Huston Patterson has been a leader in this amazing world of printing for over 125 years now and continues to provide the highest quality printing and services to the package printing industry possible.
It all got started back in 1895 as Harold & Review Printing and Stationary. Which was the commercial printing division of the Decatur (Illinois) Herald & Review Newspaper. In the beginning they were printing geographical maps and other printed materials for local businesses.
In 1939, two employees of Herald & Review Printing and Stationery, Ernie Huston and Jesse Patterson, decided to purchase the division from the newspaper and renamed it Huston Patterson. The company provided similar services to the community and they remained in the same location until 1953, until it was moved to its present location on North First Street.
In 1961, Robert G. Kowa purchased Huston Patterson. At the time, they were a letterpress printing company with print revenues of $200,000. Shortly after Mr. Kowa’s purchase, the company bought its first offset, single-color printing press, putting HP on a new track and setting up its bright future.
After joining the company full time in 1976, Thomas W. Kowa began to learn his father’s business and ultimately took over following his father’s death, and continued to grow the company to new heights.
HP was beginning to focus and transition into the lesser known package printing sector and they went full speed ahead over the next several decades.
As a true family business, Tom’s daughter Tonya Kowa-Morelli began working for the company soon after college and is now the current President of the company. Her younger brother Zach Kowa is the Director of Post Press Operations and continues the 3rd generation of the Kowa family operation of the company.
Currently HP is one of the oldest, privately owned large-format package printing company in North America, with annual sales of more than $30 million in 2020.
A more in depth look at the history of the company can be found at the two links below.
https://www.hustonpatterson.com/assets/hp_history.pdf
http://hustonpatterson.com/about.html
Huston Patterson was featured on Manufacturing Marvels in 2013, highlighting the technology and machinery it takes to supply the industry.
For more tips from the Real People of HP like me, Kyle Milley, explore our additional blogs and videos, or contact us directly at Huston Patterson.