A Brief History of The Athens Printing Company
In late 1986, Tim and Janet Field purchased the old McGregor Printing Company through their consulting company of Elliott & Fitzpatrick, Inc. McGregor was located on Washington Street in downtown Athens and was on the verge of bankruptcy. As a result, it needed a major retooling to survive.
Early Years
Within three years, two minor partners were bought out, and the company was renamed Georgia Southern Press. At about the same time, the company moved to a newly constructed building on Cedar Shoals Drive. During the early years, the company, renamed The Athens Printing Company, began disposing old and obsolete “lead-type” equipment. They focused on moving to computers and new production equipment. This march continued through the 1990s and into the new century. It emphasized state-of-the-art equipment, skilled staff, quality products, and great service.
Improved Efficiency
Over a ten-year period, modern presses replaced old equipment. This improved the efficiency and quality of printed products. Additionally, the “copy center” area became a large scale digital production resource. It held equipment for short or long run products. Moreover, the company’s capacity to produce high-end color printing was established with new Heidelberg 2, 4, and 6 color printing presses. In terms of management, the two sons entered the business (Chan in 1993 and Collin in 2001). They brought stability, continuity, and increased efficiency to the printing operation. Currently, Chan and Collin wholly own the company.
The early years of struggling to survive, to the years of transition and rebuilding, slowly reshaped the company into the stable business it is today. As a result, the company is capable of producing “quality printing at a fair price in a timely manner” (the company’s early mission motto). The essential assets of the company are our hardworking staff, variety of exceptional equipment, and a much valued customer base. As a result, Athens Printing is well positioned for the future. We’re able to produce high quality print, sign, and digitally produced products, with the service our customers have come to expect.
