Episode #6: In 1998-1999, Repros brought on Lou Sr. to train and then purchase Repros. Emphasis moves to digital with Xerox-trained Mark Miglich joining the team.
In this episode, Lou discusses how Xerox introduced the 5080, the first online wide format printer.
In this episode, Lou discusses the Emergence of the Dealer Model in 1984 with the introduction of the Xerox 2510. Tabletop copier for $3,695.
Episode #3: More Conversations With Lou LaGuardia Sr., founder of Repros, Inc. in Northeast Ohio!
In this episode, Lou discusses the Xerox 2080 launch event in Cleveland and how Summit Reprographics (Repros) purchased the first unit, which produces plain paper blueprints that can be reduced and enlarged, and printed on vellum.
In Episode 2, Lou continues sharing his journey about how Repros, Inc. of Northeast Ohio got its start. This week, he shares his stories about the beginning of the plain paper blueprint machine and the launch of the groundbreaking Xerox 2080 machine in 1980. Get an insider’s look at how innovation shaped an industry and a career. Watch now and stay tuned for more episodes from this fascinating series!
That “For Sale” sign real estate agents place in a yard isn’t just a marker; it’s your most visible business card. It speaks for you 24/7, reaching thousands of eyes before they ever pick up the phone.
That’s why the quality, clarity, and condition of your signage matter. At Shure Signs, a division of Repros Color, we understand the importance of visibility, and we’ve built our business around helping agents deliver it quickly, consistently, and cost-effectively. From same-day pickup of common signage and durable materials to in-house printing, brand color matching, and free local pickup, we offer Northeast Ohio real estate professionals a smarter way to manage signage without sacrificing professionalism or impact.
Why Agents Are Making the Switch
As a real estate agent, you shouldn’t have to choose between speed, service, and affordability. With Shure Signs, you get all three, along with a local partner who understands the urgency of your business. Switching to Shure Signs provides agents with several competitive advantages:
Built for Agents, Backed by Experience
Shure Signs has been a trusted name in real estate signage since 1986. When Repros Inc. acquired the company in 2018, it was not merely a business move—it was a strategic decision to enhance our offerings, expand local access, and strengthen our marketing products for the real estate industry. Whether it’s fast-turn custom panels, in-stock riders, or personalized support, our team is here to simplify your process and help your listings stand out.
Let’s Get Your Listings Seen
That “For Sale” sign in someone’s yard serves as the first impression of your brand. Let’s make it count! If you’re ready to simplify your sign process, cut shipping costs, and boost your curb appeal, we would love to collaborate with you.
Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn for more information about creative solutions for real estate agents from Shure Signs, as well as for special offers and discounts.
Repros Engineering has had a front-row seat to the evolution of print technology in the AEC industry. For decades, we have observed a shift in printing methods from ammonia-based machines and drafting pencil plotters to the high-speed, color-accurate, network-connected devices we rely on today.
The pivotal turning point came when Xerox introduced toner-based copying, replacing ammonia and photo chemicals with dry toner on plain paper. This transition not only improved safety and efficiency but also brought blueprint reproduction directly into the office environment. By the 1980s, multi-function devices became the norm, enabling users to copy, scan, and print from a single network-connected system. These black-and-white printers became indispensable, offering engineers and architects the convenience of producing large-format drawings at any time.
Meanwhile, inkjet technology, although available, was still too slow to compete with toner-based systems for high-volume office use. That changed in 2015 when HP introduced its PageWide inkjet platform.
Rather than a moving print head, PageWide employed a stationary head that spanned the full width of the page, significantly enhancing speed and reliability. With fewer moving parts, reduced power requirements, and rapid, high-quality color output, PageWide addressed many of the challenges of earlier technologies.
Today, PageWide inkjet technology has matured into a reliable standard for architects, engineers, contractors, government agencies, and manufacturers. It provides a unique combination of speed, reliability, cost-efficiency, and color fidelity, fulfilling the requirements of modern project workflows without compromising quality or security.
At Repros Engineering, we continue to help organizations across Ohio stay ahead of technology shifts. Please contact us if you’re reassessing your wide-format print strategy; we’re here to offer insight and guidance.
Repros is pleased to announce the purchase of Canton City Blue Print located in downtown Canton expanding its large-format printing capabilities in the area. This recent acquisition, in combination with the purchase of Akron-based COS Blueprint in 2020, significantly increased the reprographic capabilities of Repros’ engineering division. Repros Engineering is now well-positioned to provide its comprehensive range of large-format printing solutions to an ever-expanding number of architects, engineers, and construction companies (AEC) throughout Northeast Ohio.
City Blue Print Services, as it was originally called, began in Canton’s First National Bank Building in 1921. The business operated within a local surveyor’s office and served the reproduction needs of the immediate downtown Canton area. By the 1930s, they changed their name to Canton City Blue Print and expanded to offer supplies to architects, engineers, and surveyors. Their continued growth necessitated a move to the present 13,000-square-foot facility located at 1334 Oxford Avenue. Recently, the owners of Canton City Blue Print decided to retire and sell the business to Repros.
“It was truly a difficult decision to retire,” noted co-owner Michaele Flickinger. “But after meeting with Repros, I know our customers will be in good hands.”
Established in 1973, Repros is the largest engineering and blueprint equipment dealer in Northeast Ohio. Repros’ Engineering division also offers a complete range of copy shop services to the AEC industries.
