DigiCOPY Purchases The Print Shop in Black River Falls

Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024 -- 8:00 AM

DigiCOPY, an employee-owned digital printing company headquartered in Stevens Point, is pleased to announce the acquisition of The Print Shop, a family-owned, multi-faceted offset printer in Black River Falls.

This move marks a significant milestone in DigiCOPY’s ongoing commitment to its customers, co-workers and community. Paperwork finalizing the sale was signed on September 23rd with the deal taking effect at midnight on October 1st.

“The Print Shop was the largest single print provider for our outsourced projects across the state in the past 15 years,” said DigiCOPY President and CEO Craig Shuler.

“It was a great expansion opportunity for us…bringing on their color/half-sheet and coating press, which is the perfect ‘next size up’ beyond our current capabilities at DigiCOPY. Their physical location was also key-halfway between our La Crosse and Eau Claire locations, with the ability to serve our other DigiCOPY locations across the state,” he adds.

Bill and Kathy Potter started The Print Shop “from scratch” in 1986 and saw steady expansion of capabilities and customer base, with the construction of their current facility in 2000.

“Taking a business you had to learn and surrounding yourself with good people and growing it to what it has become has been wonderfully satisfying,” said Potter. “To have the respect of customers and other printers and be involved in the community while providing employment to 15 other people is what I am most proud of,” he adds.

The 15 Print Shop employees will all be retained, joining 86 DigiCOPY co-workers as part of the employee-owned company. The Print Shop will keep its name/brand and there will be very little change in day-to-day operations, according to both Shuler and Potter.

The new co-workers from The Print Shop will be part of the DigiCOPY ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) from day one, Shuler says, vested in DigiCOPY’s employee-owned company by counting their years of service at The Print Shop.

He reports there are already representatives from The Print Shop on the DigiCOPY ESOP team, new co-workers attended the DigiCOPY company picnic this summer and integration continues with The Print Shop employees and the DigiCOPY culture.

“It’s a win-win-win situation for DigiCOPY and The Print Shop,” said Shuler. “It is a case of 1 + 1 = 3. Some of the work they do is better suited for us and some of the work we do is better suited for them. This will create increased efficiencies for both companies,” he adds.

Potter is also confident about the future. “We met a community need when we started The Print Shop 38 years ago, and we will continue to meet that need following the acquisition by DigiCOPY,” Potter said. “It’s important to us that there will be customer continuity, and we know DigiCOPY will continue the outstanding relationships we built with our customers,” Potter adds.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.