History

During the Great Depression, Lawrence was hit especially hard as the city's once-thriving textile industry declined, leaving many families struggling to find work and support their households. Among them was Gabriel "Bill" LaPlume, a young father who operated a small bicycle repair shop from a shed behind his home on Inman Street. Known for his strong work ethic and willingness to help neighbors, Bill became a trusted figure in the community during difficult times. As he and his wife Regina began raising what would eventually become a family of thirteen children, he worked tirelessly to provide for his growing household. The resilience, determination, and commitment to family that carried Bill through those challenging years would later become the foundation of the business he built.

In 1935, a simple trade changed the course of the LaPlume family forever. After repairing a customer's bicycle, Bill accepted a small Kelsey Excelsior hand press as payment when the customer could not afford to pay cash. Working from the same shed behind his Inman Street home, he began printing wedding invitations, greeting cards, and matchbooks, often pushing bicycle tools aside to make room for paper, ink, and printing equipment. What started as a way to supplement his repair business quickly revealed a new opportunity. With each job, the small print operation grew, laying the foundation for what would become the powerhouse printer LaPlume ImageWise is today.

Throughout the 1940s, Bill continued to grow the business using the equipment he already owned, believing that supporting his family and giving back to the community were more important than purchasing the latest machinery. As his family grew, so did the name of the business, evolving from One Feather Studio Printing to Two Feathers, Three Feathers, and eventually Nine Feathers Studio Printing. The name reflected both Bill's French-Canadian heritage and the growing number of children helping to shape the family's future. By 1944, two of his eldest sons, Raymond and Ronald, had begun assisting around the shop, learning the trade alongside their father. What started as a small family operation was becoming a true family business, laying the groundwork for future generations to carry it forward.

After graduating high school and completing their service in the U.S. Navy, brothers Ray and Ron took the reins of the family business and began charting a new course for its future. Recognizing the need for additional space and greater production capabilities, they moved the operation to a larger facility on South Broadway in Lawrence. While their father had built the company through resourcefulness and careful spending, Ray and Ron began investing in bigger, faster, and more advanced printing equipment to support continued growth. Their focus on modernization expanded both the company's capabilities and customer base while preserving the values on which it was founded. Although the next generation was now leading the business, Bill remained a familiar presence in the shop and continued contributing well into the early 1990s.

In 1978, LaPlume made a major investment in its future by relocating to its current manufacturing facility on Farley Street in Lawrence. The property was originally a drive-through laundromat with a barn behind it, and proved to be an excellent candidate for the growth the brothers were expecting. Over time, the building was completely renovated, and the barn was demolished to create additional manufacturing space for the larger presses the company planned to acquire. At the time, LaPlume was operating two Miehle presses and a Harris press, all single-color machines, while producing increasingly complex multi-color work through multiple press runs. The move provided the space and infrastructure needed for the company's next phase of growth and modernization. At this time Ray and Ron’s youngest brother, James, joined the family business as part-owner to help oversee production.

In 1985, LaPlume celebrated its 50th year in business with a major step forward in production capability. The company purchased two 36-inch Heidelberg two-color presses, marking a significant upgrade in speed and efficiency. Shortly after, these were replaced with 40-inch versions of the same presses once the advantages of larger sheet sizes became clear, particularly for producing large signatures used in book printing. During this period, LaPlume saw strong demand for saddle-stitched booklets, manuals, and other multi-page publications in a wide range of sizes. To meet this growing workload, the shop often ran seven days a week, establishing a new level of production capacity for the company.

In 1991, LaPlume made a pivotal investment in full-color production with the installation of a new 28-inch Akiyama Bestech four-color press. This marked a significant shift from primarily spot-color work toward full-color process printing. The new press was especially effective for producing vibrant covers to pair with the black-and-white text signatures coming off the Heidelberg presses. It also opened the door to a broader range of marketing collateral, including flyers, catalogs, postcards, and other promotional materials produced using full-color process work. This transition expanded LaPlume’s capabilities and positioned the company to meet the growing demand for more visually dynamic printed products.

In 1993, LaPlume began its transition into the digital age as desktop publishing systems started to reshape the printing industry. The company invested in more powerful computers and software to adapt to this emerging workflow, moving beyond traditional production methods. A major step in this transition was the installation of Prographics, a leading MIS system at the time, which allowed the company to catalog and track jobs across the entire shop. To support this new digital infrastructure, LaPlume implemented a token ring network connecting multiple computers to a central server housing critical production data. This shift significantly improved workflow efficiency and laid the groundwork for a more connected, data-driven production environment.

