Another year is drawing to a close as Rapido Books happily prepares to celebrate its 9th Christmas.

2021 has been an excellent year, a real rebound from 2020 which had brought much uncertainty and questions. All the projects that we announced last year have been launched and are garnering exceptional feedback from our clients: Archery for the management of Advance Review Copies, FlexRapido for large publishers who want to reduce their inventories, and a new solution that we will tell you about in 2022: EasyRapido.

We have broken all our production records, completed over 2,800 print / reprint projects, doubled the size of our team and confirmed our status as the fastest printer in Canada… Rapido is setting course for the future with confidence and determination!

To end this year on a high note, we have decided to give the floor to some of the members of our crew. You interact with some of them by phone or email, others have a more discreet yet no less valuable role in the organization… Here are their faces and their thoughts on the past year.

THE SALES TEAM

Yann Jadis

Based in Ontario and part of the team since Rapido’s early years, Yann is the man for whom remote working was the norm long before it became mainstream: “My mission is to listen to publishers’ needs in order to develop innovative offers which will allow them to rethink the traditional publishing model. From this point of view, the past year has been very productive, notably with the implementation of Archery and FlexRapido.

What makes Rapido so successful, according to him:
A delightful blend of youth, experience, and a collaborative approach.

His favorite project of 2021:
A book shortlisted for the Giller Prize for which we had to break down the traditional limitations of short-run printing and offer segmented print runs to ensure that the book was available on time.

What he hopes to find at the foot of the tree on December 25th:
Like every year: comics, to complete my collection!

The title of the book he’ll write (maybe) in 2022:
Social Media: Burn ‘Em All!

Jordan Dessertine

Part of the Rapido adventure for almost 5 years, and a high flying musician in his spare time, Jordan uses his knowledge of harmony every day to bridge the communications between the workshop and our clients. Just as he blends his voice with the voice of the guitar, he makes sure that Rapido’s production harmonizes with your release schedules: “At Rapido, we want to learn and evolve alongside our clients, and for that we need to stay in touch regularly and keep communication open. Landing a print order from a client is good, but it’s in the long-term view and the development of mutually beneficial relationships that I really feel at home.

Whether in the office or working remotely, Jordan always has his emails and phone handy, and stresses how crucial it is to communicate: “My golden rule for anyone who wants to work with us? Communicate early and often with your sales representative. A simple conversation is often the best way to avoid issues later in the process.

The reason he thinks Rapido has a bright future ahead:
In my opinion, the working environment at Rapido is exceptional. We are a young and dynamic team. There is lots of trust within the team, I trust my colleagues and I feel that they trust me. This makes me want to take charge of my work and to excel at it.

Over the years, I have also seen how our clients become more than just clients. A whole community of publishing professionals and authors is growing around this company and what it does. I see Rapido as a real center of gravity in the book world. Many new ideas are born here and are carried out by the team.

The title of the book he’ll write (maybe) in 2022:
The You in I: a collection of poetry

His good resolution for the new year:
Continue to deepen my knowledge of human systems and their proper functioning in my Masters in Human Systems Intervention, in progress at Concordia University.

A NEW FACE AT RAPIDO

Alexis Charlier

After landing in Quebec at the start of the year, Alexis joined the Rapido sales team this summer to help us respond to the ever-increasing number of requests we receive. Thanks to him, submissions continue to be sent in 24 hours maximum. Rapido isn’t yet ready to change its name!

What convinced him to join Rapido:
Not having a printer at home, joining Rapido was for me the perfect solution to print my plane tickets for free to return to France at Christmas … but more seriously, it was a new and very attractive challenge to discover this industry and fulfill the missions that it offers me. I immediately liked the corporate philosophy and the way Rapido wants to change the way the consumer habits of the book industry. It is a modern company, made up of a dynamic, motivated and warm team.

What he hopes for 2022:
I hope that the team will continue to grow, that we will be able to develop all the great projects that are going through our heads. And I also need to talk to Simon again about ​​investing in an orange car for Rapido deliveries in just a few hours…

THE PRODUCTION TEAM

Cory Lalonde

There’s Edward Scissorhands, and then there’s Cory Goldenhands: when they aren’t holding drumsticks on stage, his are the hands that hold literally every book we print: “I’m a bit of a perfectionist… so I make sure that the trims (inside the blocks of pages) are perfect and that the covers are cut straight to simplify the binding of the glue!

Sixteenth of an inch off? Control of the grain? Nothing escapes him:I like handling paper, learning to operate new machines. But above all to release a beautiful end product. I also like to challenge myself every day to surpass the production targets!

His golden rule that everyone should follow on a daily basis:
My advice doesn’t just apply to publishers… It’s just a way of working: put yourself in the shoes of whoever is after you in the production chain or team, make sure you do your part well to help make it easier on the next person.

What he hopes to find at the foot of the tree on December 25th:
An access card to the Rapido building, so I no longer have to borrow Simon’s on weekends when there’s a need to come in and produce urgent orders!

Henri Dulac

Chief Production Officer, Henri manages the workshop schedule, often working with constraints that make Tom Cruise’s films seem more like “Mission Not So Hard”. He’s one of those people for whom the word ‘problem’ doesn’t exist: “I’m always in a position of continuous improvement. You have to constantly rework processes, adjust to details and make decisions in order to best meet client expectations.

