Walsworth – Eau Claire, formerly Documation, is the result of more than four decades of change within the printing and publishing landscape. What began as a small in-plant print shop supporting continuing education seminars has grown into a fully digital, highly automated print-on-demand operation that strengthens Walsworth’s nationwide manufacturing network. The story of Documation is rooted in entrepreneurship, problem solving and continuous reinvestment in technology.

PESI’s Foundations in Continuing Education

Walsworth – Eau Claire traces its origins to 1979, when Professional Education Systems, Inc. (PESI) was founded by Rick Olson and Mark Helland to provide continuing education programs for professionals in nursing, healthcare and law. Seminar work depended on printed notebooks, manuals and promotional materials produced quickly and accurately. PESI built an internal printing department to meet those demands.

In the early 1990s, PESI brought in consultant Roy Fuerstenberg to evaluate how the company could operate more efficiently. Roy recognized that the in-plant printing unit had untapped potential. By spinning off the department into a separate company, PESI could reduce internal overhead while giving the print operation freedom to pursue outside business. That recommendation set the stage for a major shift.

Spinning Off a New Business

On Jan. 1, 1994, Documation officially launched as an independent company. The startup operated from the basement of PESI’s Sprint Street building and began with 11 employees. Nearly all work still came from PESI, but Roy, serving as the first salesperson, quickly expanded the customer base by targeting associations and membership groups. These clients relied on printed education materials, seminar brochures and annual meeting packets, especially in the legal and healthcare sectors. This early work shaped Documation’s identity as a fast-turn provider of content-heavy materials where accuracy matters.

In 1995, Brad Stuckert joined the company as purchasing manager. Brad came to Documation with experience in material management, and over time, he took on roles in estimating, sales and eventually operations leadership. As Documation grew, so did its capabilities. In early 1998, the company purchased its first four color press, moving beyond black only production and opening the door to more sophisticated commercial work.

By December 1998, employment had grown to the mid-30s, and Documation had outgrown its original footprint. The company moved into a fully remodeled facility at 1556 International Drive, where it still resides today.

Growth, Publishing Partnerships and the Early Digital Shift

The early 2000s brought continued expansion. The building was enlarged by roughly one third, and Brad stepped into a broader general manager role overseeing production.

Documation’s sales strategy also evolved. While association work remained important, the company secured significant publishing clients, including Forbes Publishing, which later became Cengage Publishing. For many years, Cengage was Documation’s largest customer after PESI. This work brought steady volume and higher expectations for consistency across short run book manufacturing.

By the late 2000s, the print industry was changing. Runs grew shorter as publishers updated content more frequently. Digital formats reduced the need for large offset inventories. Although Documation continued to provide quality offset work, sales began to level out as customer needs shifted.

New Ownership and a New Direction

Entering the 2010s, Documation’s original owners approached retirement and began considering divestment. Brad Stuckert, who had grown with the company for nearly two decades, stepped forward to purchase the business in October 2012.

Brad recognized that the future of commercial printing would rely on digital production and short run efficiency. Association and seminar demand no longer matched the pace of the changing market; Documation needed to evolve.

The Print-on-Demand Era

Beginning around 2015, Documation made bold financial investments to reposition itself as a print-on-demand provider. The company installed the first HP T200 digital web press in the United States, followed shortly by a second unit to ensure steady uptime and continuous flow. These presses transformed what Documation could produce. Publishers could now order extremely small batches or single copies without the waste and expense of offset makereadies.

To support this new model, Documation invested heavily in automated finishing, including advanced binding and book making systems. Early engineering flaws required rework, but once refined, the installation became the first of its kind in the United States. This combination of inkjet technology and automated finishing allowed Documation to move from raw file to finished book with impressive speed and accuracy. By 2022, Documation completely transitioned and was operating as a fully digital plant.

It’s impossible to tell the story of Documation’s evolution into print-on-demand without mentioning Jeremy Stanek, the facility’s Vice President of Operations. Jeremy started his career with Documation in 2001 as a Press Operator, and over the next two decades, worked his way up through Customer Service, Estimating and management roles before becoming Vice President. 

Even with a leader like Jeremy at the helm, the transition was no easy feat. “2018 was the most difficult year of my career,” said Jeremy. “It was not fun getting stuff up and running, and we were under high pressure. Difficulties with labor and training – I’ll always remember how tough that was. In 2019, we completely figured it out. It goes to show you that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. What we accomplished as a team makes me so proud. It was unbelievable.”

Documation’s Acquisition by Walsworth

On January 1, 2025, Walsworth acquired Documation, bringing its digital expertise and workflow centric operation into the Walsworth family. For Documation, joining a family owned company with deep experience in books, catalogs and yearbooks aligned with its values. Brad Stuckert said that once the company’s leadership decided the time was right to sell, partnering with Walsworth was the easy part.

“Over the past decade, I’ve gotten to know Don Walsworth and the leadership team well. Their commitment to their customers, their employees and their communities is evident in everything they do,” said Brad. “When evaluating who to partner with, we felt comfortable choosing Walsworth because we believe they will take care of our team and our customers. It’s just who they are.”

For Walsworth, the acquisition added a mature print-on-demand facility with proven automation and national distribution advantages. Don Walsworth, President, said, “Being able to meet our customers’ needs by giving them a complete printing solution, whether they want to print one million items on a web press or one unit on a digital inkjet press, is our driver for acquiring Documation. Their team has built a best-in-class print-on-demand facility, and we are excited to welcome them into the Walsworth family.”

The Eau Claire site became Walsworth’s fifth production facility, complementing their operations in Marceline and Fulton, Missouri; Saint Joseph, Michigan; and Ripon, Wisconsin. Under Walsworth’s ownership, Brad Stuckert entered his well-deserved retirement, and Jeremy Stanek became Walsworth – Eau Claire’s Plant Manager.

Looking to the Future

The Eau Claire acquisition was made significantly easier by the two companies’ shared values; Documation and Walsworth were both built from the ground up with blood, sweat and tears, and carry strong commitments to quality, community and best-in-class service. As part of Walsworth, our Eau Claire facility will continue to shape the role of on-demand printing within the broader commercial print industry.

What began as an in-plant shop in a seminar company basement is now a highly specialized digital manufacturing site built for the future of publishing. Walsworth – Eau Claire provides a bridge between traditional volume work and fast turn reprints, personalized materials or limited batches. Walsworth is now able to offer its customers the same quality print they’ve come to expect, in quantities from one to one million.