PAYNE PRINTERY — A PASSIONATE PRINTER

March 2006 By KRISTEN E. MONTE
ASSOCIATE EDITOR

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PASSION IS a powerful emotion—and a positive method—when a bit of reason is incorporated. A great company isn’t successful based solely on its business practices. Its success comes from the spirit of its workers. At Payne Printery, its employees exude passion.

Payne Printery began as a one-man, single-color print shop, and was purchased in the 1930s by John Robert Moore. Moore decided not to change the company’s name because it had a good business reputation. After the purchase, Moore moved the shop a short distance from Plymouth to Dallas, PA, where it continued to produce one-color materials such as raffle tickets, business cards and letterhead.

After Moore’s death in 1952, Payne Printery’s direction was forged by his son, Robert. Robert moved the then-four-employee company into the color market, going from a one- to four-color operation. Robert’s daughter, Susan, began working for the family business during college. After graduating from Syracuse University with a degree in art and advertising, she took a position in the creative department.

At this time, the company employed another college student, Thomas Gauntlett, who worked as a driver during the summers. Gauntlett attended the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, where he played basketball for the legendary coach Dean Smith. After graduation, Gauntlett joined Payne’s sales department—and married Susan.

In 1985, shortly after Robert Payne’s death, the couple began running the company.

Moving Ahead

The Gauntlett’s made some major overhauls during the mid- to late-’80s, including a facility move and an upgrade to five-color printing capabilities. The original Dallas facility was old—and space was becoming an issue—as the company grew. Thus, the Gauntlett’s oversaw construction on a new 50,000-square-foot facility, built at Payne’s current locale, in Dallas. Payne’s facility was designed around its workflow, so that everything runs smoothly from prepress to mailing.

Payne Printery is currently under the leadership of Thomas and Susan’s son, Brett Gauntlett, who took over the reins in 2001. While his parents are still actively involved with company operations, Brett runs the show as COO.

Gauntlett attended Hampden-Sydney College, and worked to learn the family business during the summers, following a path similar to his parents. After graduating in 1994, he joined Payne Printery as a sales representative, before becoming the fourth generation to lead the company.

His initial goals were to revamp the pressroom and create a successful sales team, which came to fruition with the hiring of Shaun Daney as director of sales in 2001.

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