When Vermeer Corporation wanted a book about its founder for its 60th anniversary celebration, the company chose The Write Place for the project start to finish-from information gathering through writing, layout, cover design, and printing arrangements.
"The Vermeer family and I had a vision for this book to be a very personal look into the lives of Gary and Matilda, their business, and their community," said Vermeer employee Teri Vos. "We felt that a local business and author with a familiarity and respect for these areas would be the best fit. We knew that The Write Place had the expertise and reputation to make the project a success."
At August 11 and 12 company-wide employee meetings-more than eighteen months and 60 interviews later-the book, In Search of a Better Way, was made available to Vermeer Corporation employees as a 60th anniversary gift. The story chronicles the lives Gary Vermeer and his wife Matilda and the growth of Vermeer Corporation, which was founded in 1948 and now processes 150 tons of steel per day and employs 2,123 people.
Write Place owner Carol Van Klompenburg, who co-authored the book with Write Place staff member Donna Biddle, was interviewed at the meetings by Vermeer CEO and President Mary Andringa. Asked how the title was selected, she replied, "Gary Vermeer was often known to say, 'There's got to be a better way.' In Search of a Better Way builds on Gary's philosophy and captures his lifelong hunt for better ways to do things, as well as Vermeer Corporation's culture of continuous improvement."
Van Klompenburg also said that speaking with so many people was a fascinating part of the process. "They talked and we typed just as fast as our fingers could fly," she said. "The book quotes many of them."
She added, "Because of all those personal perspectives, I think that In Search of a Better Way became more than the story of two people and a business. It became a portrait of a community."
The authors also gathered material from Vermeer Corporation archives and family files to weave into the story of Gary and Matilda. "The process took a lot of dedication, organization, and staff coordination," said Van Klompenburg. "The Write Place has a group of staff members whose skill sets matched the job very well."
Vos said, "Initially, I was impressed with Carol's willingness to really listen to the broad scope of what the Vermeer family envisioned in order to bring the project to fruition as they intended, as well as the group's timeliness and attention to detail. As we moved further into the process, I was also impressed with the quality of writing and design skills that are evident in the final book."
The book is available for purchase at the Vermeer Promotional Store located in the Vermeer Global Pavilion on the east end of the Vermeer campus and also through the Vermeer Web site at www.vermeer.com. The soft cover, 305-page book features sepia and black and white photos throughout and retails for $16.95.
The Write Place is a communication and graphic arts service based in Pella, Iowa. Van Klompenburg has previously written a half-dozen books and Biddle worked as a professional journalist before joining The Write Place staff. They started their research for In Search of a Better Way in January 2007.
For more information on Write Place book publishing assistance, visit the writing and publishing section of The Write Place Web site.