SWIFT PRINT COMMUNICATIONS - Key Persons
Bob got bit early on by the printing bug by following in his father's footsteps and entering the field of printing at an early age. He understands printing inside and out as he has over 35 years' experience in printing starting out as a project Coordinator and quickly moving on to an Estimator. After several years in the business, he became interested in the sales and marketing side of printing. With his extensive background and expertise in printing, it didn't take long for him to take off in sales where he still remains today. Bob has dedicated his life career to the printing industry and has enjoyed and embraced the many changes in the world of print and technology. Working directly with the customers and keeping the lines of communication open has been a favorite part of the job for him.
Bob, his wife Sue, their three sons (Brett, Blake, and Bryce) live in the Belleville, IL area. He has enjoyed watching and coaching many of the boys' sports over the years. Now his focus is on the 3 grandchildren (twin boys and a granddaughter). Besides his passion for printing and sports, he also enjoys running and boating with his many friends and family.
Like most successful 3rd generation owner/operators Bryan has spent his entire life in the family printing business. You see, Bryan understands the challenges of carrying on a 3rd generation business (established in 1912) and how important it is that you are "all in". The driving force behind Bryan's commitment to the company, his team mates, and most importantly its customers and the continued success for all stakeholders is the legacy left to him by his father and grandfather. According to Bryan "you will not last in business, especially a business as complex and ever evolving as the printing business, unless you are completely committed to its success".
Furthermore, he states "Our Mission Statement is "A Little Better Everyday…Pursuing Perfection" which I take to heart everyday whether its working with the sales team and customers or investigating and investing in new technologies which will provide better, faster, and more beneficial solutions to our customers. We will not rest on our laurels we will prove ourselves continually and, therefore, become a more valuable source and resource. I want to be proud of what I do and that takes commitment which I fully intend to follow through on".
Bryan, his wife Lindsey, their three children (Emma, Nina, and Eli), two dogs and a cat (Mumu, Finnegan and Beau) live in St. Louis. In his spare time Bryan enjoys playing ice hockey and waterskiing and while he plays golf finds it hard to enjoy "a good walk ruined" (Mark Twain).
From direct mail pieces to larger-than-life trade show graphics, Cheryl Rogger takes pride in helping her customers create impactful print pieces that grab attention and get results. With more than 20 years of service at Swift Print Communications, Cheryl has truly seen the industry evolve. As a senior account executive, she serves as a consultant, partnering with her clients to identify innovative print solutions to overcome challenges and stand out in a rapidly-evolving environment - a necessity, given that the average consumer is targeted by more than 5,000 messages per day.
Cheryl couples her extensive industry knowledge with impeccable client service, and credits this approach with turning many clients into dear friends over the years. A St. Louis native, Cheryl obtained a BA in art and business from Monmouth College, which laid a strong foundation for the career that combines her dual passions of design and sales. Outside of the office you're likely to find her running at a local park, volunteering, enjoying great food and wine or attending a concert.
Dave joined Swift Print Communications in 2009 and has over 33 years of experience in the industry. Dave started his career in the customer service department of a flexo and hot stamp printer in 1987. After completing college at Mankato State University, he continued on in the flexo industry adding estimating and strategic planning to his talents. After 7 years of dealing with salespeople and seeing how easy it was, he decided to take the plunge into the sales and marketing arena where he quickly found that "it's definitely not as easy as it looks"! Dave quickly caught on and along with his strong work ethic and his ability to build lasting relationships became one of the top reps.
In 1997 Dave made the decision to start his own print brokering business. His customers were small to medium accounts that couldn't justify hiring a professional print buyer yet spent a significant amount on print. Being very driven and using his philosophy of honesty and integrity he quickly grew the company to the point that he'd envisioned. He at that point had all the skills needed to become a driving force at M&M Printing where he continued to grow his customer base or as he says "making friends". Dave feels that to be a success one only needs to do the next right thing. With experience in all facets of print and his knowledge and background in marketing he has hit St. Louis by storm.
Dave is from Minnesota the land of 10,000 lakes and 10 months of winter and now lives in Creve Coeur with his wife and his dogs, Denny & Wilma. He has two sons; Scott 35 and Adam 34. His biggest achievement was being a good father and now a good friend to his kids. "They mean the world to me and I couldn't be more proud of them!" He enjoys the outdoors and loves to hunt, fish and camp. His passion is helping others and he is a dedicated volunteer at the Salvation Army and other treatment centers around St. Louis.
Jane has nearly 35 years in the print and trade show industry. Starting in the darkroom with photo-sensitive paper in Commercial Photography all the way through the Lambda era to the Grand Format Direct Print revolution. She's seen it all and can be a valuable resource to your POP visual merchandising and other marketing efforts. Partnering with numerous agencies, she is known for her creative flair and for making the process fun.
When not in the office, Jane can be found practicing her golf swing, in the gym lifting heavy things, dancing, painting, or volunteering.
I have spent my entire career in the printing/advertising industry. From working in the family printing business to working in the Promotional Products industry to spending 11 years in the Grand Format sign business. Now, by joining Swift Print Communications, I have the opportunity to provide all three services for my customers, Commercial Offset Printing, Promotional Products as well as Grand Format Printing. I am looking forward to my new adventure here at Swift providing solutions for my customers' needs.
My name is Larry Bloch and I have been in the Print/Direct Mail business for 20+ years. When I am not dedicating my life to exceeding my customers needs, you may catch me watching Kansas basketball, Nebraska football, and of course Chicago Cubs baseball. (I know, this is Cardinals country) My ultimate goal is to provide solution based marketing strategies by implementing creativity, passion, and many years of experience to create successful direct mail projects. I am always available to meet for a cup of coffee (or a cocktail) to discuss your marketing needs!
