Vol. 99 March, 2009
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A Message from the President
A prospective supplier recently got our attention with this message: “Crazy times require crazy ideas, and crazy ideas require flexible solutions. That’s why we believe that this is the time for being crazy, flexible and creative in order to take the best out of the crisis.” They caught our eye and will likely get our business. McElroy has been strategically “crazy” by thinking outside the box in finding ways to meet client’s quality and service expectations. Respected translation industry analyst Common Sense Advisory posted a Glocal WatchTowerTM news flash March 12, 2009 describing the ways in which McElroy is attempting to “change the rules for LSPs” (Language Service Providers). By the way, we purposefully adapted LSP for our tagline:
McElroy Translation – Your Language Solution ProviderSM Call us “crazy!”
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So You’re the CLO—What’s That?
Recently our President, Shelly Priebe, asked me to consider taking on the newly created role of Chief Language Officer. It was flattering, but also daunting, like anything new. But then I realized that Shelly’s challenge wasn’t about me—it was about our company. The increasing pace of change in the language services market required a creative response to the key question: What does it take for us to provide our clients with the language solutions they need, when they need them, and at a competitive price? Read on…
(McElroy + Machine) Translation Services
McElroy is committed to being Your Language Solution ProviderSM. Long known for our high-quality human translation, we now offer a range of machine translation services that extend and complement our core linguistic competence. We are ready to work with you to identify your language-related problems and to propose an optimal mix of human and automated components for a cost-effective solution.
Read more on our (MT)2 services.
File optimization
Prepare yourself for better results
When you design a document for print, you consider many details that work together to form the overall look of the end product. One thing you probably don't look at is the hidden text: all the spaces, line breaks, and paragraph marks that live behind the scenes.
The first thing we do when we get your brochure for translation is to flip the switch that shows that hidden text. The finished product of your brochure is our starting place, so we spend time before translation making sure the translated text will behave the way your English text behaves. We call this “optimizing” the file. It doesn’t look different on the surface, but tweaks made to the file ensure that the translation process is more effective and efficient.
Read more on File Optimization.
Mark Ritter, CLO
I should get a T-shirt that says “Non-Native Texan” because I’ve lived here longer than anywhere else. I loved the Austin atmosphere as a grad student during the 1970s. When I returned after an academic career, I suppose I was trying to recover that. Of course, you can’t go back home, even if it’s a second home. Austin was a very different place the second time around, but I still like it better than any realistic alternative.
Oddly enough, I never translated German when I was a grad student or when I taught the language full-time. I started to in a serious way after my return to Austin, in addition to taking courses in computer science (reconnecting with my undergraduate studies in mathematics) and teaching part-time. At first I translated articles and books in the humanities, but after I began working for McElroy as a part-time editor in 1990, I gradually switched to technical subject matter, which is all I work with now.
I became a freelance translator—but actually mostly worked for McElroy—starting in late 1997, and enjoyed it. Nonetheless, I was pleased to rejoin the company staff in 1999 when Shelly Priebe invited me to be chief editor. I worked in that position for nearly 10 years. The editing department is a wonderful group to manage, both those who were there before I started and are still here, and the colleagues who have joined us since then. There were very few days when I wasn’t happy to go to work, something not many people can honestly say. Read on…
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McElroy’s Vision Statement
Setting the industry standard in customer satisfaction
McElroy’s Mission Statement
McElroy Translation provides translation and localization services in all languages to business and government clientele enhancing their ability to compete in global markets.
McElroy Giveaway
$200 toward your Groceries!
Each month, I try to get a little creative with our giveaway. This month, as I pondered the subject I thought to myself, “Self, if you could have a gift card to anywhere, where would it be?” Easy. The grocery store!
So this month, McElroy Translation is giving our lucky E-Buzz Promo Winner a $200 gift card to the grocery store of their choice.
Enter here for your chance to get your groceries on us! As a courtesy to all promo entrants and winners, your privacy is respected, and winners will always be given an opportunity to choose where their prize is delivered.
Journey of Hope
McElroy Translation is proud to give to Journey of Hope, on behalf of Wesley Donaldson. Wesley, son of our very own Bob Donaldson, will set off on a bicycle with around 90 of his fellow Pi Kappa’s, with a unified goal of serving people with disabilities and raising awareness for the fact that first and foremost they are people and that their disability is secondary. His adventure will span 4,000 miles at an average of 80 miles per day. At the end of each ride, the team will meet with local organizations serving people with disabilities where they will volunteer in whatever way possible to raise awareness and lend a helping hand. This volunteerism may come in the form of friendship visits, public relations events, or construction process. All the work on and off the road will serve the common goal of leading through service and action in the community.
If you have any questions about Journey of Hope, e-mail Wesley at wesley.donaldson@furman.edu or read his blog to follow his progress when he hits the road in June.
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