Business People Vermont June 2012 : Page 10

FEATURES L. Brown and Sons Printing the university hospital in Portland,” Brown says proudly. After 14 years, Jim returned to Vermont and rejoined his parents in the business. Bob also went into a fi re department career and continues as a paramedic. He works in the psychiatric division at Central Vermont Medical Center on weekends as he pursues his nursing degree. After that fi rst sale, business took off. Brown promised overnight service, scheduling sales calls early in the day followed by shooting fi lm, stripping, and burning the plates, then having the boys run the press at night. “The next morn-ing, I’d make up an invoice and delivery slip, and take the job to the customer.” During the second year, the Browns hired 14 people, built a 2,000-square-foot addition to the building, and, with another loan from the bank, put in Heidelberg presses. By 1994, the company was outgrow-ing the barn. The decision was made to erect a new building on property Jim Brown (left), one of Larry and Diane Brown’s sons, is plant manager, and Doug Gloor is bindery supervisor. Kevin Petrochko (background) is plant supervisor. Brown owned in East Montpelier, but before construction started, he learned that Robert Blow was selling Modern Printing Co., an 80-year-old family busi-ness in Barre. The Browns bought the business, took over the three-story concrete and steel building, adopted Modern Printing’s accounts, put in new presses, and within a year, had hired another 14 people. “At one time,” says Brown, “we had six Heidelberg presses running here.” From ’94 onward, the staff grew to as many as 35 (a few have retired and have not been replaced), and the com-pany has grown into a multimillion dol-10 BUSINESS PEOPLE–VERMONT • JUNE 2012 JEFF CLARKE

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