The place where you can find him for sure at Rapido:
Even by phone, I am not necessarily easy to reach; you typically find me… somewhere between the mill and the oven!

The success of 2021 of which he is most proud:
Another reprint of My Conversations With Canadians. It’s always a pleasure to work on Jay’s projects for the Book*hug publishing house. I love numbers, and 2,200 books in 10 runs for this title in 2021 alone… long live Rapido’s model!

His advice to publishers for a successful 2022:
Print fewer books at a time and reprint often (and with images at 300 dpi minimum in the files, please!)

The title of the book he’ll write (maybe) in 2022:
The healthy recipes of the Rapido ostrich:
What you need to achieve your goals

A NEW FACE AT RAPIDO

Oswaldo Marcano

The reason he joined Rapido:
I always felt curious and excited about how a book is designed and produced. As a graphic designer, it was an interesting opportunity to learn the technical side of the publishing world! Also, books are such a beautiful thing to create!

The project he is preparing for 2022:
We are producing a series of tutorial videos that will help people create higher-quality files and better understand the ins and outs of the book creation process. It will also give me the chance to work on my other passion… Graphic animation!

Benjamin Kwan Teau

While some are still debating between the red and the blue pill, Benjamin is already several steps ahead; he is the architect of the Rapido Matrix: “I create technological tools to improve the client experience. Specifically, I am in charge of the management of the client portal and I help develop the digital aspects of our sales solutions like Archery, FlexRapido, EasyRapido… and other surprises to come!

What does a typical day of an IT manager look like?
Routine is not part of my daily life, because my tasks are really varied: solving technical problems, automating tasks, organizing flows so that everyone can find their way, giving a hand in the shipping department, organizing the next team social event, developing our technological tools…

The project he is most proud to have contributed to this year:
I had a lot of pleasure discovering the project “The not so happy animals” by Julie Dumont and Slimane Henni. It is a book that teaches children the values ​​of respect for their environment and other living beings.

The reason he knows Team Rapido will have a much better season than the Montreal Habs:
There is a strong culture of innovation and everyone contributes in their own way to the development of the company. Each member of the team is a pillar of the company.

His personal ambition for 2022:
Thanks to the workshop’s expansion, we will finally be able to have a ping pong table in the office. My goal is very simple: to become the grand champion of the 2022 Rapido season!

A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT

Simon Dulac

I know of no greater satisfaction than to set about doing something and to create…

The Rapido project began with a note I drafted about the implementation of a strategy known as “Blue Ocean.” A friend had told me about it over lunch one day. I bought the book and I was immediately won over by the simplicity with which this method dusted off an “old” profession by rethinking its value chain. The issue of turnaround times, a problem in the printing world which I knew all too well, became an opportunity to generate new value for our clients (Read more: Speed—it’s in our DNA).

When I envisioned Rapido, I didn’t just want to create something new in the printing industry by seizing an opportunity. What I wanted above all was to create a business unlike any other, one that blended professionalism and enthusiasm, expertise and imagination—things that I have most appreciated during my years as a printer and business owner. Over the years these big ideas of mine certainly made several laugh. How many times have I heard: “But the print book is done! Soon everyone will be reading on tablets.” But you can’t create without taking a risk. Today, I feel like I have given life to what I had imagined, and what really fulfills me is that every member of the Rapido team shares my vision.

Rapido is doing well. We are growing at a speed that never ceases to impress me. It’s beyond what I initially imagined and it’s really satisfying. But what thrills me the most is seeing that we are achieving these results with a team that enjoys working together and shares a lot, both during and outside working hours. Canada has taught me that productivity and good humour can go hand in hand! It’s so much better this way. When I started working some time ago, I had an idealistic view of companies. I imagined them as communities of people like those that built the great cathedrals, where skills and trust came together to produce something truly great, something that withstood the test of time. This idea of constantly surpassing oneself has never left me, even when the tide seemed against me. For me, it has found its full expression here on the North American continent.

I am sure that one of Rapido’s greatest strengths is its ability to work collaboratively on just about anything. It’s because our team is flexible that we offer flexibility to our clients. There are few dividing lines in our organization: helping a colleague if I have a skill or experience that can benefit the task, or lending a helping hand if a team member is particularly busy—these are standard practices here. Sometimes I will help out on the production line when something urgent comes up. I love it, I love participating in everything. I am curious about everything that goes on here.

Rapido has arguably the youngest average age among companies in the Canadian book industry: 30 years old! I find it quite unique in this profession where we mostly come across gray heads like mine. It’s really motivating to be challenged by so many quick and competent minds. I feel like I’m aging less quickly. Thank you team!

Rapido amazes me with its ability to innovate in a sector where innovation is rare, unless one is purchasing technology from their suppliers. At Rapido we invent our own tools, we design them to be useful to our clients. And we always rely on simple and flexible technologies. This is our rule of thumb.

You know, it’s always a great accomplishment when what you have created starts to grow beyond you. It’s a bit like raising a child and then watching them flourish. There is no greater reward. In this time of fear, crises and doubt, I believe that we should be more willing to DARE. Technical advances have given society so many tools that we continue to use poorly. You have to reinvent yourself instead of waiting for some new technology to come along and fix things. The real levers of change are within us.