Inductees

When Wally Hemingway purchased Independent Printing in 1971, the vision wasn’t necessarily to build record profits or woo hundreds of businesses for their printing needs.

Those were important, yes. However, for Hemingway, so too were positive contributions to the Springfield community. To help others along the way. To help lift up those who truly could use a hand.

Thus, the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame proudly honored Independent Printing with the 2018 John Q. Hammons Founder’s Award.

It is presented to a company that supports the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, a 501c-3 not-for-profit, as well as the PGA Web.com Tour’s Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper. The Price Cutter tournament has gifted more than $14.6 million to Ozarks children’s charities since its inception in 1990.

“I’m a sports fan,” Hemingway said. “Most of the times when they induct someone, I know them. I spent many years watching Stan Musial and Red Schoendienst. My grandpa would keep score, so it kind of trickled down. … And when the Hall of Fame inducts someone, it seems like most of the athletes are true believers. They have a positive witness. That’s important.”

Independent has been a corporate sponsor of the Hall of Fame for 20 years. It not only publishes a number of Hall of Fame materials – such as the programs for enshrinements and luncheons as well as the Hall of Famer magazine – but also supports the Hall of Fame in numerous other ways, including participation in Celebrity Golf Classics and other events.

Independent Printing also produces materials for the Price Cutter Charity Championship, and entertains clients during pro-ams and while the Web.com Tour plays on at Highland Springs Country Club.

The tie-in to Ozarks children’s charities is what has long warmed Hemingway’s heart.

“It’s made a difference in kids’ lives,” Hemingway said. “They gift thousands of dollars over the years for children’s organizations.”

Independent Printing actually opened in 1945 under the direction of Bob Henry, and Hemingway arrived in 1960.

For Hemingway, the business kind of found him, so to speak. He grew up in Jasper and working in high school as a typesetter for the weekly Jasper County News and then for Cain Printing in Springfield.

However, Hemingway’s life detoured to the U.S. Army, as he spent three months at Fort Bliss training on the 75 millimeter skysweeper gun. He then served in Germany for 18 months, often training in the Baltic Sea.

Ultimately, Hemingway wondered where life would take him next.

“I didn’t have a job to go back to at home,” Hemingway said. “But I was lucky.”

Hemingway befriended Henry and his wife, Mildred, when he returned to Springfield in 1960 and was hired at Independent. That same year he and Jerrie Anderson were married. They bought Independent Printing from the Henry family in 1971.

Independent Printing now is led by their son, Jason Hemingway. Kathi Johnson serves as General Manager, and Sharon Payne is Office Manager while Greg Knight and Sam Balding are designers. It’s probably no wonder, then, that the company has enjoyed so much success. It’s a team that gets the job done and is personable – much like a small-town hardware store where they ask about your family and certainly talk sports.

These days, Independent Printing produces thousands of jobs annually for more than 400 clients. It was located in north Springfield on Commercial Street, has since operated at two locations on East Olive Court and the latest at 2335 E. Chestnut Expressway, C128, in an 8,000-square foot facility.

It’s also a place that features ink-saturated air emitted from the printing presses – much like the smell of a small newspaper newsroom with the press just around the corner.

“They say once the ink gets in your blood,” Hemingway said with a laugh, “you can’t get away from it.”

“I start to miss it if I’m off for a few days,” Jason said with a laugh. “Everybody works together well. The main thing is that everybody has been trained on everything so they know what to do.”

The Hemingway Family has enjoyed working with the Hall of Fame.

“It’s been a great business relationship,” Wally said. “And they provide golf, which I enjoy. They treat us with respect and do a good job.”

Independent’s work includes other non-profit charities as well as churches. The Hemingway Family also supports the Dickerson Park Zoo, the Springfield Symphony and many others.

“It builds good community relationships,” Wally said, “and it’s good to help those organizations.”