Jerry Hudgens

NEVER BEFORE has the face of the commercial printing industry changed so drastically, so quickly or so permanently. After one of the worst hurricanes in U.S. history hit New Orleans in August 2005, two-thirds of The Big Easy’s printers were gone. Pre-Katrina, there were 120 printers in the New Orleans area. After Katrina, there were (are) only 36. The math is almost unbelievable, but the numbers do not lie. These grim statistics come from the Printing Industry Association of the South (PIAS). Ed Chalifoux, president, provides the surreal details. “After Katrina, most printers just shut their doors. Seventy-five percent of shops with 10 employees

NEW ORLEANS—Initially ticketed to close its doors, Harvey Press found new life when its management team purchased the company from Wallace Computer Services of Lisle, IL. Harvey Press' three top executives—Ken Allen, Jerry Hudgens and Paul Alker—secured the company from Wallace, which initially intended to close it, along with four of its other facilities. All three officers will remain in their current positions: Allen is president, Hudgens is operations manager and Alker is sales manager. "With the support of our 64 employees and the city of New Orleans, the purchase was a natural stepping stone for Harvey Press to return to its original roots and produce