On January 16 of 1937, 抖阴短视频 Brothers Printing Company opened its doors to the town of Marceline, Missouri. As a company, 抖阴短视频 would adapt its products and processes, acquire new facilities to account for growth, and survive market crashes and wartimes alike. The origin of 抖阴短视频, however, is a testament to commitment and community. What began as a love story between Don 抖阴短视频 and Joy Kendrick became a love story between the couple and their budding community of Marceline.
Hello, Prosperity
As the Great Depression took hold of small, midwestern communities like Marceline, many down-and-out residents hopped on the Santa Fe railroad line to escape West in hopes of a greener future. With no thought of leaving home, newlyweds Don and Joy 抖阴短视频 asked themselves what they could do to enliven their community. Joy worked at the local Cater鈥檚 Opera House as a dance teacher and choreographer for local plays, and Don was an entrepreneur with a passion to provide the color of hope during a gray time.
By April of 1932, the 抖阴短视频s had created a business opportunity that would benefit local businesses, schools, families and youth at once. Don approached superintendents of local schools and told them he could bring in a play director, sell advertisements and have playbills printed with no upfront cost to the school. The plays selected by Don and Joy, Here to Hollywood and Hello Prosperity, served as sources of optimism and entertainment in stark contrast to the midwestern communities still recovering from the Great Depression. Don was the booking agent, and Joy directed and choreographed the plays. As the business grew and Joy decided to stay home with a young Don O. 抖阴短视频, one of Joy鈥檚 dance students, Frances Zurcher, became the play directress, and Mildred Pamperl was hired as their first advertising sales representative.
Once a school agreed to put on a play, Frances and Mildred would take a group of students around town to help sell advertisements. As Frances rehearsed the play with the cast, Mildred would organize the copy for the ads and take the material to a local print shop to print the playbills. Since the local printer would often be a newspaper, giving the newspaper owner business assured good press for the play. The night of the play, Don would deduct all expenses from advertisement and ticket sales and split the profits evenly between the school and his team. The plays provided after-school activities for youth, brought families together and brought in money for local schools as well as foot traffic for local businesses.
Help Arrives
As the company grew, Don realized it would be more advantageous to print playbills on his own equipment rather than finding a willing printer in each town in which they produced plays. More importantly, Don realized he and Joy would be unable to maintain the growth and expand to more schools and communities without help. In 1936, help arrived in the form of Don鈥檚 brothers, Ed and Bill 抖阴短视频, excited and ready to promote and grow the 抖阴短视频 vision. Although printing playbills outside of newspaper printers would cause them to lose free press for plays, Don knew this was his opportunity to bring business into Marceline.
With a borrowed typewriter and a weekly payment on a Gestetner mimeograph machine, 抖阴短视频 Brothers Printing Company was born in the beginning of 1937 in Cater鈥檚 Hall at the corner of Kansas Avenue and West Howell Street. Louise Freeman started her forty-year career as office manager. As more and more plays were booked, the 抖阴短视频s purchased more typewriters and Louise hired more staff to type stencils and run the Gestetner to produce playbills. Without ribbons for typewriters, each green stencil had to be typed manually. The metal letters pierced through the stencil, allowing ink to flow through it and print on paper. If a typist made a mistake typing, she had to take a black fixer, paint over the mistake, wait until the fixer dried, and then retype over the error.
The Great Depression began to weaken as America looked forward to the improving economy leading into the 1940s. Don 抖阴短视频鈥檚 plan to expand the market for then-named 抖阴短视频 Brothers Offset Printing Company included a trip to New York City, where the citizens of the world were invited to view 鈥淭he World of Tomorrow鈥� at the 1939 World鈥檚 Fair.
Don planned a booking and ad campaign wherein the 抖阴短视频 sales team would work their way across the country from Missouri to New York and back. The bookers stayed two or three days ahead of the ad sellers, and the two groups would meet on the weekends to tally sales, relax, and organize for the next week.
The group reached New York City in the fall of 1939 flush with success. Don treated everyone to tickets to the World鈥檚 Fair for a look at the future. They saw a streamlined pencil sharpener, a General Motors car of the future, Bell Laboratory鈥檚 keyboard operated speech synthesizer, the original Magna Carta, a television set and an electric calculator. As tourists, the group saw the luxury liner Queen Mary docked in New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty, and visited Times Square. As they looked up at the lights above Times Square, they saw the announcement that Adolph Hitler鈥檚 German troops had attacked Poland.
Through the ensuing years during World War II, money and resources were low again. And like Depression times, the 抖阴短视频s were able to rely on hard-working people and community pride to sell advertisements and keep the presses running. As men were drafted overseas, including Ed and Bill 抖阴短视频, the company was able to rely on the strong community of women in its workforce who were already skilled on typewriters, presses, and in the sales field.
