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 23 rd with the deal taking effect at
midnight on October 1 st .
“The Print Shop was the largest single print provider for our outsourced projects across the state in the past 15 years,”
said DigiCOPY President & 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 & 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.
About DigiCOPY: DigiCOPY was founded in July 2000 by President & CEO Craig Shuler. Craig’s vision for DigiCOPY
stemmed from his experience in the print industry and his desire to create a company that truly valued relationships in
the workplace, the marketplace, and the community.
About The Print Shop: the Print shop was founded in 1986 by Bill & Kathy Potter. As a family business, they have been
blessed with dedicated employees who share their values in providing the very best customer service, and highest
quality products possible, with well over 200 years of combined digital & commercial printing experience.
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