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Newman Printing: Continuing the Family Tradition
By REBECCA WATTS

Not much has changed since Newman Printing Company opened its doors 58 years ago. The company is still in the Newman family and operates under the motto established by its founder: “Good people and good equipment make their own market in the printing industry.” That motto has garnered the company numerous awards in quality printing, a dedicated work force, and a method for success.

Mike Newman, Vice President of Administration, said “We’re very, very proud of the company; it’s successes over the years, it’s growth. And we’re very, very proud of our workforce.”

The company began as a small operation with four employees including founder Louis Newman, Jr. and his wife. Newman was a graduate of Baylor University and was familiar with the Brazos Valley from his time stationed at Bryan Field as an instructor pilot during WWII. After the war, Newman undertook news editing as his profession and believed owning the paper was the best way to be a good editor. In 1948, he moved to Bryan from Tennessee to edit Bryan News under the impression that he would eventually buy the company. However, that did not happen, and Newman and partner Mark Norton opened Norton & Newman Printing Company which a year later became Newman Printing.
Newman Printing garnered a reputation for hard work and grew rapidly. Mike Newman, son of the founder, said the growth was due to overflow businesses from the Texas A&M University printing press. Texas A&M had one of the largest printing presses in Texas at that time, but also had stringent turnaround rules and deadlines. Newman said professors often couldn’t meet the deadline and would rely on Newman Printing for their materials.

Mike Newman said, “They would often show up on Friday and need something Monday and Dad would do whatever it took to get the job done, work all night if necessary.”

Louis Newman, III and Mike Newman followed their father’s example and worked for their father growing up, putting together brochures in the bindery, cleaning the printing press, and making deliveries. Because their father was so dedicated, he expected nothing less from his sons. “It was an adventure,” Newman said. “He worked very, very hard and he expected us to work very, very hard. It wasn’t fun, we’d much rather be playing with our friends, but it paid well for a teenager.” Working at the company also allowed the young men exposure to the printing process, though the brothers say they didn’t get involved with the actual process until they were adults. Both men had successful careers in the armed forces before returning to Bryan. Louis joined the Marine Corp and achieved the rank of Captain; Mike joined the Navy and ended his career as a Captain before returning to Bryan in 1994.

In 1976, Louis Newman, III returned to Bryan from Houston and bought the company from his father, becoming president and CEO. Following a huge shift in printing technology in the 1970’s the company upgraded their equipment and has since developed one of the best prepress departments in the nation.

Mike Newman said of his brother, “The Company has experienced extraordinary growth under [Louis’s] leadership and continues to grow. A lot of that stems from the foundation of our father.”

To accommodate growth, Newman Printing has moved three times over its lifetime before settling at its current location on East 29th Street. The company now has 43 employees, three of which are located at their sales office in Brenham. Each employee has the opportunity to recognize mistakes, if any, or make the piece better before moving it to the next process. Newman said, “Everybody in the process is focused on making it look the very best that it can and meeting the expectation of the customer -- even the delivery driver.” Employees usually work at Newman Printing from 12 to 14 years and Newman takes comfort in their dedication. The company has been honored since 1998 by the Printing Industries of America (PIA) as the best printer to work at in the United States.

Additionally, they have won hundreds of print quality awards issued by PIA. In 2005, Newman Printing won the highest honor awarded by the Printing Industries of America, the Benjamin Franklin award, for a program developed by Texas A&M University for the Bonfire Memorial. The awards recognize not only Newman Printing, but the customer as well, which Newman said really deserves the credit for the award.

Louis Newman, III said, “We’re proud of every one of [the awards]. We’re particularly proud of winning the Benjamin Franklin Award and the opportunities our customers give us.”
Newman Printing also underwrites the Newman 10 Awards, which honors the top ten businesses in the Brazos Valley based on sales growth over the past two years. The company’s sponsorship is mostly in the form of printing brochures and advertisements and partnering with the media for the Rotary Club and other sponsors. Sponsoring the Newman 10 is a special opportunity for the company and Louis Newman is grateful for it. “It’s a tremendous program,” Louis Newman said. “We have had the privilege of underwriting the Newman Awards for 15 years.”

Newman Printing services several thousand clients annually. They are a high gloss, commercial printing company that produces in bulk as opposed to social or society printers that specialize in wedding and event invitations. They service clients within a 100 mile radius, Mike said, including the Brazos Valley and the outer edges of the Houston area. Some local clients include St. Joseph Regional Health Center, Texas A&M University, and several apartment communities. Though most clients bring the company a completed design for their project, Newman Printing is capable of aiding in developing and manufacturing a design.

“If a customer comes in and has no idea what they want, that’s when we’ll bring in our in-house designer to help with that,” Mike said. “Our prepress typesetters are also exceptionally talented in the prepress design area. They have such a good eye for it, they can sometimes suggest things that will either make it easier to produce or look better on paper.”

Louis and Mike Newman are proud of keeping Newman Printing in the family and are looking forward to continuing the tradition.