only two airports
recognized by the EPA.

Glad to see other local companies care as much about the earth as we do here at Samsill.  Don’t forget to check out our biodegradable binders!

Have a great weekend,
Samsill Marketing Team

Guy Jet Skis Through Streets of New York During Hurricane Irene!

Don’t think this was on anyone’s Hurricane check list! Mr516Rockstar from YouTube is zooming down Lawson Street in Oceanside, New York. You can see him zip past a 7-11 and a Dunkin’ Donuts.  A great example of making the most out of every situation.

31-08-2011

Hi Samsill fans!  We are happy to announce our August Facebook “Like” Contest winner.  For those of you who don’t know we are doing a monthly contest on our Samsill Facebook account. We are giving away one $50 gift card to one of our lucky fans.  The prize winners are randomly drawn at the end of each month.

CONGRATULATIONS: Judy Martinez!!!!

Instructions on redeeming your gift card:

• Send an email to marketing@samsill.com including the following
  • Name
  • Address (including country, city, state, zip code)

[One week to redeem the prize.  Must have email in by 5pm CST Sept. 7th, 2011]

Samsill loves America, which is why we make all of our Binder in the USA. We also support our troops fighting for our freedom across the globe.

It is good to see other companies supporting our troops as well. Yesterday, Google release a blog post with directions for U.S. uniformed military personnel to call, for FREE, from overseas to their loved ones in the states.

To read the directions click here.

Cheers,

Samsill Marketing Team!

Samsill’s New Blog!

8-31-2011

Good Morning Samsill Fans!  We have great news to announce today, we now have a new blog on Samsill.com.  The new blog will help us connect better with our fans.  It will allow anyone to keep up with the latest and greatest Samsill innovations, exciting stories, and much more.

We are extremely excited about this and we hope you are too!  Check back daily for the newest updates, giveaways, and contest updates!

If you aren’t a follower or fan already be sure to “like” our Facebook page and “follow” our Twitter account for a chance to win our monthly contest (being announced later today!).

Cheers,

Samsill Marketing Team

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