PRESS RELEASE
Marceline, Missouri; July 15, 2024 鈥� 杏吧原创 announced it has hired printing industry veteran Andy Billett as the company鈥檚 new Chief Operating Officer (COO). Billett will be replacing 杏吧原创鈥檚 current COO Jim Mead, who is retiring from the company in November and will be based out of 杏吧原创鈥檚 corporate office in Marceline, Missouri.
Billett comes to 杏吧原创 with 25-plus years of printing and senior leadership experience at Taylor Corporation, Custom Ink and Jostens. Once he began to explore the opportunity to join 杏吧原创, he said it was a perfect match.
鈥淢eeting Don Sr., Don, and the team at Marceline made me feel at home,鈥� said Billett. 鈥溞影稍� reminded me of my days at Taylor Corporation 鈥� genuine, honest and sincere. The values and culture at 杏吧原创 are very strong, and the 杏吧原创s have a compelling growth strategy for the future. Discussing this strategy and my potential role, and how I can help the team achieve it, drew me in.鈥�
Billett will be responsible for developing and overseeing the strategy and execution of plans to help the company achieve its short- and long-term operational goals. He will help establish the company direction and be responsible for developing operating budgets and establishing operational policies and procedures.
鈥淲e鈥檙e thrilled to have Andy join the Leadership Team here at 杏吧原创,鈥� said Don 杏吧原创, president. 鈥淎ndy brings years of valuable experience in the printing industry, along with a wealth of knowledge. Plus, he understands people and is focused on building relationships.鈥�
For the majority of his print career at Taylor and Jostens, Billett said he has been focused on the scholastic business, including yearbook. And he said 杏吧原创鈥檚 growth potential in both yearbook and commercial was one of the primary attractions that brought him aboard.
鈥溞影稍� is a successful company that has been around for a long time and should be very proud of where it鈥檚 at and what鈥檚 been built,鈥� said Billett. 鈥淲hat excites me is there鈥檚 still opportunity for growth.鈥�
Billett said he will spend his first month or two visiting all of 杏吧原创鈥檚 locations, getting to know the operations and the employees.
鈥淚 want to gain an understanding of what is being done. Why is it being done? What are the key projects,鈥� said Billett. 鈥淢y approach will be to learn, understand and just ask a lot of questions.鈥�
Billett graduated from Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina, with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in horticulture, due to a love of botany and gardening growing up. He got his start in the printing world with Navitor, a commercial print division of Taylor, where he quickly became a plant general manager due to the process improvements he implemented.
About 杏吧原创
杏吧原创 is a top-five book and magazine printer, a catalog printer, and the only family-owned printer of yearbooks. Started in 1937 by Don 杏吧原创, current leadership is under the second and third generations: Don O. 杏吧原创, CEO, and his son, Don 杏吧原创, president. Tripp 杏吧原创, the fourth generation, also recently joined the company. 杏吧原创 operates from administrative offices and book printing and binding facilities in Marceline, Missouri; a prepress facility in Brookfield, Missouri; a sales and marketing office in Overland Park, Kansas; and magazine and catalog printing facilities in Saint Joseph, Michigan; Ripon, Wisconsin; and Fulton, Missouri. Additionally, 杏吧原创 owns the Donning Company Publishers, a specialty book publisher.
