PrintsWell was founded by Ralph and Anne Dewberry in 1990. Now, over 30 years later, they’ve expanded their team, their family, and their business. And for any company that has been around for three decades, knowing how to adapt and pivot through challenging times is key. One of the threads that has held PrintsWell together all these years isn’t just their business prowess; it’s their faith. They’ve held on during the tough times and have come out on the other side. And best of all? As a family business, they don’t just treat their family with care…they treat their staff and printing partners like family too.
We sat down with the team to hear more about the PrintsWell story, what makes them so unique, and why they love walking alongside new stationers.
Every business has a story of how it started. What is PrintsWell’s foundation story?
Ralph Dewberry: “When I got out of the military in 1970 at the end of the Vietnam War. I went into business with my dad at Dewberry Engraving Company, which had existed since the 1930s, and I was in that company until 1990. But the engraving industry had been going down all during the 1980s as thermography came in, and people were doing excellent printing. Also, lawyers and accountants learned they could print their letterhead with their laser printer. (A huge part of that business was engraving letterheads.) So, we sold Dewberry Engraving Company.
And we (just four of us) started this little bitty printing company. At that time, we were printing for one company: Sweet Pea Designs, and we had a little bit of a catalog. We went to the National Stationery Show in New York year after year, selling that catalog, and kept growing our catalogs and our products.”
Any business that has been around for more than 30 years knows that you must adapt and change based on the economy and the needs of your customers. What did those pivots look like for PrintsWell?
Ralph Dewberry: “By about 2008, we had around 2,500 retailers all over the country. Then, we started to see a decline as more people were selling direct. So, in 2010, we made some changes and started to sell to the designers, doing order fulfillment. It was very small at that point, but we grew from that to now printing for thousands and thousands of designers all over the country.”
John Dewberry: “2008 was very transformative for us because we brought in a digital press for the first time versus just a traditional offset (printer). You can't print stuff for other people if you have to make plates for a short run. We had to be digital to be able to do what we're doing now. That really opened the door—you can print anything you want in any quantity you want. And we had not had that freedom, and that opened the door once people started seeking us out like, ‘hey, I know I buy this stuff out of your albums, but you know, I've got this custom invitation I did, and do you think you guys could print that too? I like how y'all print.’ We were like, ‘I guess we can do that. We've never done it before. OK, we'll try, you know?”
One of the things that sets PrintsWell apart from other printing companies is that you truly walk alongside your designers, whether they’re just starting in stationery or they’ve already built a successful business. Your willingness to walk alongside them, no matter where they’re at on the journey, is unique.
Caitlin Greene: “PrintsWell really started in their (the stationer’s) shoes. Then we transitioned to just being the production partner (for designers). But I think the pain points are really relatable…from the album side to the stationery side. I think that hits with them whenever I'm speaking to customers: that we've been in their shoes before and still are. We're really their production partner, filling that need so that they can start their business. They don't need much, you know, they just need a really good partner, I think.”
PrintsWell has grown from a team of four to approximately 80 teammates. If we were to interview your team, what do you think they would say about your values?
Anne Dewberry: People matter.
Ralph Dewberry: “It's the way we treat the people and the way we treat our employees. We have birthday parties once a month, share cake, and do a lot of things together. We have a big Christmas party, and we're out talking to our employees all the time. There's a really good relationship with our employees. We take care of them, but we also take care of our customers. They're very important to us.
What do you believe sets your business apart from other printing partners in the stationery industry?
Ralph Dewberry: “Quality. People want consistency. Whenever new presses come out, we always stay up to date with the latest and best printing equipment, and we have found equipment that prints very consistently. In other words, you can go from day to day to day, you pretty much get the same thing, and that's not true with all printing presses. Another thing? Price. Because of the engineering that's gone into this, we're able to do things very efficiently. An order might have 10 parts. You’ve got to bring all 10 parts together, and you're working with thousands of orders at the same time, so you've got thousands of parts that all have to come together and get in one box so it can be shipped out. That efficiency has resulted in being able to give a good price. Another one is great customer service. We have great people in our customer service department, and they're very knowledgeable, which, you know, you can have somebody answer the phone, but these people know what they're talking about.”
Rick Peyton: “There is a printer in every city in America, right? There is somebody who can print your stationery, sure, but I think what really has set us apart is that the only thing that PrintsWell prints is stationery. All we’ve done for 30 years is stationery. And I think that's where a lot of that trust comes from, is that anybody can print it, but we know what it actually needs to finish and what it needs to end up looking like.”
Caitlyn Greene: “Attention to detail. Well, specifically Anne’s attention to detail. I mean, we're seeing borders, we're seeing anomalies, and it sticks out to us. So the attention to detail really raises the quality standards, but you're also getting it at a great price and really fast. I think it's a combination of those things altogether that really sets us apart.”
You strive to be a company that serves your printing partners and meets their growing needs. Can you share more about what PrintsWell hopes to do in the coming years?
John Dewberry: “You know, when we look to expand, it's not really about what other business we can get into. Our customers are telling us all the time, ‘I wish you all would do this, so I didn't have to get it done somewhere else. Be a one-stop shop.”’
Chelsea Arant: Some people don't realize that they can become a stationer, like watercolor artists or people who paint or draw. We can turn their artwork into greeting cards, coaster sets, art prints, things like that. So, reaching out to those people and bringing those people in and expanding their business, I think it's something that we're trying to work on as well.
PrintsWell is in the business of making other people (and their businesses) look good. The team loves their printing partners, and when you become a partner, you’re more than just a number. You’re a member of the PrintsWell family. And if you’re new to the stationery industry but want to jump in, don’t hesitate! If you’ve got artwork and a way to sell it, then you’ve got a printer. Reach out to PrintsWell today and get your stationery business started. You’ll be glad you did!