Ripon’s Andy Lyke Named Harry V. Quadracci VISION Award Recipient

PITTSBURGH—April 26, 2012—WOA and Printing Industries of America are pleased to announce that Andy Lyke, president of Ripon Printers, Ripon, WI, has been named the 2012 recipient of the Harry V. Quadracci VISION Award. He will be honored and recognized during the Offset & Beyond Conference, to be held June 4-6, 2012, at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch in St. Louis.

Lyke began his graphic arts career by helping out at his family’s weekly newspaper, the Ripon Commonwealth Press. His first duties included sweeping floors and inserting flyers into weekly shoppers.

After attending the University of Notre Dame and completing a bachelor’s degree in accounting, Lyke spent two years in the Chicago office of Arthur Andersen as a staff auditor. He then returned to Ripon Printers in 1985 as the company’s controller. Among other accomplishments, Lyke laid the foundation for Ripon’s leap into the electronic age.

Lyke earned both his CPA license and his pilot wings by 1994 and became president of Ripon Printers five years later. He and his wife, Jeanne, who is a practicing pediatrician, are active in community affairs and the proud parents of two sons.

The modern history of Ripon Printers began when the Lyke family purchased the Ripon Commonwealth Press in 1962. The company initially operated as a community newspaper and small commercial printer. The customer list was strictly local. There were 13 employees.

A modest web press purchased in 1965 changed the business substantially. With significant new capacity, Ripon began to produce longer–run work regionally and then statewide. Growth continued unabated, and the printing business was spun off in 1986.

Today, Ripon Printers is more than 235–employees strong and equipped with the latest technologies from premedia through fulfillment and distribution, serving catalog marketers and publishers throughout the United States.

The newspaper, which dates back to the Civil War, has won numerous awards over the years.

Lyke joins a prestigious group of past VISION Award recipients, including Jim Andersen, IWCO Direct; Edward Barr, Sun Chemical; Thomas Brinkman Sr., Metroweb Corp.; Ken Field Sr., Continental Web Press; John Frautschi, Webcrafters Inc.; Michael Keene, The John Roberts Co.; Remi Marcoux, Transcontinental USA; Robert Murphy, Japs–Olson Co.; Roger Perry, Perry Judds; Thomas Quadracci, Quad/Graphics Inc.; F. Edward Treis, Arandell Corp.; and Jerry Williamson, QuadWilliamson.

The Harry V. Quadracci VISION award is conferred to that offset printing industry executive who has reached an unsurpassed level of excellence and achievement in the industry. It is dedicated to the spirit of those industry pioneers whose hard work and determination have created a growing and ever-changing industry. Join us in celebrating this year’s recipient.

For more information about this award, please contact Laurie Reynolds at (412) 259-1802 or via email at lreynolds@printing.org.

About WOA
WOA is the premier, member-driven organization representing the interests of the offset printing community and the suppliers to this industry. Together with Printing Industries of America and its nationwide affiliate network, WOA delivers products and services that enhance the growth, efficiency, and profitability of its members and the offset industry through advocacy, education, research, and technical information.

Source: WOA.