Oh yeah, I almost forgot, I have two amazing adult children (in age only) Amanda, 28 and Hillary, 25
Mark Toon has been the Plant Manager at Swift since the summer of 2001. After graduating high school he began his journey working and evolving in the printing industry. While some people do not like change, Mark thrives on it and found the print and mail business fit his curious and driven personality. Swift's goal of being "a little better every day, pursuing perfection" is one he lives by. He's worked at 4 other print and mail companies in his career but found his home at Swift, deriving great satisfaction in the challenges made by Bryan Swift's penchant for staying ahead of the curve and investing in new technologies and capabilities.
Outside of work Mark enjoys music, motorcycles, golf and martial arts. He holds a 2nd degree black belt in Shito-Ryu karate where he taught and competed for years before moving on to Krav Maga. His talents for music brought him years as a student and teacher of piano, but his real love has always been the drums. He began playing professionally as a drummer since age 13 and continues today as the drummer in the rock band Hotwire. Mark enjoys life with his wife, Sharon, and their two dogs, two cats and two birds. One of Mark's dogs, Rocky, goes to work at Swift every day since being rescued from the Humane Society.
Mike Lesser, a native of the St. Louis area got his start in the printing business in the mid-1990's after attending college in California, majoring in photography and graphic design. Moving back to the area, Mike went to work at Columbine Printing, a commercial printing company that was started by his cousin Bob Lesser. Seeing a customer's project go from a digital file to a finished printed piece ignited a passion for print that remains with Mike to this day. Since that initial role, Mike has held a variety of positions in pre-press and production management in the St. Louis printing community. Mike's last major role was starting the print department at Store Supply Warehouse (one of the nation's largest suppliers of retail fixtures and products) from the ground up. While there, Mike worked to create a web-to-print system that allows customers to order custom branded products for their retail spaces easily and efficiently; helping to develop the customer facing storefront as well as the "back-end" technical side of the website.
Rodney Verdun joined Swift Print Communications as part of their Management Team in February of 2017. He currently manages the Grand Format Department. When Rodney joined the Swift Family, he had no idea what "Grand Format" even meant, or what he was getting himself into when he started Rigid Boards/ Oce/ Scrim Vinyl. With more than 3 decades of experience in the Printing Industry, Bryan Swift took a chance on him and stepped back, Rodney put his head down, and went to work, and fought his way through it. Rodney states that he had a strong staff, and through all his failures and successes, thankfully he was able to make the needed changes that put Swift's Grand Format Division in the forefront of the St. Louis Market.
Rodney's first real interest in the printing field started in High School back in 1981 when he took a printing class for a semester. He really enjoyed it and was later offered a position in Paste-Up and running a camera at a small Mom & Pop shop, Beacon Graphics (a small division of Wood River Printing) in Wood River, IL. He was later promoted to a Duplicator Operator/ Camera Operator. In 1987, Rodney left for a better opportunity with James Mulligan Printing Co., in St. Louis, Mo. as a full time Stripper (yes, he had a lot of fun with that one through the years!). He stayed with Mulligan for 17 years, at which time he took evening classes at the now closed St. Louis Graphic Arts Institute. Rodney took 15 of 18 possible courses there to gain as much knowledge of the trade as he could. He's so very thankful for the time he had at Mulligan Printing, says the owners were extremely good to him, and feels that working for them was a huge turning point in his career. Unfortunately, Rodney made one of the hardest decisions of his life in 2004, left Mulligan Printing on good terms, and returned to Wood River Printing as their Plant Manager only to be closer to home, so that he could participate in his children's sporting events. Fortunately, Rodney is happy to say he still has a relationship with the Kiske family that still own & manage Mulligan Printing. Rodney stayed with Wood River Printing another 13 years before finding his forever home at Swift. He's passionate about what he does in his current role, loves going to work daily, and hopes to be there for a very long time.
Rodney resides with Kelly, his wife of over 30 years. Rodney attributes his success personally, and in the printing trade to her, and says, "there is nothing better than having a long relationship with your best friend, she is truly the wind beneath my wings." Rodney & Kelly raised two amazing children, Karlee & Drew, and they have (so far) been blessed with one Grandchild, Bryson (the light of Rodney's life…sorry Kelly.)
Outside of the office, Rodney's passion is fishing, he is an avid NASCAR race fan, loves watching any & all sports, he dabbles a little in golfing, but only when asked, or forced to by his buddies, and loves spending time with family & friends. He can normally be found completing honey do's at home, fishing at his cabin on the lake, kayaking, or hanging out with family and friends. Rodney says he's in his happy place sitting around a fire, listening to some good music, barbecuing, and drinking a cold beer with family and/or friends, and says "just give me a pork steak, Mac & Cheese, with a loaded baked potato, and there is absolutely nothing better!"
Favorite Food: Pot Roast, Potatoes & Carrots
Favorite Bands: AC/DC & Pink Floyd
Shawn has nearly three decades of experience in the printing industry. He served as an account & marketing manager before accepting his role at Swift Print Communications. "Shawn's dedication to large-format graphics, as well as his printing experience, provide clients with a wealth of information and innovative ideas to further their messages," said Bryan Swift, president of Swift Print Communications.
Shawn joined Swift Print Communications on May 1st, 2015 to spearhead Swift Print Display & Graphics as vice president. In addition to helping promote and position our large format and display services, Shawn is responsible for servicing accounts. This ensures everyone has a firm understanding of what customers are asking for and need.
Shawn is known to embarrass his family regularly by picking and poking at nearly every graphic he sees when out and about. It drives them nuts but he is never deterred. He has a passion for the business and a commitment to service that equals it. We just hope he does not get hit by car someday when standing by the side of the road taking pictures of something new or of interest.