PRESS RELEASE
Marceline, Missouri; July 15, 2024 – Walsworth announced it has hired printing industry veteran Andy Billett as the company’s new Chief Operating Officer (COO). Billett will be replacing Walsworth’s current COO Jim Mead, who is retiring from the company in November and will be based out of Walsworth’s corporate office in Marceline, Missouri.
Billett comes to Walsworth with 25-plus years of printing and senior leadership experience at Taylor Corporation, Custom Ink and Jostens. Once he began to explore the opportunity to join Walsworth, he said it was a perfect match.
“Meeting Don Sr., Don, and the team at Marceline made me feel at home,” said Billett. “Walsworth reminded me of my days at Taylor Corporation – genuine, honest and sincere. The values and culture at Walsworth are very strong, and the Walsworths have a compelling growth strategy for the future. Discussing this strategy and my potential role, and how I can help the team achieve it, drew me in.”
Billett will be responsible for developing and overseeing the strategy and execution of plans to help the company achieve its short- and long-term operational goals. He will help establish the company direction and be responsible for developing operating budgets and establishing operational policies and procedures.
“We’re thrilled to have Andy join the Leadership Team here at Walsworth,” said Don Walsworth, president. “Andy brings years of valuable experience in the printing industry, along with a wealth of knowledge. Plus, he understands people and is focused on building relationships.”
For the majority of his print career at Taylor and Jostens, Billett said he has been focused on the scholastic business, including yearbook. And he said Walsworth’s growth potential in both yearbook and commercial was one of the primary attractions that brought him aboard.
“Walsworth is a successful company that has been around for a long time and should be very proud of where it’s at and what’s been built,” said Billett. “What excites me is there’s still opportunity for growth.”
Billett said he will spend his first month or two visiting all of Walsworth’s locations, getting to know the operations and the employees.
“I want to gain an understanding of what is being done. Why is it being done? What are the key projects,” said Billett. “My approach will be to learn, understand and just ask a lot of questions.”
Billett graduated from Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina, with a bachelor’s degree in horticulture, due to a love of botany and gardening growing up. He got his start in the printing world with Navitor, a commercial print division of Taylor, where he quickly became a plant general manager due to the process improvements he implemented.
About Walsworth
Walsworth is a top-five book and magazine printer, a catalog printer, and the only family-owned printer of yearbooks. Started in 1937 by Don Walsworth, current leadership is under the second and third generations: Don O. Walsworth, CEO, and his son, Don Walsworth, president. Tripp Walsworth, the fourth generation, also recently joined the company. Walsworth operates from administrative offices and book printing and binding facilities in Marceline, Missouri; a prepress facility in Brookfield, Missouri; a sales and marketing office in Overland Park, Kansas; and magazine and catalog printing facilities in Saint Joseph, Michigan; Ripon, Wisconsin; and Fulton, Missouri. Additionally, Walsworth owns the Donning Company Publishers, a specialty book publisher.
