A Half Century of Re-Invention and Customer Satisfaction: The Heritage Integrated Story

They say that "necessity is the mother of invention," meaning that if you really need to do something, you will find a way to do it. David DeLana has lived by this proverb his entire career. As the president of Heritage of El Reno, Oklahoma, he has spent the last 50 years finding creative solutions for his customers, adapting his business every step of the way.

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DeLana was born in Sanford, North Carolina where his father was stationed with the United States Army.? He had fought in the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. His mother was a South Carolinian, but his father hailed from Oklahoma.? When his Army service concluded, he brought his family back to the Sooner State to join the family firm of investment advisors. ??Young David was just 11 months old at the time, barely qualifying as a “Tar Heel.”

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DeLana personified the new generation of Baby Boomers – hard-working, focused Americans who considered their jobs a significant defining characteristic of their identity.? He worked from a young age, delivering newspapers by bicycle at nine and later working in a greasy spoon flipping hamburgers. ?

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His favorite hobby was golf, which he took up at 14, eventually becoming a scratch player.? His current handicap is still an impressive five, 65 years later.

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DeLana aspired to be a marine biologist and obtained his degree in the field from Oklahoma State University after four years in ROTC and serving in the US Air Force.? But while Oklahoma boasts more than 200 lakes, its “marine life” did not present many career opportunities for the OSU graduate, who was by this time married.

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DeLana met his wife, Jan, when he was 16 and she was 14. They lived just three blocks apart from one another in El Reno. After a brief breakup during which they agreed to "see other people," he came to his senses and tracked down the love of his life, who was working as a flight attendant for Eastern Airlines, based in New York City. The couple married in 1968 and have two daughters and five grandchildren.

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DeLana had no knowledge of the printing industry, but he was mechanically inclined and had a strong work ethic. He also had business acumen, taking over his father’s investment company after his untimely death at 61.

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When the owner of a local newspaper, who also ran a print shop, fell on hard times and had to declare bankruptcy, DeLana stepped up and offered to purchase “the job shop.” The company primarily printed ballots by letterpress for the local government.

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“I bought an ATF Chief 17 offset printing press and a 900 square-foot building across from the courthouse and started my printing company,” recalls DeLana.? The year was 1974.? “There were three of us – me and a father and son duo who worked for the previous owner.? Our first year’s sales were just $97,000.”

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Heritage Print Shoppe, as it was first called, quickly diversified its commercial printing offerings and expanded rapidly.? “We outgrew our space and were practically in the adjacent alley,” chuckles DeLana.

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In 1978, during the Oklahoma oil boom, DeLana took advantage of the opportunity and bought six acres of land. He then constructed a 10,000-square-foot facility to accommodate his growing business. He leased 5,000 square feet of the space to an oil company. However, when the first oil bust hit in 1981, he encountered a financial crisis of sorts because he lost his tenant but still had payments to make on the building.? He had to pivot quickly.

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DeLana had become skilled at adapting and reinventing his business. He approached smaller printers in the area and offered to broker his company's services for their excess capacity work.? The move paid off.

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But while Heritage grew sales to $300,000 with a staff of 10-12 and expanded from a one to two-color shop to a four-color operation, it was not all smooth sailing. “The mid to late 80’s were horrible.? Interest rates were at 20 percent and companies were going out of business left and right,” says DeLana.

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In 1991, the ambitious Okie took a leap of faith. After visiting Heidelberg, Germany, sponsored by the press manufacturer of the same name, he bought his first five-color offset press. His goal was to break into the lucrative Oklahoma City market, which had previously seemed out of reach. "We were told there was no way a company from a 14,000-person town could make it there, and that just made me mad and more determined to prove them wrong,” recalls DeLana.

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The gamble paid off and the rest, as they say, is history.

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As his company continued to expand through the 90s, DeLana capitalized on his excellent relationships with his customers to diversify Heritage’s offerings, fulfilling more customer needs. In 1997 it got into the promotional products space.? Today this segment represents 61 percent of the company’s $14 million in annual sales.? “We’ve come a long way from trash and trinkets,” he jokes.? Sixteen of his 80 employees service this important segment.

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Print, once the bread and butter of the company, now makes up only 36 percent of Heritage’s sales volume with the balance coming from ancillary services such as warehousing and fulfillment, e-commerce and websites, demographic research and data, and marketing support – all housed in a now 80,000 square foot facility.? “Our latest profit center is installing our wide format work, a segment we’ve only been in six years,” shares DeLana.

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Major pieces of equipment at the company include a Mitsubishi 3F 6-Color 40” with aqueous, Heidelberg Speedmaster 6-Color 40” with aqueous and double perfecting, an HP Indigo 15,000 digital press, an Oce Arizona 2260 flatbed printer and the latest bindery and mailing equipment, not to mention pre-press software.

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Looking back on a stellar career with its fair share of ups and downs, DeLana credits his hard-working team, many of whom have been with him for decades.? He is also grateful for the knowledge he gained from printing associations he has been involved with including Printing Industries of Oklahoma, PIA Mid America, and Printing Industries of America, all of which he served as Chairman of the Board.? “I don’t know where I would be without them,” DeLana modestly proclaims.? “And this includes the suppliers.”

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His civic contributions have also been noteworthy including service with Rotary and the Chamber of Commerce and 12 years as an elected city Councilman for El Reno, which he proudly points out recently elected his son-in-law as Mayor.

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As DeLana approaches his 80th birthday with no immediate family members involved in the business he is open to selling the company that he has built over 50 years, provided the fit is right.? “I would be open to an acquisition by a company or even group, provided the philosophies are in sync.? I have no interest in flippers,” he asserts.? “We have 80 people here and many have been with the company for many years.? We have mothers and fathers and daughters and sons, and culture is important.”

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Whatever direction the company takes, DeLana should be proud of the legacy of excellence he has built.? Heritage Integrated stands as a beacon of creativity, adaptability, and customer-centricity in the printing industry.