Braden Sutphin Ink - The Braden Sutphin Ink Company

Braden Sutphin Ink
from shipping to CEO and chairman of the
which ran only with water (no fountain
board during his tenure at the company.
solution required); Low Temperature Web
“Braden Sutphin is an excellent compaHeatset Inks; Earth Pride Inks for hard dry;
ny to work for,” Mr. Zelek said. “It is a onethe Metrocolor system; and well before
in-a-million story to start out at the bottom
the environmental boom, the Eco Smart
and be given the opportunity to progress
Certification Program for its Eco-Friendly
through every aspect of the business, which
inks.
allowed me to be successful. I enjoyed every
“We have differentiated ourselves
moment of it. It was a very rewarding and
‘the old fashioned way,’” Mr. Leitch said.
enjoyable relationship.”
“Quality products would open the door,
“Ted was an exceptional manager,” Cal
and the consistency of those products
Sutphin Sr. added. “When he became CEO,
would keep the door open.”
we took a quantum leap forward.”
“We have never sacrificed quality,
Longevity isn’t limited to family memand we are innovative,” Mr. Zelek added.
bers. Tom McManamon, a 40-year employ“Our Half-Tone Black inks were very speee, rose from office manager to chairman
Jim Leitch.
cial in the days of letterpress, and we graduof the board. G.L. (Tiny) Erickson and John
ally expanded into litho.”
Ritzic also worked at Braden Sutphin for four decades. The Now, 100 years later, Braden Sutphin Ink continues to
Schaffer family, between dad Tony and son Jay, have worked at build on the foundations that made it a success. The comBraden Sutphin Ink for 75 years.
pany has always prided itself on service and quality, and its
“Tom was Dad’s right-hand man at the arena,” Cal Sutphin Technical Department consists of a team of highly skilled
Sr. said. “He was a great counsel and go-to guy.”
and experienced chemists and technicians. Technical
Braden Sutphin Ink has emphasized service to the ink Service specialists are highly trained and skilled in ink
industry as well, long being active members of the National chemistry and pressroom conditions and variables, and are
Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers (NAPIM). Jim available around the clock to help solve any press-related
Sutphin joined NAPIM in 1989, and served as its execu- problems that may occur.
tive director from 1991-97. Al Sutphin and his sons received “We are innovative, and pride ourselves on our service,” Mr.
NAPIM’s prestigious Pioneer Award, as have Mr. Zelek, Mr. Zelek said. “Our people always respond quickly.”
Erickson, Mr. Ritzic, Dan Neese and Byron Hahn, who both Today, Braden Sutphin’s Research and Development and
worked with Mr. Ritzic on R&D.
Technical Department, led by Marc Castillo, occupy approxi Jim Sutphin, Cal Sutphin and Mr. Erickson also received mately 5,000 square feet, and have state-of-the-art technical
the Ault Award, the highest award in the North American ink equipment to develop the new technologies of tomorrow.
industry, from NAPIM.
Today, the Sutphin family remains well represented, with The Future for Braden Sutphin Ink
current family members including CEO Jim Leitch; Michigan In recent years, the ink industry has undergone many changes.
branch manager Matt Stoney; senior management member Cal Numerous companies have left the printing and ink industries,
Sutphin Jr.; and Tim Leitch, Gail Viecelli, Ray Stoney Jr. and and competition is tough. However, Mr. Leitch believes that
Braden Sutphin Ink is up to the challenge.
Jamie Sutphin, who all are involved in sales.
“With the competition fierce, it will take a leadership team
Braden Sutphin Ink Today
and employee group that is just as fierce,” Mr. Leitch said. “And
Technological innovations have been a hallmark of Braden Braden Sutphin has been meeting that challenge and will
Sutphin Ink. Early on, Mr. Erickson, nicknamed Tiny because continue to do so going forward. We have seen our position
of his 6 foot, 4 inch, 250 pound frame, the company’s long- strengthened by staying committed to being a partner with our
time plant manager and chemist, set the tone for the company’s printer client. We believe this will be the cornerstone as we
technological leadership, and that mantle was picked up by begin the next 100 years.”
other notable R&D figures such as Mr. Ritzic.
