REAL PEOPLE. REAL PROGRESS. Tom and Sue Waters, lifelong residents of Independence, met in kindergarten. They could not have foreseen a successful family printing business in their future. They began dating while at Fort Osage High School, got married in 1980, and had two daughters. Today they own a 115-year-old building on the Historic Independence Square and operate Corporate Copy Print (CCP) now in its’ 20th year of business. “I remember day one,” commented Tom Waters. After working 15 years in the printing industry he was ready to start his own enterprise. “We were thrilled to be able to open our doors here in Independence,” Sue added. She had spent 18 years in the insurance business but when the insurance company was sold and Tom and Susan Waters she was without a job, she planned to help Tom at the print shop for just a couple of months. That was 19 years ago and she’s been hands-on ever since. Then in 2004 their daughter Amy was hired as a temporary graphics designer. She recently celebrated her tenth year as a very talented graphic artist at CCP. Within a couple of years they needed more space for the business. One day after leaving a Chamber meeting he drove through the Independence Square. He saw a ‘for sale’ sign. The Square had been neglected and going downhill for a couple of decades, but a second drive around the block did the trick. “I knew that Ken and Cindy McClain had bought a couple of buildings and had just recently completed the renovation of the old Katz building into the beautiful Ophelia’s. In addition, there were a couple of other buildings that had been remodeled.” The Waters ended up buying the building on Main Street in 2003. Since then they have purchased two nearby buildings and recently modernized, adding sixty solar panels to the print shop building. “Independence has a tremendous heritage and the Square is still the center of that history,” explained Tom. “The synergy and momentum of renovation here in the uptown area doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.” In 2011 CCP was awarded Small Business of the Year at the Independence Economic Development annual meeting. In 2012 the Waters were honored by the Salvation Army with a Doing the Most Good award. In 2013 they were again recognized, this time as Business Persons of the Year by the Independence Chamber of Commerce. Visit www.corporatecopyprint.com for products and services. 20
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