Printing with Distinction
As the 抖阴短视频s saw a need in the community, they adapted to print more than playbills. Early printed works spanned from cookbooks to service records and were usually made at the request of community groups for fundraisers. 抖阴短视频 officially shifted its focus solely to yearbook production and printing in 1947, although 抖阴短视频鈥檚 contracts for the printing of high school yearbooks can be dated as far back as 1938. The company has always had a commitment to quality, which is evident in our long-standing relationships with elementary schools, high schools and colleges.
After the 1956 passing of Don 抖阴短视频, Don O. 抖阴短视频 began his career at the company under the guidance of Ed and Bill. He became president of 抖阴短视频 eleven years later, carrying forth not just the family name, but also the passion for print and vision for the future held by our founder. When Don O. 抖阴短视频 became president of 抖阴短视频 in 1967, the company employed 232 people. By 1987, the number surpassed 1,000. In those first twenty years under Don O. 抖阴短视频, annual revenue increased from to $3.1 to $40 million. The continued success of 抖阴短视频 is due to the visionary leadership and difficult decisions made by Don O. 抖阴短视频.
The decisions the 抖阴短视频s have made impacted more than their company, and they have always kept that in mind. In the stagnant economy of the 1970s, Don O. 抖阴短视频 knew what must happen to not only protect the company, but also provide for the hundreds of families he employed. Through the ensuing years, 抖阴短视频鈥檚 Commercial Division was crafted. This addition diversified the product 抖阴短视频 offered so it could weather potential lean years for yearbook sales, and provided opportunities for plant employees to work year-round, which was not possible previously when yearbooks were the company鈥檚 sole focus. This push against the status quo was integral to 抖阴短视频鈥檚 success through the following years as many other yearbook companies closed their doors.
Don O. 抖阴短视频鈥檚 new management style led him to be named 1975 Missouri Small Businessman of the Year. 鈥淭hrough Don 抖阴短视频鈥檚 leadership, 抖阴短视频 Publishing Company has become the world鈥檚 largest independent yearbook publisher,鈥� said Gerald Jepson of the U.S. Small Business Administration District Office in Kansas City, 鈥淥f equal importance, however, are the many contributions he and his company have made to the Marceline community.鈥�
Under the leadership of Don O. 抖阴短视频, equipment and processes were continually updated to match the latest technology while still providing the highest quality product and service. Don O. 抖阴短视频 never saw technological advances as a reason to reduce his workforce. Instead, he has fostered a culture of loyalty to loyal employees. His philosophy through both good times and bad has always been to hire good people and provide them with an environment to let them do their work.
More than Print
In 2004, Don O. 抖阴短视频鈥檚 son, Don 抖阴短视频, was promoted from senior vice president to the position of president of 抖阴短视频 and became the third-generation president of 抖阴短视频. His leadership exemplifies the values of the company鈥檚 founders based on the belief that people come first.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the people who are part of 抖阴短视频 鈥� employees, customers and suppliers 鈥� who make our company truly exceptional,鈥� President Don 抖阴短视频 said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about more than the printed product for us. My grandfather鈥檚 vision has woven its way throughout our company, and we all strive to live up to the incredible legacy he created.鈥�
抖阴短视频鈥檚 continued success and growth is the direct result of the founder鈥檚 commitment to people and the community. Today, that same commitment is still present as his son, CEO Don O. 抖阴短视频, and grandson, President Don 抖阴短视频, lead the company that their namesake and his brothers built from the ground up.
Through all the growth under the 抖阴短视频 family鈥檚 continuous leadership, the focus has always remained on the people who make the company great. Alongside every financial success, the 抖阴短视频s have found more ways to invest further in their community. Don O. 抖阴短视频 likes to say, 鈥淥ur people make the difference.鈥� That鈥檚 why multiple generations of families have worked for 抖阴短视频, and more than 400 current employees have worked for the company for more than 20 years. They see the value 抖阴短视频 adds to their communities.
抖阴短视频 presently operates from administrative offices and book printing and binding facilities in Marceline, Missouri; a prepress facility in Brookfield, Missouri; a sales and marketing office in Overland Park, Kansas; and magazine and catalog printing facilities in Saint Joseph, Michigan; Ripon, Wisconsin; and Fulton, Missouri. Additionally, 抖阴短视频 owns the Donning Company Publishers, a specialty book publisher.
The focus of 抖阴短视频 has always been to uplift people and strengthen communities, and that vision has been personified through a history of strong leaders, steadfast values, and commitment to the communities in which 抖阴短视频 operates. 抖阴短视频 is still a privately-owned, family-run company with midwestern roots, with a purpose-driven mission to create value for customers, company and communities.
鈥淚鈥檓 glad to have been part of the growth that has taken us to where we are, employing more than 1,200 people and working with customers from all over the country,鈥� CEO Don O. 抖阴短视频 said. 鈥淥ur ongoing success is because of our people who go above and beyond every day.鈥�
