Rick Bosworth: 46 Years of Bringing Bright Repro Minds Together

Editor’s Note: Rick Bosworth is retiring at year-end after a 46-year career in reprographics, including the past 19 years as president of RMX Network. He spoke with Ed Avis, managing director of APDSP, about his career. This interview has been edited for clarity.

Avis: Congratulations, Rick, on your retirement. Tell me about how your journey in reprographics began.

Bosworth: Thanks Ed. It’s hard to believe that much time has passed that quickly! But it has been a great experience, specifically working with some of the industry’s most engaged and creative entrepreneurs!

            Looking back, I graduated with a business degree in economics and joined a small manufacturer’s rep firm. We provided equipment to both the pipeline industry and inland waterways or towboat industries. I always liked to tell people my territory was about a half a mile wide and over 3,000 miles long, including the entire Mississippi River, Ohio River Valley and Gulf Coast. It was a great opportunity to work with a wide range of individuals, some of the most unique and strange personalities one could imagine.

Avis: From there, how did you get into reprographics?

Bosworth: We decided we needed additional strategies to expand our business opportunities. Our attorneys recommended we look to diversify and acquire companies that were struggling and turn them around. One of our first acquisitions was Service Blueprint Company, St. Louis which we bought in '76. Then we bought several blueprint companies in Kansas City starting in '79. And soon after acquired print operations in Denver, all eventually branded under the name “Indox”.

Avis: Your LinkedIn page says you got involved with ReproCAD (the predecessor to ReproMAX and RMX Network) in 1984.

Bosworth: Correct. I believe it was following the 1983 IRgA meeting in Dallas, a number of independent reprographic owners got together. I think there were about 5+ companies. We talked about whether we could do something as a private group that would benefit each of our companies, to grow in what we saw as an evolving market. New technologies were already impacting our customers and the services we would provide forward. It didn’t take long to recognize the value of shared information on a confidential basis. We saw an opportunity to bring a limited number of companies together in a non-competitive environment, that allowed people to share workflows, technologies, processes, buying power, outsourcing, etc. We discovered there was significant value in access to confidential information share and leverage via industry leaders. These fundamentals remain as major value propositions to the RMX Network.

            Some of the people at that first ReproCAD meetings were my mentors, including Paul Koze from BPS, Sol Magid from National Reprographics, Bill Thomas from Thomas Blueprint, as well as Jack Cushing and Mike Duff from Cushing Company and more. It took a couple years, but through many conversations by many industry leaders, ReproCAD and MiniMAX merged to form ReproMAX.

Avis: You experienced a lot of changes in the reprographics industry during that first decade or so with ReproMAX.

Bosworth: Yes, it was both exciting and somewhat scary to see technology impact our markets. We saw that more and more information was being generated and distributed via the internet and there wasn’t as much print as there was before. Architects, engineers and construction companies were all looking at digital design vs. hand drawings. Think about it – you had minimal change in blueprinting technology for what, 60 or 70 years? And then in a span of five to 10 years, the whole thing changed. 

            Most people thought we were in the AEC print business because for the most part that is how we monetized our services. We struggled with identifying what industry we were in, and the fact that we were actually in the information distribution business.

            We had to continue to evolve and we learned from our customers. If we did a good job in anything, it was to keep our ears open to what our customers had to say about their process and how they planned to move forward. We needed to continue to provide valued services that they could utilize, including information management, output, and distribution. I’ve always thought our AEC customers were instrumental in leading us to the wide format graphics world where we have expanded and thrived.

            Because of the confidential relationships that our companies had with others in ReproMAX, our Partners were able to share what was going on in their markets. We got a much better idea of shifting markets, process evolution and how technology was going to impact us. And technology was changing. Sometimes, you saw it coming and sometimes your RMX Partner helped you identify market changes.

Avis: And when did you become the leader of ReproMAX?

Bosworth: I was ReproMAX Chairman of the Board in 2001 and 2002, and in February of 2003 I sold my position with Indox and took over ReproMAX.

Avis: What did you do at ReproMAX at that point to improve it?

Bosworth: First, I made sure we had the best personnel on the RMX team. Then we made every effort to get as many owners engaged with our network as possible, to get them involved in the conversation. It was easy to see ReproMAX was comprised of the best and brightest of the independent print service providers. They just needed a confidential process to both share and leverage their strengths.

            Initially, the push was from Mike Duff and Bill Thomas who were advocates that this group of industry leading business owners could change their operations for the better by sharing the knowledge within a confidential network. If I did anything, it was to get out of our network Partner’s way and allow them access to each other. Not just to help them reach out, but actually participate in our Partner’s businesses; to understand their objectives. To sit down at meetings, conferences and in their facilities over a cup of coffee and try to better understand what those objectives were and how they could function within their market differently and more effectively than competitors! My role was just to help them engage other company owners within the ReproMAX organization. Once they started talking to each other, they gained knowledge, which lead to new capabilities, not in steps, but quantum leaps. It was and still is cool to witness! 

Avis: You must have traveled a lot.

