Celebrating 70 Years Done Right

Post Date: April 2019

Like Sophia Petrillo from Golden Girls would muse, “Picture it: Waukesha, 1949.”

It’s been 70 years since Armand “Hans” Delzer, first-generation owner of a now three-generation-deep, family-run business, opened the doors of Delzer-Marlow Lithograph Company in the heart of Waukesha, Wisconsin.

You know it today simply as DELZER.

And at DELZER. you know us for a couple of things: our immaculate plant, our full-service commercial design, print, and fulfillment capabilities, and our dedication to our core mantra of right.

We’ve been around long enough to know that this business is about people and relationships as much as it is about materials and inks.

Right can mean a number of things to a number of people; it’s our job to make sure our final products and services match your idea of right. Because when it’s done right, print is powerful.

Think about it. The power of print.

Print inspires, educates, informs, documents and communicates. It excites and entertains. Most importantly, it unifies our collective human experience.

The Road to Right

Hans Delzer always had an eye for print.

While working for a local Milwaukee printer whose dominant print method was letterpress technology, Hans visited San Francisco. Here he discovered lithography.

This was big. This was different. This, he felt, was the way to go in print.

He returned home with his new-found knowledge, partnered with an associate, and scraped together $30,000 to turn this dream into a reality as a Milwaukee-area print pioneer.

Right didn’t happen overnight; It took blood, sweat, and ink to become an area leader in the print industry. As time and technology marched along, Delzer. grew and evolved right alongside it to consistently exceed expectations.

Forward, Delzer.

Fast forward through 70 ultra-condensed years of growth: a new location, several building expansions, numerous investments in equipment and technology, various new faces in the business – and a few familiar ones as well, as the business grew with brothers, Eric and Marc Delzer, taking over their father’s business in 1970, followed by Marc’s son, Michael Delzer, Delzer.’s current President and Owner since 2012.

If you’re familiar with Delzer.’s internal quote boards posted throughout the plant – a key component to our culture – you’ll never see the quote, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

As a progressive print industry leader, it’s always been the age of disruption at DELZER. You see it in the frequent new service offerings – like our latest wide-format print and bindery techniques – and high-quality output.

This business doesn’t sit still. As today’s business climate evolves, it is only exceptional service that remains constant.

Leading the Way

We wouldn’t be where we are today if it weren’t for decades of dedication to the printing process.

While the faces of leadership have changed over the years, Delzer.’s vision remains the same: to create premium experiences for brands pursuing excellence in design, print, and fulfillment.

We respect detail. We solve problems. We make sure each job is done right. Frankly, we give a damn.

So, what’s been Delzer.’s secret formula to success all these years?

We’ll keep it simple: You.

Relationships are what built this company over the years; when our customers succeed, we succeed. That’s what keeps us going.

Thank you, to our customers and partners in print, for 70 years of success – and counting!