FRICKE-PARKS - Key Persons
Bob is also the architect of FP's customer-centered approach and a master of motivating employees with innovative competitive programs to reduce waste and increase productivity.
Bob Parks was pushing a broom around a print shop in southern Illinois six decades ago. He paused to watch the pressman feed an old "snapper" letterpress printing machine. "Fascinating, isn't it?" said the pressman "do you want to learn how it's done?" Bob answered yes and a month later he was still feeding that snapper, while the pressman supervised from a nearby chair.
The ink got in his blood, as printers say, and as Bob grew up he kept coming back to printing. After serving in the Marine Corps, Bob and his wife Rosalie moved to the San Francisco bay area with the hope of raising their family and starting a print shop. Printing was in its heyday and Bob worked double shifts, nights and weekends to build up the money he needed to buy into Carl Fricke's web press shop in 1972. When Carl retired in 1976, Bob bought him out, but kept his name on the shop in honor of the man.
Bob and Rosalie's four daughters became involved in the printing company very early on, when a small horseman's newspaper was purchased as a family project. The "project" would help pay expenses for the family's first horse "Mateus" and promoted a love for printing, publishing and horsemanship. Patti is the current Vice President of FP Press.
In 1979, Bob's nephew David Brown joined FP Press and rose through the ranks from Pressman to President. But the family story doesn't end there.
FP's employees showed remarkable loyalty to FP Press over the years, through thick and thin. Many FP Press people have spent their entire careers with Bob, Patti and Dave. A number of key employees have 30+ years at FP. In 2001 Bob and Rosalie Parks rewarded their employees by turning FP Press into an employee-owned company.
Dave Brown, President, runs the plant and is the center of a hub of activity. Running the press and the press crew has given Dave insight into the inner workings of the plant that many other plant managers never achieve. Dave also sets the standards for FP's ecosystem of suppliers and trade shops, so his negotiation skills are crucial to making sure you get the best prices for paper and ink as well as outside bindery and finishing services. Dave has been with FP Press for over 30 years. Contact Dave at daveb@fricke-parks.com
Job Titles:
- Office & Accounting Manager