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Our History

At Walsworth, family is at the heart of our business, and that’s how we like it.

In 1937 during the Great Depression, Don Walsworth settled in the centrally located railroad hub of Marceline, Missouri, to print playbills with a borrowed typewriter and a mimeograph machine. Soon the product line was expanded to include cookbooks and, following World War II, memorial books to honor those who had served their country.

In 1947, Walsworth began to produce scholastic yearbooks, and in 1970, the Commercial printing division was established to balance the cyclical yearbook production schedule, adding textbooks, catalogs, magazines and other specialty publications to the Walsworth line. Today, Walsworth is still family-owned. We are among the top three yearbook printers and the only family-owned printer of yearbooks, as well as one of the 30 largest printing companies in the U.S. and Canada.

According to Printing Impressions Magazine, Walsworth is the:

  • No. 29 largest printer in the U.S. and Canada
  • No. 3 book printer in the U.S. and Canada
  • No. 3 magazine printer in the U.S. and Canada

More than 87 years later, we are still true to our original company values and currently run by the second and third generations. Tripp Walsworth recently joined his father, Don Walsworth, and his grandfather, Don O. Walsworth, as the fourth generation at the company.

Over the years, we have continually exceeded customer expectations and established a reputation for excellence in the printing world. The company has realized significant growth, and as a result, we enjoy a leadership position in the printing industry.

Who we are and what we expect from each other is reflected in our Values Statement:

We are printers first and foremost, and we wouldn’t be where we are without our employees, customers and communities, as you can see in our Mission Statement:

As we continue to evolve as a company, it’s just as important to define where we’re going as an organization, as you can see in our Vision Statement:

Our CEO, Don O. Walsworth, often says our people make the difference. We credit our 1,200+ employees and our loyal customers for our strong market position. Our financial strength and dedicated work force provide the stability and knowledge our clients need and the service they deserve. In fact, you’ll find multiple generations of employees working in our plants, with more than 300 of our employees working here for more than 20 years.

And our customers appreciate our expertise – our 99% customer satisfaction rating proves how much customers value the peace of mind and confidence we offer. They know they can count on us for all their needs.

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.

Walsworth remains the most trusted name in printing because no one knows you like family.

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