Our Team

It only takes a few productive people to get a lot of printing done. Our staff at Thomas Press is small, but our experience, efficiency, and print expertise counts for a lot. We’re here for you, to provide the print you need, when you need it, and just the way you expect. Here are the key Thomas Press team members that you’ll be working with:

Dave Heinisch

If you’ve dropped in at Thomas Press, you certainly know Dave Heinisch. He’s the “handsome young man” who serves you at the counter and answers the phone when you call. He also runs the place.

Dave and his brother Derrick grew up in the printing business. Dave remembers sneaking a nap in the empty paper cartons as a kid and rolling through the shop on the paper dollies. He started on the payroll at Thomas Press as soon as he could drive:

“I started at 16, and I’ve been here ever since. I learned all of the old fashioned stuff, like setting type by hand. Later on I learned camera work and how to run the presses. It was a different world then. Jobs that run in a day now would take 2 weeks to go through the shop.”

Interestingly enough, Dave doesn’t realize how unique his career has been. Few people today work in a family business that’s over 100 years old. Even fewer have spent 40 years in the same company. Today, Dave manages most of the customer interaction and schedules the production for the shop, but he still loves watching the jobs flow through.

“I’ve always loved seeing the product in production. Printers are craftsmen at heart and we like to see the projects come together perfectly. We’ve been doing work for some customers as long as I’ve been here, handling project after project for decades. I really appreciate the long relationships, and we always work hard to maintain the quality of work and the trust of our customers.”

Dave has 3 adult kids and 2 dogs. Ask him about football – he’s a big Packers fan. When he can escape from the printing company, he likes hunting and fishing, working around the house, and an occasional craft beer from the local brewery.

Derrick Heinisch

According to Derrick Heinisch, his job is “a little bit of everything.” He’s the production guy and he frequently makes deliveries. Like his brother, Derrick grew up around Thomas Press and started full-time after high school. He started into the business from scratch, learning to run an envelope press. Derrick came into the business as letterpress printing was going out:

“I remember the day we dumped all of the old type into buckets and took it off for scrap. It was a major change. Then when the computers came in. The first one was amazingly expensive. The company sent someone from California to train us.”

“Since then, the process and the projects have changed . . . a few times. When I started, tub lids for Old Tavern Cheese were printed on a hand press. They’re another old Waukesha company. We don’t do as much for them now, but we still produce some cards and an occasional label on the digital presses.”

“The digital presses have really changed things. It’s amazing how fast a project can go through the shop and how good the color looks. But they’re quiet . . . sometimes it’s good to start up the old cylinder press so the place sounds like a print shop.”

Derrick misses the smell of ink, but says that attention to detail is still very much a part of his job. People who don’t know about Thomas Press may order products online, but they’re missing out on some important benefits.

“There’s an advantage to working with a local company. We’re fair and we really stand behind the products we produce for our customers. You can order online and you get what you get. With us, it will be right. If there’s a problem, we’ll make it right. It’s what keeps our customers coming back over and over again.”

After hours, Derrick enjoys spending time with his wife, Deana, and his kids, Jordan and Emma. He’s also an artist, and loves to paint the street scenes of downtown Waukesha.

Nicole Guerino

Nicole Guerino is the new employee at Thomas Press. She’s only been with the company since 1994, and like the brothers, she’s been in printing all of her life. Nicole started in bindery, doing a lot of the cutting, folding, and finishing work for the company in her early days. Over the years, she’s learned to do almost everything in the shop, including running the new digital equipment. She’s also the resident “grammar Nazi,” in charge of proofreading and catching mistakes. Nicole likes her job and has loved working with the Heinisch family over the years.

“They’ve treated me very well and I’ve always enjoyed my work. I’m good at it, I think. There’s a high value placed on quality here and never a question that the work will be done the right way. I think our customers know that, too.”

Over the years, Nicole has come to know a good many of Thomas Press’ customers and vendors on a first name basis. She enjoys the relationships and likes to have a little fun to make the days brighter. Outside of work, Nicole enjoys golf and softball in summer and bowling in winter. She also enjoys spending time with two kids, Zachary and Jace.