Through my old contact, Steve Ranis (Sam’s son) I learned of a printer that was looking to retire but still had a lengthy lease. I agreed to assume the lease and take over the equipment. The shop was over 5,000 sq. feet at 329 W. 18th Street in the South Loop area.
This acquisition allowed us to sell some of our older equipment and purchase the existing shop without moving large machines. The new shop contained two large offset presses as well as some sophisticated bindery equipment. By January, 1996 our operation was in full swing. D&R Press was no longer a small player in the Chicago printing market. We were bigger and more efficient, now employing up to 15 people at our peak. We enjoyed a non-stop, steady growth of 10% every year until 2000, when we noticed a change in the economy. Then 2001 brought 9/11 and changed the world as we knew it. We continued through tough times. We lost key people starting with a department head leaving Chicago for a warmer climate in 2002. My Mom, Esther, who was our receptionist for over 13 years, passed away in 2003. Our foreman moved back to Puerto Rico in 2004 to be with his ailing father. And our head pressman of 19 years retired in 2005. Businesses continued to fail and print orders dwindled. We were thankful that we didn’t have to let people go, and my Faith in God kept me going. While enduring the effects of a bad economy, declining business, the digital revolution, inflation and rising gas prices, we contemplated moving out of Chicago, where operating a small business became increasingly difficult. Some of our friends in the industry had already successfully moved to the burbs and felt they should have done it sooner. In August of 2009 we approached our landlord of nearly 14 years about renewing our lease. We could not come to an agreement. So I mentioned to my son, David III, to take a “look around town” to see if there were any suitable spaces available for our new plant. David informed me of a storefront building with 5,000 square feet, an overhead door, a sufficient electrical supply and pre-built office space. This was perfect for D&R to set up shop. As of October 1st, 2009, our new location was 7959 W. Grand Avenue, Elmwood Park, IL. Business continued to decline, but our lower overhead allowed us to stay afloat. The move and build out was costly and we continued to struggle, but an opportunity arose that provided us with a needed influx of work at wholesale prices. Though it wasn’t extremely lucrative, it supplied us with work and cash-flow–yet another example of God’s Grace. In the beginning of 2012, one of our business associates approached me with an opportunity that was a Godsend. Tony needed to exit the industry due to health problems and asked me if I was interested in taking over his shop. My simple and quick answer was, “I’m interested”. As I left his shop that day, I was praying for answers on how to make this work with no money.
All the while, we were heavily involved with the U.S Department of State–being selected as the exclusive printer for The NATO Summit being held in Chicago that May. Tony persisted and sent us all of his financial records in an attempt to convince us to make an offer to buy out Rapid Copy. Once the NATO project was completed, I conferred with my brother, Daryl and my accountant of 30 years, and we made him an offer. Within five days, a deal was struck and D&R Press doubled in size, over night! I know it was God who sent this to me, because in my mind, I never thought I could make an offer that would work and yet the offer I made was accepted. This acquisition changed our course and we began to grow; God had brought us through, yet again. In February, 2015, I lost my father—the man that let me set up shop in his garage more than 40 years prior. Broken-hearted, yet still grateful and Blessed, my God sent another Blessing when we were approached by the 25 year pressman of another local printing company. Within a few weeks, D&R Press owned Romel Press and the D&R Press Print Group was formed. We were fast becoming a well-known local printing company in the suburbs while maintaining our client base in the City of Chicago. Business continued to be steady and 2019 presented us with a hurdle; our “herb-friendly” neighbor caused a real estate tax increase on our building, forcing us to find a new place to call home. Steve, the son of my first boss, Sam Ranis, had established himself as a real estate agent in the area and located a beautiful building and by Christmas, 2019, we relocated to our current home at 1723 N. 25th Avenue, Melrose Park, IL. The end of March 2020, brought the great “shutdown” and business went south, but only until God responded with our next Blessing and by December, Bulldog Printing joined our group buoying us up for the next chapter.
As we moved forward and the industry evolved, we were approached with an opportunity to venture into a new market; wide-format printing. The Summer of 2021 brought us Urban Imaging – which rounds out The D&R Press Print Group as we know it today. D&R Press; D&R Rapid Copy; D&R Romel; D&R Bulldog Printing; D&R Urban Imaging. From Austin High to apprentice in Printers Row, to starting D&R Press in Printers Row to acquiring other unique printers.