The original building was bought from Clarence Jump, a local of Park Rapids, who had used it for a woodworking shop. At one time the building was used as a church.

There was enough room for an office area, bindery, another area for presses and folders. There was a darkroom for the camera and developing of film.

Convenient for the Haas family was a two bedroom apartment on one end of the building which would accommodate Frank, Gail, and their children, ages 4 months to 7 years.

In the early years a Verityper was used for typesetting and a Strip-printer was used for making larger words. The Light Table was used for pasting all the copy together using a Waxer and a T-Square. Paper that was needed to print customers’ jobs came into Park Rapids via train to the Great Northern Depot. It was picked up at the depot or driven to Haas Printing by an employee of Great Northern.

In 1973 typesetting became more versatile with the addition of the Compugraphic.

In the early 1970s Frank was diagnosed with cancer, Hodgekins. A pressman was hired, jobs were processed, Frank took cobalt treatments in Fargo, ND, many prayers were said, and the cancer was cured.

With his cancer cured, Frank was ready to move into printing full color brochures for the many resorts in the Park Rapids area. In May of 1986, he purchased a 4-color Heidelberg GTO. Now with the ability to print 4 colors in one pass, what used to take four days to print would now be done in one.

Time to move

In the 1980s, the computer era made for even simpler typesetting. Haas Printing got busier and we needed a larger building. In August of 1989, Frank purchased the Morehead Manufacturing building at our current location in the Industrial Park.

With the addition of a newly built front office space, Haas Printing was ready to move in by September 19, 1989. Equipment was moved through the large door, set in place, leveled, and rigged for operation.

Fire!

On October 11, 1989 Frank receives a call at his residence stating the former Haas Printing building was on fire!

Fortunately, nearly everything had been moved from the structure into the new location, the building was a total loss.

Preparing a future generation

In the 1990s, computer technology had vastly grown, giving way to Computer to Film systems later leading to Computer to Plate systems.

In year 1995, Haas Printing become incorporated. Now co-owned by the shareholders.

By year 2000, now known as Haas Printing, Inc., had purchased a new Automated Guillotine Cutter, and an Automated Booklet Maker.

In April of 2000, Haas Printing, Inc. purchased a Heidelberg Quickmaster 2-color press and donated two Hamada Presses to the Graphic Arts Department at the Park Rapids High School.