Meanwhile, Braden Sutphin Ink’s leaders look back on a
“My dad was a salesman, and Tiny was the R&D person,” successful first century in business, and are looking ahead to
Jim Sutphin said. “John Ritzic was another incredibly talented many more years of achievements.
guy.”
“When I tell people that we are celebrating 100 years,
Throughout the years, the company’s R&D teams de- they say, “Wow,” said Jimmy Sutphin. “I guess you had to
veloped new products, including NSHT (Non Scratch Half know my Mom and Dad. They were remarkable people
Tone) Black; Waterless (Dry Plate) Inks, working with John who got our tradition going, and hopefully, we will last
Curtain, the inventor of the plate from 3-M; H2-Only Inks, another 100 years.”n
40
www.inkworldmagazine.com
January/February 2013
Braden Sutphin Ink
Braden Sutphin Ink
Braden Sutphin Ink Celebrates
100 Years of Excellence
For Braden Sutphin Ink, 2013 offers a time to look back
on its accomplishments over the years, as well as to look
ahead to many more years to come.
BY DAVID SAVASTANO
EDITOR
DSAVASTANO@RODMANMEDIA.COM
F
or any business, making it to their 100th anniversary is
something special. For a family-owned company, a century of service is extraordinary.
For Braden Sutphin Ink, which celebrates its 100th anniversary in the ink industry this year, 2013 offers a time to look
back on its accomplishments over the years, as well as to look
ahead to many more years to come. From its early days as the
Braden Printing Ink Company to today, Braden Sutphin Ink
has come a long way.
Early History of Braden Sutphin Ink
The beginnings of Braden Sutphin Ink occurred in 1913, when
Jim Braden started the Braden Printing Ink Company, a letterpress ink specialist, on the fifth floor of the Vulcan building on
St. Clair Avenue in Cleveland. Al Sutphin was the company’s
first employee.
“Jim Braden founded Braden Printing Ink in 1913 after
working in the The Phillip Ruxton Company, a chemical company in Cleveland,” said Jim Sutphin, Al Sutphin’s son, who
joined the company in the shipping room in 1948 and was
Braden Sutphin Ink’s president from 1967 to 1985. “My dad
was hired as one of the first employees as a general worker, push
cart delivery person, etc.
“After my dad went off to World War I, he returned to
Braden, went into sales, and in the 1920s, he became a partner
and the name of the company was changed to The Braden
Sutphin Ink Company. My dad eventually purchased 100%
control of the company in the late 1920s, just before the Great
Depression.”
An entrepreneurial figure, Al Sutphin was an influential figure in Cleveland. In 1934, Al Sutphin bought the Cleveland
hockey team in the American Hockey League, and in 1937,
Mr. Sutphin built the Cleveland Arena on Euclid Avenue for
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Jim Sutphin and Cal Sutphin Sr.
his Cleveland Barons, moving his company into a new facility
adjacent to it.
“My dad was quite an inspiration to all of us,” Jim Sutphin
said. “He always wore a red tie, blue suit and white shirt, and
never forgot a name. He was incredible.”
“Dad filled out 300 nights a year in the arena, whether it
was hockey, boxing, high school and college basketball, the circus or ice shows,” said Cal Sutphin Sr., Al Sutphin’s son, who
is the president of Braden Sutphin Ink. “He knew Bob Hope,
Bing Crosby, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Sonja Henie and so
many other entertainers and sports figures.”
Jim Sutphin said that in addition to his work with the
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January/February 2013
company, Al Sutphin also booked all of the acts for the In 1992, the company built a new 45,000 square foot web
Cleveland Arena, and sold the ads and season tickets for the heatset and forms ink manufacturing facility in Carlisle, OH. In
Cleveland Barons.
1999, the company acquired a Sacramento, CA-based offset ink
“Dad would work all day at Braden Sutphin and walk manufacturer, giving it a presence on the West Coast, as well as
through an alley to the arena, where he worked all night,” Cal Inco Company, a Cleveland-based offset ink company, in 2002.
