Progress Printing Company opened on September 1, 1962 in Lynchburg, Virginia. Three employees began work in a building the size of a kindergarten classroom heated by a kerosene furnace. Today, Progress Printing is Virginia’s  largest private, independent commercial/catalog printer and one of America’s top 100 largest printers.

1960s--In 1962, Thomas D. Thornton II, 24, and former partner R.L. McGee borrowed $5,000 to start a new printing business with two rebuilt Chief one-color presses and a Kenro vertical camera. First year sales were $87,000 with a crew of five. A small building addition came in 1963 followed by a one-color 36" press in 1964. A new 22" press came in 1967. By 1968, following three expansions, Progress had 14 team members and 6,000 square feet.

1970s--By 1976 the company had grown to 44 team members and 21,000 square feet. That year the first four-color press—the Harris 438—went into operation.

1980s- A Komori C-18 five-color half-web was installed in 1982 at nearby Tomahawk Industrial Park. The team of 175 was severely crowding the Timberlake Plant. A historic move was engineered. Progress Printing moved into the former General Electric building at 2677 Waterlick Road and built a two-story corporate headquarters. The new plant spanned 120,000 square feet—six times larger than before.

Sales spread across the South Atlantic states. Production surged. A 93,000 square feet addition—doubling the plant to nearly five acres under one roof—was completed in 1989. A six-color Harris M110B web press was put to work.

1990s-- Progress Printing made technological leaps throughout the 90s. Prepress leapt from “conventional” to digital workflows. Powerful new press and bindery equipment was put in, including an eight-color 41” MAN Roland sheetfed.

The Walnut Circle Press was bought then sold after several years. Whittet & Shepperson and Satterwhite Printing merged in 1994 to become Progress Printing-Richmond (consolidated with PP Lynchburg in 2005). Sales offices expanded from New York to Atlanta.

Mike Thornton, the eldest son of founder T.D. Thornton II, was named president in 1998 to manage daily operations.

2000-Present: Growth and stability flourished. ProgressXpress was formed as a freestanding quick print operation. The Catalog Factory division focused on B2B catalogs and premier publications. Progress Mail Center mastered customer mail services.

A new MAN Roland ROTOMAN 38" full web in 2001 was followed by a second ROTOMAN in 2003. The presses paved the way for major customer support, prepress and bindery upgrades in 2004. A strong emphasis on B2B catalogs amid general commercial work intensified. An Indigo digital press with variable data was added in 2005 for on-demand personalized printing.

By 2006, Progress Printing and its powerful division--The Catalog Factory--surged along a steady, stable path with "smart factory" automation, a veteran team, and a cultural commitment to improving customer performance.

"We will grow as a honorable company dedicated to integrity, reliability, innovation, and hard work to help our customers succeed,” says Michael A. Thornton, president. “That is our promise.”

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