About CUSHING Design company in Chicago, United States
Proud to serve Chicagoland and Illinois since 1929.
Customer Service Week
An annual tradition Customer Service Week encourages teamwork collaboration and brings the team together. See us celebrate!
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Meet The Cushing Team
Consider us your merry band of creative problem solvers print consultants and customer service experts.
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Cushing in The Community
Since 1929 Cushing has supported the associations in the Chicagoland area.
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For over ninety years businesses in Illinois and beyond have trusted us to exceed expectations. The River North area has been home for over fifteen years. About a half mile from the Loop its convenient for customers throughout the city and state.
We offer large and wide format printing services that get you new customers and generate brand awareness. And did you know your project is in the BEST hands? Our Color Production Supervisor Julia Kaufman has been named a Wide Format Rising Star for 2020.
Did you know a customer project was named a wide format winner? Explore the Slaack Productions project in our portfolio.
Thanks to you for making this possible!
See the release and the terrific businesses on the list!
Cushing has persevered by choosing outstanding people and focusing on innovation. The goal is always to improve your customer experience. We have utilized three and a half generations of input to guide your print projects.
In 1929 (yes the year of the Great Depression) Cushing opened as a blue print shop to serve growing architecture and engineering firms. An ex-driver of a delivery truck our founder F. John Cushing Sr. made every sales call himself to rebuild the company (National Blueprint Co.) he purchased from his employer. Changing the name shortly after Cushing and Company was branded with the colors orange and blue. This mimicked the University of Illinois and later the Chicago Bears who housed their offices above Cushing for two decades.
Hard work pays off! Josette was recognized as the the Art Bryan Volunteer of the Year during their annual meeting. Congratulations Josette – so well-deserved!
Josette discusses her experience
Coating diazo paper in the 1950s for our own use Cushing began converting photographic and drafting films in the 1960s. Converting various Diazo media in blue black and sepia tones Cushing became a key player in the world of manufacturing and distribution. Jack Cushing Jr. uncovered a niche to expand:
In the late 70s we expanded service offerings and placed the industrys first manned on-site printing center in Chicago. Shortly thereafter Cushing was the first reprographic firm to add color copying services in downtown Chicago. This blazed a new trail in the commercial real estate and corporate printing communities. The next fifteen years included the addition of electronic (CAD plotting) services to meet industry demand. We moved from the Loop to River North and expanded color services to include wide format color display graphics. Vertical markets expanded to include retail point-of-purchase displays trade show and event printing and commercial printing outside the AEC community.
Owners Cathie Cushing Duff and Joe Cushing represent Cushing in the larger community volunteering sharing experiences knowledge and best practices. Both are active in a number of industry and community associations with an emphasis on Family Business Development including: City of Hope Canstruction SMPS ACE Mentor Program DePauls Chicago Family Business Council SOS Villages March of Dimes ReproMAX and the Chicago Printers Guild.
Additionally we are certified nationally and with the City of Chicago as a Womens Business Enterprise (WBE) led by our company president of twenty-five years Cathleen Cushing Duff. Ownership diversity is an added benefit to using Cushing for projects or public entities. Through our certification well help you fulfill your vendor diversity goals.
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