Sutphin Sr. added.
While Braden Sutphin Ink is best known for its offset
Al Sutphin owned the team and arena until 1949, when he inks, the company diversified its product portfolio into the
sold it, using the proceeds to finish acquiring Braden Sutphin water-based flexo ink side, acquiring Water Color Graphics,
Ink from Jim Braden’s widow.
Philadelphia, PA, in 1999, and adding Roli Ink Corporation,
“He said it was the first time in his life that he didn’t owe Milwaukee, WI, in 2000. Seeing opportunities in the growing
anybody a dime.” Jim Sutphin said.
digital marketplace, Braden Sutphin
Above all else, Al Sutphin emphaInk started inkjet ink development
With the competition fierce,
sized the importance of integrity.
in 2007. Today, the company has 12
“Dad always taught us about integbranch operations in addition to its
it will take a leadership
rity,” Cal Sutphin Sr. said. “He said that
Cleveland headquarters.
his name was on the front of the build “It’s a changing industry,” Cal
team and employee group that
ing, so he always erred on the side of
Suphin Sr. said. “Diversification is very
things being right.”
important. We continue to do well in
is just as fierce. And Braden
While Al Sutphin was the face of
flexo as well as our expansion into
the company during its first 50 years,
digital inks.”
Sutphin has been meeting that
his wife Mary played a huge role, raising their six children and supporting
The People at
Braden Sutphin Ink
Al’s ideas.
challenge and will continue to
“I remember in 1934, my dad came
One of the keys to a company’s success
home and told us that he wanted to
is its people. Throughout the 100 years
do so going forward. We have
buy a hockey team. My mom asked
of the company, the Sutphin family has
him why, and he said it was a good
been a fixture at Braden Sutphin Ink.
seen our position strengthdeal because the team was broke,” Jim
Although Al Sutphin stepped down as
Sutphin recalled. “Then in 1937, my
president in 1967, he remained active
ened by staying committed to
dad said he wanted to spend a million
until his passing in 1974. Jim Sutphin
dollars to build the Cleveland Arena.
joined the company in 1948, and left
being a partner with our printNow, most wives would have slugged
in 1985. Cal Sutphin Sr. joined the
company in 1960 and is still is with the
him, but my mom was a saint, and our
er client. We believe this will
company, leading the Baltimore operacompany would never have happened
tions he opened back in 1976.
without her.”
There are more family mem “When we built our plant in
be the cornerstone as we bebers who have played major roles.
Maryland in 1986, we dedicated the
Ray Stoney Sr., who married Alberta
building to Mom and Dad, in recognigin the next 100 years.”
Sutphin, opened the company’s first
tion of all she had done and for putting
branch operations in Detroit, which he
up with all Dad did,” Cal Sutphin Sr.
– Jim Leitch,
ran for more than 40 years.
added.
Jim Leitch is Braden Sutphin Ink’s
The Cleveland building served as
Braden Sutphin Ink’s CEO
CEO. He joined the company in 1989
Braden Sutphin Ink’s home for the next
after working at a large publicly-held
20 years, until the company moved to
its present-day location at 3650 East 93rd St. in 1957, which it company; the opportunity to work at the family-owned medium-sized company, where he could be involved in multiple
has added on to over the years, most recently in 1998.
Braden Sutphin Ink has continued to expand over the years. facets of the business, appealed to him.
Prior to 1960, letterpress dominated printing and ink manufac- “Working for a family business is something you take to
turing. Sheetfed offset started to make its mark in 1960, with your heart,” Mr. Leitch added. “There is always an extra commitment and passion to sustaining our reputation.”
web offset appearing around 1970.
“When I joined Braden Sutphin in 1960, about 98% of our Along with Al and Cal Sutphin, the other 50-year memsales were letterpress inks,” Cal Sutphin Sr. said. “Printers start- ber of the company is Ted Zelek, who retired as president in
1997, and remained on as chairman until 2005. Mr. Zelek rose
ed putting in small litho presses, and we grew with them.”
“
January/February 2013
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