Bosworth: Oh yeah. I was on the road a lot. But there was nothing I liked better than being in somebody's operations, seeing how they managed their businesses, including evolving markets, people investments, workflows, technology changes, etc. It was always great to see the pride they took in their businesses and connect them to other companies with very similar directives or experience. It was what I enjoyed doing. It was what I think I was good at – bringing people, processes and technologies together, building teams and focusing on results. And for the last 46 years, I was blessed to be working with many of the brightest and best people, not only in this industry, but anywhere.

Avis: So what’s in your future?

Bosworth: This is the first time since I was 23 years old that I’m not currently working to build a company. And that’s weird to me, but I will walk away really proud of what I and we did. It’s time for some younger and smarter people take this lead. I have every confidence they are prepared to take RMX to the next level.

            Yes, I'm going to complete nearly 50 years this December. It's been a great experience in building businesses, but most importantly in building friendships. I was fortunate to have exceptional business partners who provided support and allowed me to leverage their knowledge and wisdom. Those relationships are incredibly valued and much appreciated. I hope they continue.

            I don't know how this works forward, but I plan to follow my instincts and look for new challenges and opportunities. I've got some ideas and would like to stay close to the print industry. I may also reengage with the St. Louis Area Foodbank and I have four fantastic grandkids I try to keep up with! And if there is free time, I'll jump on a motorcycle, and take a couple thousand-mile ride into the mountains. Whatever the future brings, I'm just proud to have been connected with the outstanding people that I've worked with over the years!

            Thanks for your time and interest!

What Others Say

We asked a few people who know Rick well to share some comments about him:

Joe Cushing, Executive Vice President, Cushing & Co.

            There are few people more committed to his work than Rick, his openness to meet and help others is just a tiny seed to represent his overall efforts.  His daily commitment, for so many years is something commendable, entirely benefiting our industry, the RMX group and the dozens of friends he has brought into his community.

            I recall a day early in my career; Cathie, Mike and my dad sent me down to StL for a quick meeting, probably with a vendor, or to see a piece of equipment.  Rick brought me to and from with an entire afternoon set up to spend with me, visit an FM and go through all the layers of sales, technical and operational information he could share in that 4-5 hours, followed by dinner. Nothing more useful that I can imagine than spending a day with a 15-year veteran.

Chuck Wingard, President, Tree Towns Imaging and Color Graphics

            The industry has changed so much but one constant was Rick. Always available to discuss a topic and always looking for ways to help. I would sum up my thoughts on his contributions this way: The one outstanding attribute about Rick is his incredible passion to help RMX Partners succeed. Rick spent many years working in the Reprographic business and knows first hand what the Partners go through every day. His leadership through all the changes in our industry and the solutions he brought forward will always be appreciated.

Gene Klein, CEO, Barker Blue

            All you need to know about Rick Bosworth is how he has always leapt into action when our industry has needed him the most.  

            I joined the ReproCAD Board in the late ‘90s, when Rick was Chairman of the Board. Along with Bill Thomas, Rick approached Mike Duff about the possibility of merging our group with MiniMax. After a series of stealthy conference calls as well as a few in-person meetings, a summit was set for June of the year 2000. The respective boards of ReproCAD and MiniMax convened at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport--literally--we all checked into the DFW Hyatt and did not leave airport grounds until we all flew out the next day. It was not easy, but thanks to the persistence and salesmanship of Rick and Mike Duff, ReproMAX was born, and the sum of the two groups has proved to be far greater than the sum of its parts.

            Three years later (2003), we were faced with an existential threat. The president of ReproMAX told our Board he was leaving to take over the reins of ARC's new PEiR Group, which was formed to be a direct competitor to ReproMAX. Our Board was in shock. The directors all reached out to our respective networks in search of a replacement. I came up with a few names and called Bill Thomas. Bill said, "Gene, stop your search. I've got a bombshell candidate. I can't tell you who it is right now, but I guarantee you'll be happy." Days later Rick announced he was leaving Indox, a company he had spent years building into a $25m a year institution, to become president of ReproMAX. Looking back, I marvel at the risk Rick took in leaving what he had built, because trust me, the success of ReproMAX at that time was far from a sure thing.

            Twenty years later, we are a dynamic organization of 85 companies, with over 20 vendor programs, multiple communities, development and educational programs, a phenomenal staff with a strong president, and more. It is amazing what Rick has built.

            For me, the most memorable and valuable quality Rick has had over all these years has been his eternal optimism.  Our industry has gone through turbulent times and disruptive change, but through it all, Rick has been indefatigable. He was in the office early every morning and there late every night, talking to Partners, vendors and prospects in multiple time zones. I could never do his job.  He was part executive, part recruiter, part negotiator, part diplomat, part enforcer, and full-time cat herder. He had the respect of everyone in the industry. And every single one of ReproMAX's members could count on Rick not only to run the organization with their best interests at heart, but to be involved in their own business, to be a trusted adviser and advocate. When a Partner needed help, Rick was on a plane the next day. ReproMAX, the organization, has been of incalculable value to my company, BarkerBlue, over the past 20 years, but Rick Bosworth, the man, has been even more valuable to me. My company would not be where we are today, nor would I be where I am personally, without the steadfast help and friendship of Rick over 2 decades, and we are forever in his debt. If I had to choose just one person on earth to fight in a foxhole with me, it would be Rick. Hands down.