Printing pros

By Staff
Local shop provides programs and more
Kim West
Franklin County Times
A lot has changed since Robert Hester first started his printing business in 1976.
"I was 21 years old and a junior at (the University of North Alabama), and my uncle had a press in his garage. We started out as partners until he became interested in something else, and then I became the sole owner," said Hester, who has a bachelor's degree in commericial art from UNA.
After college Hester embarked on a trip to Guatemala, which is when he met his wife, Carol.
The couple settled down in Russellville and eventually bought a building to house their growing printing business near the Roxy Theatre downtown.
But an electrical fire in 2001 caused the Hesters to move into their present location in the Big Star shopping center.
"We were next to a Chinese restaurant, and the gas line erupted and blew out the wall. Our building burned to the ground in only a few minutes," Hester said. "It happened early on a Saturday morning, but we were still open that following Monday, although it took us a month or so to get fully running again with all the equipment we had."
Customers can choose from a variety of services at Hester's, including copies, lamination, signs, forms, envelopes, business cards, advertising magazines and school programs, which make up a major portion of their business.
"Our busiest time of the year is from July to the end of October – we have so much to do during that time of year, and we work seven days a week so we can get everything done in time," said Hester, who typically works 80-90 hours per week. "We used to have five or seven workers but not anymore. We started out as a print shop, but now we're more of a copy shop, and it's just the two of us now."
Hours of operation for Hester's Printing, located at 308 Jackson Jackson Avenue in downtown Russellville, are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday. For more information, call 332-5245.