17 May 60th Anniversary Blog by Russ Blankenship
This year marks our 60th anniversary at Reproductions Inc. We are proud to continue to serve the local Architectural, Engineering and Construction and Print Media industries in Tucson. You don’t reach the sixty year mark without focusing on quality, investing in your future and appreciating your employees.
Looking back at more than a half a century, it is pretty impressive to see just how much the printing industry has changed during that time from flexography to digital and now 4D technology. In 1956 when we started printing; black and white televisions just hit the market, average cost of gas was .22 cents, and Elvis Presley produced his first hit Heartbreak Hotel.
Here’s a quick bit of history on Repro; Founded in May 1956 by Warren Edminston, a few years later bought out by Duane Erickson, one of Warren’s employees. When Duane retired he sold the company to his son Jeff. In 1991 Jeff Erickson made the decision to turn Reproductions, Inc. over to his employees and established an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). By 1997, the transition was complete and Reproductions becomes a 100% employee-owned company.
The company still sits in its original location downtown. The two story wire cut brick building that would later become the home of Reproductions, Inc., was commissioned by business man James Keever Van Harlingen and built in 1928. Originally a mattress factory, then later (from 1938 to 1942) it housed the WPA offices. The building has gone through many changes leading up to today.
We are proud to continue to pioneer the print industry in southern Arizona. In 1989 Reproductions Inc. was the only printing company that could provide a color photocopy in Tucson. In 1996, we acquired the region’s first Megascan large format color scanner setting the standard in Southern Arizona for large format color posters, signs and banners. More recently in 2015, we invested capital to acquire the latest large format color printing technology and cutter/router to allow clients the best and most innovative large format printing solutions.
Today, I’m proud that Reproductions Inc. is one of the few thriving employee owned businesses in southern Arizona. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this amazing journey and a big thanks to our colleagues and partners over the past 60 years. Cheers to another 60!