100 Years A Century of Quality
In 2009, McAra Printing celebrated a century of producing quality print products for the Calgary business community.
On a bright Saturday in September, 2009 past and present members of McAra’s staff, their families and dignitaries gathered at Calgary’s Heritage Park for a 100th anniversary commemorative luncheon.
Doug and Shirley Arends represented Canadian Bank Note with other notable visitors including Stan Sailer, one of the owners of McAra Printing during the post-war era. A delightful luncheon was provided during which Rodger Grant gave a brief overview of McAra’s colourful century. Mr. Grant emphasized that McAra has survived and thrived in a challenging environment during the past 100 years including two world wars, economic turmoil and rapid advances in technology. Rodger pointed out that the key to McAra’s longevity is high caliber of staff that the company has had the foresight and good fortune to employ.
“It’s people that built this company,” Rodger emphasized to the attentive crowd, “and I want to thank all of you for your contribution to McAra’s success.”
McAra Printing continues to thrive today by maintaining the tradition of service and craftsmanship that John McAra insisted upon 100 years ago! With an eye on the horizon, McAra continues to innovate and embrace emerging technologies. For the next 100 years, McAra Printing will focus on being an enabler and productivity partner for our clients to produce progressive and relevant products that will impact their businesses in a positive way.
The Story of John Duncan McAra
John Duncan McAra was an Edinburgh-born printer who got his first job in Canada as a compositor on the Regina Journal in 1883, but moved on to Calgary and joined the printing staff at the Herald. By 1901 he was foreman of its job printing plant, which in those days produced a rival newspaper, Bob Edwards’ Calgary Eye Opener.
By 1909 McAra had ventured into his own printing and stationery business at the rear of Calgary Clothing Co. along 8th Avenue. Soon after he made the move to larger premises at 701 1st St. S.E., McAra bought a house along 4th Avenue S.W. where his three sons, Max, Stuart and Malcolm grew up. In 1915, he bought the property next door to build a new printing plant; the same building today houses Caesar’s Steak House.
A shrewd and far-sighted businessman, McAra made a name for himself as a high-quality printer, well-known for his leather binding and gold leaf stamping. Investment in the latest technology and hiring and training of skilled and knowledgeable craftsmen was important to McAra then and still is today.
At the time of the first oil boom, he began working with Canadian Bank Note, printing huge quantities of share certificates and for many years represented that company in Western Canada in the security printing area. McAra Printing has been owned by Canadian Bank Note since 1981 and is its only plant west of Ottawa.
McAra introduced Calgary to four-colour printing in the 1920s and was soon producing colour posters for the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede and the Banff Highland Games, which helped entice many visitors to this area.
By 1939, father John had sold the company to son Malcolm, who guided it through the war years before selling it to two loyal employees, Jim Taylor and Stan Sailer.
Today, the company is located in a 42,000-square-foot plant on 12th Street N.E. and is run by Vice-President and General Manager Rodger Grant, who joined McAra 19 years ago as Operations Manager. All of its production is sheet-fed with most of its work relating to high-quality marketing and promotional materials for advertising agencies and graphic houses, multi-page documents, shareholder communications and security products.
McAra Printing continues to thrive today by maintaining the tradition of service and craftsmanship that John McAra insisted upon 100 years ago!.
McAra Printing history written by David Parker, Business Columnist.