Thanks for taking the time to join us Cliff. To start, can you tell us when you started with Walsworth and how that came about?

I started in September of 2018. At the time, I was working for Printwell, who had brought me in to get the press room organized and profitable. We had good success there, but after learning of some financial issues, I decided to look around.

I started talking to Phil Archer on LinkedIn, and he invited me over to talk. I interviewed with him, one thing led to another and I came to Saint Joe as a third shift supervisor. Then about five years ago (2021), I was promoted to Press Room Manager.

Can you talk us through your background in manufacturing and printing, and some of the other stops you had in your career before you made it here to Walsworth?

I was always around the printing industry because my dad was in it. In high school, I delivered newspapers at night and then went to school in the morning.

I started college for a business degree while also working on an auto mechanic certification because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I tried a few different things. I worked for a company that did plastic injection molding. I supervised a landscape crew for about a year. But I saw security in the printing industry so I went back. 

I got a job at Carrollton Graphics, starting in the bindery. I worked my way up to bindery operator, then bindery supervisor in my early 20s. I had an opportunity to get in the press room there, where I was able to work my way up to press operator.

But they ran into financial troubles, and I went to Grand Newsprinting. A guy who had known my dad hired me to run a newspaper press. We did local weekly and daily newspapers. It was a small, family-owned place. I was there for three or four years.

Then I went to Grand River Printing. I started there as a press operator, got introduced to inline finishing. Moved my way up to supervisor and press manager. I was there for 16 years. They were bought by American Litho in Chicago, and they wanted me to go there and supervise, which I did for two years.

That was when the opportunity at Printwell came about and knowing it meant I would be back with my kids, I came back to Michigan.

So when the opportunity with Walsworth came about, what specifically appealed to you?

Well you know, I’ve always been at smaller to mid-size plants. When I went to American Litho, that was probably the biggest plant I had ever worked.

So when I talked with Phil and learned more about Walsworth and the history and the area of Saint Joe, it was very intriguing. Being back at a family-owned company was very intriguing.

I was able to talk to a lot of people out on the floor. And I never really heard any negative feedback, which is kind of different, you know? (laughs) I mean, no matter what plant I had ever been to or been a part of, there was usually a little bit of negativity hanging somewhere. But I was kind of shocked at how positive things were with Walsworth. And that’s what really pulled me in.

And now your duties in Saint Joe are as Press Manager?

That’s correct. I’m over the press room, maintenance, shipping and paper warehouse.

I know it probably changes all the time, but what’s a typical day or week look like for you?

I’m a pretty highly-involved manager. I don’t micro-manage, but I like to be involved probably more than some would be. It gives me a better pulse of all the departments and where things are.

My day always starts out by going around and talking to every person in the plant, shaking their hand and saying good morning. That way, every shift, I’m on top of the feedback. Whether positive or negative, people want to inform me of something. 

Especially the operators, I’ll give them a quick response, whether we need to improve on something quick or it’s something we need to focus more time on. With each shift change, I’m real busy doing that.

I take a couple hours during the day to look through what we printed to see if I can catch things before they’ve made it to the bindery. I get with scheduling every day to make sure we’re on the same page as far as what’s expected for the day or week and what our plans will be multiple days ahead of time.

You mentioned you had a family connection to printing through your father, who worked in the business. Were there other aspects of the business that appealed to you?

Because of my father, I was introduced to it at a young age. I was always in the plant, in the shop, around the people. So the process always interested me.

As I got older and working part-time, the whole process of producing a product fascinated me. Learning how to lay film, all that. I remember shooting my own film in the dark room. It was really challenging but it drove me to learn it. And it never really went away.

The print industry interested me initially because every day was different. I had friends and family in careers where they were bored all the time. If I had the opportunity to go learn a different piece of equipment, I did it. And then every time I had an opportunity to get into management or supervision, I started driving even more. The same holds true today.

When you’re hiring new folks to work in the press room, what type of pitch or appeal do you make toward the younger generation? How do you try to convince them that printing is a field where you can make a great career?

It’s difficult but we have younger guys in our plant that are really, really talented and smart. I spend a lot of time with them just communicating about the trade because I think they want to know more, but you have to be honest with them about where it’s going, whether that’s digital or automation or looking at something more computer-oriented or on the robotic end.

You know, with the automation, the younger group tends to be more intrigued. What I can bring to it is what the industry has done for me over the years and I can give them positive feedback on how I’ve made a decent living, raised a family and all the people I’ve met.

Can you talk about life outside of work? Tell us where you grew up.

I was born and raised in Michigan. I’m from Detroit. I lived there until I was about six. Then I moved to a small farm town called Howell, Michigan, which is an hour outside Detroit.

I grew up there. Got married there, raised my kids there. And basically lived around there until I moved to Chicago. 

How old are your kids?

My son Dustin is 36. My daughter Megan just turned 31. They’re both still over in the Howell area where they grew up.

Does the whole family spend a lot of time together?

Yeah, and as far as activities, we like to travel. Florida is probably our go-to place.

We’ve got a lot of family in Florida, including my girlfriend’s daughter. Savannah, Georgia is another great place we like to go. We also do a lot of camping up north in Michigan during the summer. 

We’re also big on trying different types of food. We love to try different, odd places to eat, whether it’s out of town or when we go out of state.

Do you have a favorite type of food or a favorite meal?

Not really. We’re big into seafood. We like to try different types of fish. Our goal is to get out to the east coast. We’d like to try Maine or something maybe this year, to try the fishing towns. We’re pretty adventurous. We’ll try anything.

What’s one thing about you most people don’t know?

Probably that I’m not actually mad all the time. (laughs) I’ve always been told I look mad, but I think it’s just the look I have on my face.

When you’re at work?

Yeah, so I try to go out of my way to show people who I really am and joke around a little bit and lighten up. But that’s just the way I carry myself.

Do you have a favorite movie or TV show?

I like westerns, but we watch so much different stuff. I’m a big Tim Allen fan, so we try to watch his sitcoms and movies. I’m always into action movies.

With your sports, are you a Michigan or a Michigan State guy?

I’m a Michigan guy and a huge sports fan in general. I’ve got to back away from watching sports sometimes because I’m real competitive. Big Red Wings and Lions fan. Big Tigers fan. I end up watching a lot of Chicago sports because there are a lot of Chicago fans here in Saint Joe.

You’re actually closer to Chicago than Detroit, right?

Yes, we can drive 15 minutes to get on the train and be in Chicago in an hour. We go down a lot and spend the day there in the summertime.

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

Probably, “Smile” or “Lighten Up.” (laughs) “Calm down.” Something like that.

Do you have a favorite memory or an accomplishment from your career that you’re most proud of?

I’ve had a few of them. Going to Printwell and turning that press around to where it was making money within a couple years, that meant a lot to me. 

Grand View Printing, where I was for 16 years, I grew so much in that place. I learned so many techniques and gained a lot of my technical ability there. I was kind of pulled by my general manager, who took the time to pull me into his world and explain the operations of things and the financials.

Those are the things that stick with me, because that’s where I was given the opportunity to really grow the most and people got me involved in the growth of the company.