Great to talk with you today, Tim. Thanks for taking some time for us. As a start, can you tell us how long you have been with Walsworth-Ripon?

I started with the company on August 25, 1997, so it will be 28 years in August.

Wow. Tell us about the various roles you’ve had over those years.

I started out as a stacker/jogger in the press room. Then I became an operator 2 and then moved up to become an operator 1. Eventually I became a supervisor.

Were there any other jobs in the printing industry before coming to Walsworth?

No, not really. I worked on the family farm when I was growing up. I graduated (from high school) in May of 1997, turned 18 in July and started working for Ripon in August.

So you’ve made your entire career with one company, which is a tad unique these days. Why do you think you have stayed on for so long?

It’s pretty simple – I stay because I enjoy it. It’s been a good, consistent place to work. You can make a decent living.

In the 27-plus years that you’ve been here, what kinds of changes have you seen in the printing business? How have things evolved?

I honestly think the loss of people as the biggest change for us. Trying to find good, consistent help is hard to find. There’s more technology now too.

Can you walk us through what a typical day or week usually looks like for you in your role as press room supervisor?

The daily stuff I do is review my staffing charts, look over the work schedule, check and approve timecards. Then I’m often down on the floor working as well, either slitting paper or doing receiving clerk duties.

If you were to pinpoint any aspect of your job you like the most, what would it be?

It’s absolutely the people. I’ve worked with, and continue to work with, great people.

What do you see as the keys for the company to continue to grow into the future?

We need to maintain and recruit quality staff and continue staying on the leading edge with our technology. To retain our current customers and bring in new ones as well, we just have to continue to do consistent, quality work.

When you’re talking to potential new hires or explaining the print industry to folks that might not be familiar, how do you pitch the company and this business to them?

Everybody thinks printing is going away, and I can tell them it’s not. We’ve seen in the past that we’ve lost some catalog sales to the internet, but many of those have started to come back, because those folks weren’t getting the catalog sales they needed. Print is gonna be around forever.

Are you from the Ripon area originally? Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Brandon, Wisconsin, which is about eight miles south of here.

And you grew up working on a farm?

Yeah, we had a dairy farm. From the time I was old enough to start feeding calves and milking cows, I was working on the farm, and then even more once I could drive a tractor. Since my time there, the farm has gotten a lot bigger. My brothers and nephews took it over after my parents retired.

Do you have your own land now?

No, I live in a village called Fairwater, which is only about two and a half miles away from our family farm. So I’m still really close by

And you went to school around there?

Yep, I graduated from the Rosendale-Brandon School District. Went their K-12, and after that, I started working.

I heard you have family who works for the company too, correct?

Yes, my sister-in-law, Lisa, is the customer service supervisor here in Ripon, and my nephew (her son) Jake is a bindery operator. Since I work second shift, I really only get to see them during shift change.

Outside of work, what do you like to do? Any hobbies?

Hunt and fish anything that runs, flies or swims. And I like to go camping and hang out with my friends and family.

I have a girlfriend of 16 years, Nicole. She’s always with me on all the camping trips with friends.

What’s one interesting thing about you that most people wouldn’t know?

I really enjoy smoking meat on my smoker. And I can bake and cook anything that I put my mind to. I also enjoy canning various items out of my garden.

What types of stuff do you grow?

You name it – radish, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, a little bit of everything.

With the smoker and the barbecue, do you have a specialty?

Pulled pork. I’ve done multiple fundraisers and some weddings, stuff like that.

Fun question time! Do you have a favorite movie or TV show?

My favorite movie is American Sniper.

Do you have a favorite food?

I would say Mexican in general, but if I had to pick something specific, it would be tacos.

Do you have a favorite vacation destination or trip you’ve been on?

My favorite vacation, which I go on annually at the end of May, is my Lake Erie fishing trip with close friends.

If you had a personalized coffee mug, what would it say?

Hunting. Fishing. Coffee. Every day.

As you look back on your career, do you have a favorite memory or specific accomplishment that you’re most proud of?

I think my favorite accomplishment would be working my way through all the positions in the press room to get to where I am now as supervisor. I worked from the bottom up to get here.