All In the Family

By Rudy Von Eyser - October 2020

“Like father, like son” is a commonly used idiom, and for good reason. It is human nature to learn from our parents, and because we learn from our parents, we often follow in their footsteps into business.

This is often the case in the print industry; it certainly is in my case, and the family behind Presstige Printing is no exception.

Thirty-four years ago, I chose an opportunity to work alongside my father, which was a true blessing. I will always cherish the five years we had together at Chicago Press Corporation. I learned the industry while my father was preparing for retirement after 45 years in the business. My father followed in the footsteps of my grandfather who immigrated from Germany in the late 1920s. My grandfather brought years of skill and industry knowledge to American Greeting Card Company. He later moved on to a long career at Chicago’s Regensteiner Press.

The Weidenmiller family also has roots in Chicago. Their long history in the SWFL community began its journey into the printing industry in 1980 when Robert (Bob) and Katy Weidenmiller started a new printing business in Naples.  From its roots as a small quick print shop to becoming the largest commercial printing and direct mail company in Southwest Florida, Presstige Printing continues to flourish in its 40th year.

The Weidenmillers had three sons, Casey, Westley and Nick. Each of them spent a lot of time in the print shop as kids soaking up the excitement of what Bob had created. Today, two of the three fill integral roles in the business. Westley is now President and Nick is Controller of Presstige Printing. Honorable mention goes to Casey, partner at the law firm Woods, Weidenmiller, Michetti & Rudnik, LLP, as one of our clients!

Our business just keeps growing, and the family element remains a connective tissue. In 2018, Presstige finalized the acquisition of Press Printing, a family owned and operated company that was established by the Luettich family in Fort Myers in 1964. Press Printing's second generation owners, Larry and Carl Luettich, work with Wes, Nick and the rest of the Presstige family each day.

In recent years, Presstige has invested in a range of equipment, driving costs down while improving efficiency and quality. We are currently gearing up to install a technologically advanced offset press, with capabilities unlike any other in this area. The commitment to equipment and technology demonstrates how this next generation of the Weidenmiller family is dedicated to serving Florida businesses with the best quality in printing services and will be a key part of the Southwest Florida community for generations to come.