2022 Reflections
As you may or may not know, Swift Printing Company is a family-owned and family-run business – the day-to-day operations are managed by me (Jes) and my brother, Walt AKA WallyG3, WG3, or Walt III.
Walt Gutowski III and Jessica Gutowski-Slaydon in their office at Swift Printing
As if sharing a home for 18 years as kids wasn’t enough, we also share an office. You’ve probably spotted us through the three large panel windows that overlook our beloved Bridge Street, where we converse, plan, and strategize together. He’s really the ying to my yang – I’m the pushy big sister and he’s the little brother who teaches me to slow down and focus on what matters most. When I plan big, elaborate new things, he pokes holes (think: identifies weaknesses) and we work together to patch them up and make it better.
Jes and Walt celebrating their buddy from college’s marriage (Yep, we went to college together too at Florida Southern College.)
Right out of college, Walt worked at Swift for five years. Meanwhile, I was living and working in Florida and we planned that when I returned, we’d work side by side on the family business. Well, when I did finally return, he decided to take a cross-country trip working odd jobs and building character. Then, in 2020, he came home and our grand plan was back on. We’re now two years into this sibling shared-office situation and we are so incredibly proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish alongside our team.
Walt in 2019 showing off his mullet. Apparently building character required a mullet.
Looking back on 2022, wow! This year has brought some great opportunities for Swift Printing. We were fortunate to continue working with long-time customers and meet new ones, too! Some of our most tenured customers even knew my grandpa and from time to time, will share a story or two with our team. To all our customers, old and new, thank you for choosing to work with Swift Printing Company and helping us grow!
For me, my blood runs ink. But every Swift Printing team member is passionate about printing, too! Our OG crew – Ben, Adam, Walt Jr., and Steve – have shared their wisdom and experience which has kept our office values and traditions. Our newer crew – Walt III, Dave, Ray, Patrick, JP, and myself – have jumped right in with Swift pride and together we are like a well-oiled machine. Thank you to each and every one of our incredible team members. We literally could not do this without you!
The Swift Printing Crew.
17 YEARS WITH KATHY
Did you notice a name missing on that list? After 17 years working at Swift Printing, our amazing office manager, Kathy Schramski has retired! When I think back on my favorite work memories, most of them include Kathy. She always held us accountable and would work tirelessly to help our customers. Her institutional knowledge, passion for customer service, and determination are just a few things we will miss about Kathy.
Walt Jr. and Kathy in the production area
While I was in college, I worked at the print shop for a summer. Due to my love of cheesy icebreakers and team building activities, I asked every team member to write their favorite qualities about each other on a paper plate. At the end of the activity, each person had a paper plate full of positive affirmations and beloved personal qualities. Over the years, the plates disappeared as desks were cleaned and cleaned again, but Kathy’s plate remained posted prominently on her desk. I smiled every time I would walk past her desk and see it, thinking back on that fun experience and how valuable Kathy has been to our team. We miss you, Kathy!
Kathy’s last birthday at Swift Printing
2022 BY THE NUMBERS
To me, Swift Printing is our vessel to change the world. We are a Certified B Corp and choose the most environmentally friendly practices possible (think: prioritizing FSC-Certified Paper and recycling our paper scraps and cardboard locally). We like to get creative by reusing boxes and packing materials when possible, and encourage our customers to do the same. Thank you to those who bring boxes back when picking up new orders!
In 2022, we…
♻️ Diverted 18,000+ pounds of materials from going to the landfill and we were able to reuse, repurpose, or recycle them
✉️ Printed 1.2 million envelopes
📎 Printed 500,000 business cards
📫 Printed 600,000 direct mail pieces
❤️ Printed 52 wedding invitations, save-the-dates, name cards, or signs (that’s one wedding per week!)
The largest item we produced was 19 feet long (that’s 228 inches!) and the smallest was a 1-inch square label.
It’s no secret that we love Grand Rapids’ West Side and we have deep roots in this local community. I personally took a more active role in our local business association, the Stockbridge Business Association. At Swift Printing, we strive to help when we can to meet the needs of our community. In 2022, we…
🎨 Were named the the Official Printer of ArtPrize
✨ Sponsored the Grand Rapids Urban League’s Annual MLK Breakfast
🍩 Hosted our 4th Annual Donut Dash 5K with the West Side Stride
👮♂️ We were the title sponsor for the Robert Kozminski Memorial Golf Classic to support police academy scholarships
🎃 Hosted our 9th Annual Halloween Run/Walk 5K with the West Side Stride
⛳️ Sponsored the Walt Gutowski Sr. Golf Outing to support children's programing at the YMCA
I cannot wait to see what we do in 2023!
Cheers,
Jessica Gutowski-Slaydon, Third Generation
President, Swift Printing Company