In 1999, LaPlume entered a new chapter as Scott Morton, Ray’s son-in-law, joined the company in sales and management after leaving the legal industry. He brought a fresh perspective, along with a renewed focus on structure, efficiency, and long-term strategic growth. Scott would eventually step into ownership, replacing Ron as co-owner and working closely alongside Ray to guide the business forward. His influence helped accelerate investment in desktop publishing and emerging technologies, ensuring LaPlume continued to evolve with industry standards. This period marked a shift toward a more technology-driven and forward-looking operation while maintaining the company’s family leadership.

In 2004, LaPlume began responding to a clear shift in the printing market as demand for long-run offset work slowly declined, even though it remained the core of the business. Customers were increasingly requesting shorter, more cost-effective runs with vibrant full-color output across a variety of paper stocks. To stay competitive across all segments of the industry, Scott led the company’s first major move into digital production with the purchase of a Xerox DocuColor 5000, the first digital press installed at LaPlume. This investment marked an important strategic step, allowing the company to complement its offset capabilities with flexible short-run digital printing. It positioned LaPlume to better serve evolving customer needs while preparing for continued industry change.

Following key investments in digital and offset production, LaPlume turned its focus to strengthening in-house finishing capabilities in 2005. The company purchased two new MBO folding systems, significantly improving speed, accuracy, and flexibility in post-press operations. At the same time, it replaced its aging saddle stitcher with a new Mueller Martini Presto system, expanding its ability to produce larger books with greater automation and precision. These upgrades marked a major step forward in booklet-making capacity and overall production efficiency. Continued investment in finishing equipment reinforced LaPlume’s goal of handling as much of the production process as possible under one roof.

In 2008, LaPlume significantly expanded its digital production capabilities with the installation of a Xerox Color Press 1000, a major leap forward in both print quality and speed, as well as the range of substrates it could support. The company was the first in Massachusetts to install this platform, positioning LaPlume at the forefront of digital print innovation in the region. Shortly after, a second and upgraded Xerox Color Press 1000i was added to replace the earlier DC5000, providing both redundancy and increased production capacity. During this period, LaPlume also began entering the growing field of variable data and personalized printing, opening new opportunities in targeted marketing and customized communications. To complement its color digital capabilities, the company installed a Xerox Nuvera black-and-white production press, enabling high-speed output of forms, manuals, and text-heavy documents. Since then, after recognizing the strengths of these digital systems, LaPlume has consistently reinvested in their digital workflow by replacing machines with newer and better versions roughly every three years.

In 2018, LaPlume welcomed its fourth generation into the business as David Morton, the son of Scott and Lisa, joined the company full time. He stepped into a role focused on overseeing production and operations, bringing a younger perspective and renewed energy to the organization. His work emphasized expanding the company’s presence in the promotional and apparel industries, developing partnerships with manufacturers around the world to deliver higher value and quality solutions for customers. Alongside Scott, he also began planning for future investment in the offset pressroom, with a focus on higher-speed equipment to meet increasing demands for fast turnaround times. This period marked a renewed push to balance tradition with modernization in a rapidly evolving market.

As the printing industry continued to evolve, LaPlume shifted its strategy toward mergers and acquisitions as a way to expand capabilities and strengthen its market position. During this period, the company acquired Vogel Printing of Lawrence, Gallery Marketing Communications of Salem, NH, Loral Press of Atkinson, NH, ImageWise Graphics of Hampton Falls, NH, and Medical Document Services of Hampton Falls, NH. Each acquisition brought new strengths into the organization and broadened the range of services available to customers. The acquisition of Gallery Marketing Communications positioned LaPlume as an in-house USPS bulk mailer, adding critical mailing capabilities such as inserting, tabbing, stamping, and high-speed address inkjetting. ImageWise became the largest acquisition, significantly expanding the company’s reach into New Hampshire and setting the stage for a future transformation of the brand. Meanwhile, Medical Document Services established LaPlume as a leader in ISO 9001 certified printing for the medical and medical device industries.

Following the acquisition of ImageWise Graphics, the company officially rebranded as LaPlume ImageWise, uniting two complementary legacies under one name. The change was made to honor LaPlume’s long-standing history while also recognizing the strength and capabilities brought in through ImageWise. This new identity reflects both continuity and evolution, preserving the core values of the family business while positioning the company for future growth. LaPlume ImageWise represents the next chapter in a 90-year journey defined by craftsmanship, adaptability, and investment in the future.