About

The company started out around 1962 with the merger of two independent printers, the Renton Printery, located in Renton, and the Rainier Printery, located in the Rainier Valley of Seattle and logically became The Renton & Rainier Printery. They split a deck of cards as to whose name came first. 

Myrol A. (Pat) Sweeney purchased the business in 1971, occupying a 12’ wide by 50’ long space (600 sq. feet). And with 4500 square feet in the building, we now have it all.) 

Pat’s mother kept an eye on the front door, with her ear to the telephone and typed up invoices and statements. Pat did everything else, like – picking hand set type out of tiny illogical compartments in scads of drawers, setting type on a linotype machine, composing the “hot type” into lead forms, running the letterpresses, doing the bindery, ordering paper and supplies, pricing out the jobs, etc.

It was pretty simple then, but got pretty complicated with the introduction of offset lithography technology later in 1971. The complexity in the printing business has not stopped in the nearly 38 years of growth in the family business. Very soon it became too much trouble to keep writing or typing out such a long name, so Mr. Sweeney dropped the Rainier part of the name when the company incorporated.

Pat’s wife Jeanne “retired” from her newspapering career and became the Secretary/Treasurer of the company. Their son Richard finished his term as a submariner in the Navy to come help by going to school and learning the things his dad “just won’t put up with” in the new world of graphic arts. Rich is the President of the firm and Pat is CEO, something else he doesn’t understand in the business world either.

Since 1971 The Renton Printery has progressed very well in carrying on the quality, fair pricing, and helpfulness established by the first owners of the business. The Renton Printery is a hearty competitor for all types of color and black and white lithographic and digital printing. Non-profits, unions as well as businesses from outside our marketing area, appreciate the legendary quick turn-around for all types of jobs. There are very few projects we hesitate to take with our technological ranges of equipment.

In  2008  The Renton Printery was honored to receive the Renton Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Award for companies with 10 or less employees. A “big thanks” for that goes to the industrious Richard Sweeney whose middle name is “Helpful”. The award was a highlight for the company who is known in the community for contributing their time and product to benefit others.

But, that’s enough about us. We would like to make your acquaintance.