Repros Engineering Copy Shop
We know that architects, engineers, and construction project managers work under intense pressure with unpredictable deadlines. Multiple revisions are a typical element of the design/build process. The large-format specialists at Repros Engineering handle a comprehensive range of professional copyshop needs, saving you time and money. Repros also offers additional value-added services like scanning, CAD conversion, and our Blueprint Plan Room for AEC document management.
Ready to print design drafts in-house? Repros represents wide format printing equipment, service, and supplies for Canon/OCE, Xerox, Kip, Epson, Ricoh, Roland, Mactac, Arlon, Sihl, Phototex, and others. Repros also offers expanded graphics solutions with the HP DesignJet line of Z-series printers, Cannon/OCE Colorado, Epson Professional Series, and the Roland solvent and latex line of printers. Our experienced sales reps will help you find the wide-format printer that is right for your specific applications.
Repros Service and Support
Our support doesn’t stop when you purchase your own large-format equipment because we’re here to help. Our service technicians are OEM trained and certified and each has over 25 years of experience maintaining contracts on a wide range of large-format printers and plotters. We stock common parts in our office to expedite any potential repair. As wide-format printing equipment transitions from a machine in your office to an integrated part of our network, we also offer specialized expertise in IT integration challenges. Our copy shops can provide in-house production in the event of downtime for equipment or office interruption. Ask to see a demonstration before you purchase a new printer.
Over the past 50 years, Repros has enjoyed continual expansion and growth. We are pleased to welcome Canton City Blue Print into our family of companies. Customers can continue to send jobs to cantonicityblueprint@gmail.com and they will be redirected to the Repros North Canton office. Or call Repros directly at 330-966-1300.
Rick Johnson, office manager for COS Blueprint in Akron, migrated from a KIP 9900 printer to an HP PageWide 5200 in September of 2021. After one year and 1.5M square feet of printing, here’s what we’ve learned:
This inkjet platform dominated by HP’s DesignJet series has now transferred that same efficiency and performance to the production-level PageWide platform. The concern with the lower volume technical series platform was stability when running high volumes and the ability to print at speeds above 4 “D” size prints per minute. The HP PageWide platform has performed exceptionally well in both areas with little service, running 20 “D” size prints per minute.
Rick reflected, “The HP PageWide printer requires far less cleaning and has required very little service over the past year.”
Barb Park, Sales Manager at Repros Engineering, added “Customers who historically have had a higher speed monochrome (B&W) printer would often have another small inkjet printer like the DesignJet. But with an upgrade to the powerful HP PageWide, they can now print either monochrome or color on the same machine with much lower cost, saving floor space in their print center.”
HP has developed the industry-leading line of integrated monochrome and black & white printers that fit any office need. HP’s PageWide 3000 Series line bridges the gap between small technical printer and enterprise units by offering 3-6 “D” per minute printers with the DesignJet XL and the PageWide XL MultiFunction Printers (MFP’s). This series delivers high-quality results and media versatility, producing fine details, a wide color gamut and a flexible ink layer with 6 colors and 1200 dpi resolution.
The 4000 series is available as a printer or a MFP. These models are well-suited for enterprise, producing high speed printing with rich, high quality color images and crisp, sharp black-and-white lines. Running at speeds up to 100 A1 sheets per hour and printing up to 1067 mm wide, the HP PageWide 4000 series will keep operational costs under control with easy remote printer management.
Contact the experienced sales team at COS Blueprint or Repros Engineering to find the large format printing solution that suits you business and budget. Repros Engineering is the largest wide format, print equipment dealer in Northeast Ohio with sales, service and support of HP, Oce, Canon, Epson, Kip, and many others. Repros provides a comprehensive range of large format reprographic services for the architectural and engineering industry, including blue prints and spec books.
COS Blueprint is located at 1518 Copley Road and services the greater Akron area including Montrose, Fairlawn, Medina, Green, Kent, Cuyahoga Falls, Copley, and other nearby cities. COS Blueprint and Repros Engineering operate two other convenient locations in North Canton and Downtown Cleveland.
Call Barb Park for more information at 800-666-3364, or email COSBlueprint@gmail.com
Repros offers additional value-added services like Scanning, CAD Conversion and Blueprint Plan Room for AEC Document Management.
Is your company spending valuable resources on outdated document management systems? As your business grows, so do the stacks of boxes filled with blueprints, specs and plans. Over time, blueprint storage can expand to take up valuable office space and increase the risk of loss or damage of valuable information. Epic now provides scanning, CAD conversion and project management services to the AEC industry that will save time, space, and money.
Archival Scanning
Archival scanning of AEC documents will save storage space and salvage aging documents by converting them to digital files. Blueprint scanning can also help businesses of all sizes reduce overhead and streamline their processes. Document scanning provides a number of benefits to businesses, including managing records easily, making images centrally available and, eliminating need for file cabinets. We consult with companies to develop a plan to scan existing paper drawings with a naming convention for easy retrieval.
CAD Conversion
Repros also offers efficient processes for the CAD conversion of AEC documents. Convert architectural and engineering drawings and other documents that are to scale, dimensionally accurate, and layered to your specifications. We service CAD conversion for a wide variety of applications and can re-draft entire drawings or provide clean-base only drafting.
Blueprint Plan Room
Get a customized Plan Room for your business, fully managed with your branding. Track activity, view plan holders and send and manage bid invites via email and fax. Select recipients based on trade, group, location, and more. Epic powered by ReprosBlu offers real-time reporting with recipient activity and bid responses.
Have jobs to manage? Experience cloud power for your projects available anytime and anywhere with fast, scalable infrastructure. No job is too big or too small. Simply upload your documents.
Contact us at 800-666-3364 or email info@ReprosInc.com for more information!
