PRINTING INDUSTRY VETERANS — LASTING IMPRESSIONS
In recent years, Gray and his wife have motorcycled around the United States and Canada, taking in the scenery.
Bill Kaiser, 79
Environmental Safety Director
Wetzel Brothers Printing
Cudahy, WI
Some people are a product of their geography. Others have the chance to create products based on their geography. For example, when you think Atlanta, Coca-Cola certainly comes to mind. And Seattle is inextricably linked to Microsoft (which is forever beholden to Bill Gates).
Bill Kaiser cut his printing teeth in Michigan, which boasts both the car industry (Detroit) and food giants (Battle Creek). He spent his first 21 years with Muller Color Plate, and became manager of its Battle Creek facility. After brief stints with Kalacraft (then a Schawk division) and Mueller Krus, Kaiser landed in Cudahy, WI, with Wetzel Brothers.
In 22 years with the now-Consolidated Graphics plant, he has served as technical manager and, for the past 14 years, its environmental safety director. In the latter capacity, Kaiser works with the state department of natural resources to help formulate emissions rules for Wisconsin printers.
Some very well-known package printing designs incorporate Kaiser’s influence. He did the original color separations, platemaking and engraving for the original Kellogg’s Pop Tarts carton. For Kraft, he created the Sealtest ice cream packaging design, the old-fashioned ice cream parlor look, in the early 1970s. He was also responsible for the packaging design of the Breyer’s line.
“It was fun working with the Kraft people in Philadelphia. They would send me tubs of their new ice cream flavors,” Kaiser recalls.
It wasn’t all cookies and cream during Kaiser’s 53-year career. In 1976, an ad agency botched its client’s auto book that was touting a new line of cars, but the gaffe was caught post-production. As a result, 2 million car books were scrapped. Fortunately for the manufacturer, the car enjoyed a long, successful run.
