David Ransom Jr. is the president and founder of D&R Press in Elmwood Park. He said his interest in printing began when he was in high school.
Q: Where did you grow up and go to school?
A: I grew up in the city. I went to Austin Community Academy High School.
Q: How did you become interested in printing?
A: In high school, I was going to go to Purdue University to be a pharmacist. I took printing my senior year, and I just loved it. I then took an apprenticeship with a printing company.
Q: When did you open D&R Press in Elmwood Park?
A: We moved out of downtown Chicago in 2009 and came to Elmwood Park.
Q: What services does D&R Press provide?
A: We’re a job shop. We print business cards, invoices, forms, folders, brochures, wedding invitations and more. We print them and design them.
Q: What special embellishments does your company add to its prints?
A: We do foil stamping, embossing and die cutting all in our shop.
Q: How many people work for you?
A: I have five people who work for me.
Q: What do you like the most about owning a printing press?
A: I like having a product in my hands by the end of the day. I like that it’s not virtual — that’s what got me into printing. I like handing a customer a finished product, and they’re satisfied. That’s the best part of owning a shop.
Q: When did you purchase Romel Press Inc. in Melrose Park?
A: We bought Romel Press about three years ago. Now, I have more customers in the area. We also bought Rapid Copy in Chicago.
Q: What do you like to do for fun?
A: I like camping and playing the drums.
