 Don and Mary of Old West Press in Pagosa Springs Don and Mary McKeehan moved to Pagosa in 1992 when it was becoming apparent that the traffic and crime rates in Houston were going to continue to rise. They had already made plans to retire here, even going as far as buying a condo in 1980 for vacations. The rising traffic snarls and crime problems encouraged this couple to look for an established business in Pagosa that they could purchase so that they could make their move to Pagosa Springs before retirement. After 3 months of looking, Don and Mary found Old West Press and decided that it was the business for them.
Neither of the McKeehans had experience in the printing business when they bought Old West Press. With a month of training from the former owner, a PageMaker class and lots of determination they have taken Old West Press from an old-style cut and paste printing firm to the modern computerized print shop that it is today.
 Don standing by one of Old West's Presses When Don and Mary first bought the business, there was one employee who knew the existing customer base and was semi-computer literate. Today, they have one full-time employee, Dee, who is a trained graphics designer and one part-time employee. After numerous trials with different people hired to run the printing press, it was finally decided that the press would be Don’s domain. And yes, Pagosa, Old West Press has several printing presses. Old West Press is a full-service printing firm.
In addition to running the print shop, Don and Mary are very active in the community service arena. They have over 10 combined years of serving as board members of the Pagosa Springs Chamber of Commerce. Also, Don and Mary have been involved with United Way, Humane Society, Relay for Life, and The Pagosa Springs Rotary Club. They have provided printing services for many other fundraising events.
 Mary, during the interview While talking with the McKeehan’s, there were several laughs. “The first couple of years were the hardest and we made a few mistakes”, Don said. He laughed as he recalled the attorney’s business card that had been printed on previously printed make-ready’s. “The make-ready’s were of a cartoon with animals. So the business cards had various animal parts on the back – the ear of a pig, the leg of a squirrel, etc.” The funniest part of this was when they were asked if they could duplicate the cards again. Apparently they were a huge success with the attorney’s clients.
Mary’s laughter came when we discussed questions she fielded on the phone everyday. “I actually got a call one day and was asked if we printed on paper.” Mary continued to explain that the person was trying to determine if they made vinyl signs but the question was worded in such a funny way.
 Pagosa's Old West Press Things got serious again as we discussed the difficulties of running a print shop. “The hardest part of the job is training the customers since the popularity of computers has increased.” Mary stated. Most people do not understand that a file needs to be delivered in a certain format. A large part of Mary’s day is spent educating clients on the various techniques used when preparing a document for printing (such as page bleeds and creep).
Old West Press is the place to visit in Pagosa Springs when you need help and advice with enhancing your existing printed materials or if you have need for new printed material. Don and Mary are experts who are willing to give their customers whatever help they need. So stop by 2145 Eagle Drive or call at 731-4760 and enjoy the professionalism and friendliness of Pagosa’s Old West Press. |