- When and why did you join the Kingston team?
I’ve been working with Kingston since the early nineties. You see, Dick Johnson and I became good friends when we both worked at a large sheetfed/web printing company in Kansas City. Somewhere around 1990 Dick purchased this small print shop in Lawrence, Kansas called Kingston Printing & Design inc. That’s when I began working with Kingston on projects that didn’t fit us.
Kingston had, and has, an unbelievable work ethic, along with a “Make it Happen” philosophy, plus a total commitment to quality work and customer satisfaction. I truly wanted to be a part of that and in September of 2000, I came on board along with Kingston’s first 6 color press.
- What is your favorite part about your job?
Well, it goes without saying I love working with all the great customers, prospective customers and our awesome internal work force. But if I had to focus on one thing that gives me great satisfaction, I would say accomplishing something that is perceived as impossible. It’s part of what brought me to Kingston in the first place. I just love to exceed the customers expectations.
- Coolest print project you ever worked on and why?
That’s kind of like asking a parent who has eight kids to pick a favorite. My favorite project is the one where my customer says great job Rich this looks awesome!
Okay! There was this one prototype we did for a retail store. Unfortunately the project never rolled out and we did just the one. As you can see there’s nothing normal about this printed piece. Printed 4-color process one side on a wood pallet top. Is that fun or what?
- Favorite machine and why?
Go Figure! Look at the above photo. Our large format printer. We can print on just about any surface. So Cool!
- Any tidbits about yourself outside of work – kids? Hobbies? Fun facts?
Well, I have a beautiful wife of 47 years, two incredible daughters who married equally incredible guys. Three grand sons and a grand daughter. Ages 9, 10, 11 and 12. Oh! And two grand dogs.
When I’m not watching the grand kids playing baseball, soccer, basketball or diving, I really enjoy playing golf and traveling to warm places. I also enjoy working in Adobe Photoshop coloring old black and white photos, which tends to be more of a winter hobby.
I’m a proud graduate from Pittsburg State, but I have strong ties to KU. Both of my daughters and one of my son-in-laws graduated from KU.
In addition, my older brother Tom is a KU grad and is on the wall of fame in Allen Field house for his many accomplishments in track and cross country.
I was also a distance runner in college and ran one of my best 2 mile races on the “indoor track at Allen Field House”. Yes, there use to be a dirt/clay indoor track which went around the basketball court in Allen Field House – and no I didn’t know Phog Allen or Abraham Lincoln. ?
