Dave Savastano, Editor05.13.16
For 52 years, Tom Rogers was a fixture in the ink and pigments industry. Aside from his leadership roles with Apollo Colors and CDR, among others, Rogers served for decades as a leader within NAPIM, the Color Pigment Manufacturers Association (CPMA) and its predecessor, the Dry Color Manufacturers Association (DCMA), and the National Paint & Coatings Association.
Rogers, who retired as president and CEO of Apollo Colors in 2005, was presented with the prestigious Printing Ink Pioneer Award in 2016 by NAPIM. He was previously honored with NAPIM’s Technical Associate Member Service Award in 2001.
Rogers noted that his career in the colorants industry began while he was in high school.
“Starting in my sophomore year of high school, I worked part time in a paint and wallpaper store, Miller Brothers in Cincinnati,” he recalled. “Fred Sanders, a retired pigment chemist and sales person for Reichert-Coulson, managed the store. We sold Benjamin-Moore paints utilizing the Cal-Ink Color System for custom work.”
Rogers soon headed to the ink industry, and quickly learned about NAPIM.
“Herm Feldman, a friend of my parents was a formulator/technical sales representative for Schwarm & Jacobus,” said Rogers. “Herm was aware of my plans to attend the University of Cincinnati and work part time. S&J managers interviewed me and offered me a job. I started there on March 11, 1956, working in the plant, shipping department and cleaning the lab and offices. Hanging on the wall in the executive offices were pictures of NAPIM meetings and a certificate testifying to S&J’s membership in NAPIM. These documents dated to the origins of NAPIM and I think S&J was among the original founding members. After graduation, in May of ’56 I started working full time.”
Visits to customers gave Rogers further knowledge of the printing and ink industries.
“On Fridays, a suit or sport coat was required because I was delivering proofs to various customers. These customers gave me tours of their facilities, which I found fascinating, and I was hooked on the graphics arts industry.”
From there, Rogers remained in the ink industry, working with Hilton Hawley, C.M. Monk, Borden Chemical and Kennedy Printing Ink, before heading into the pigment field with Chemtron in 1966. In 1987, Rogers left BASF, which had acquired Chemetron years before, becoming a limited partner in Sinclair & Valentine’s Ridgway Color Division.
S&V was acquired by Flint Ink in 1990, and Ridgway was merged into CDR, Flint Ink’s pigments division. Rogers led CDR until 1993, and after retiring briefly, he joined Apollo Colors in 1994.
Rogers said that working with the leaders in the ink industry was one of the highlights of his career.
“Printing ink was truly an entrepreneur’s industry in the 1950s, and I consider the opportunity to know and work with so many knowledgeable people a major highlight in my career,” he said. “Colleagues, customers, suppliers, industry executives willing to share their knowledge, time and experience with this ‘newcomer’ made a big impression on me. Thanks to them, my career in the industry progressed and I was given increased responsibilities. I have tried to reciprocate by helping newcomers to the industry.”
“Key influences in my life started with my parents, who encouraged me in all that I attempted,” he added. “Observing or working with people such as Herm Feldman, Frank Luhn, Bart Hawley, Jim Scott, Ed Barr, Massie Odiotti, R.H. and Howard Flint, Jim and Cal Sutphin and Bob Gans to name a few had a positive impact on me.”
By far, though, his wife Jeanne is his greatest influence.
“The most important influence on my life is Jeanne Kindt Rogers and I’ve known her the longest,” Rogers said. “We were both born in Good Samaritan Hospital eight days apart. Since the new mothers were kept 10 days, we were in the nursery together. We went to Holy Family grade school and made our First Communion together. Without Jeanne this journey would not have been as much fun.”
Together, Tom and Jeanne Rogers have shared many hobbies throughout the years, from raising championship dogs and horses to traveling.
“Our hobbies have evolved through the years,” he said. “Dogs have been a big part of our lives. We field trialed Beagles for about a decade. We were part of a racing stable named Fool’s Day, which was comprised of my uncle, cousins and friends. None of our horses would have been mistaken for Man of War but we had a good time. We exhibited terriers in confirmation, primarily Kerry Blue Terriers for the last 18 years. We have one left who is 13 years and eight months. We enjoy traveling primarily in Europe, Canada, Mexico and the US. We avoid areas of the world where the government comes out of the end of a gun. We split season tickets to the Arizona Diamondbacks, have tickets for the theatre, and belong to both the Phoenix Art &The Heard Native American Museums. Our four surviving children live in the Phoenix area as do most of our grandchildren.”
All in all, Rogers is grateful for the Pioneer Award, and for his long career in the ink and pigment industries.
“I’m most appreciative to NAPIM and its members for the recognition given to me through the Printing Ink Pioneer award and the TAM Service award in 2001,” he concluded. “Looking back on these past 60 years with the knowledge that printing was designated the single most important invention of the last millennium, I’m proud to have been part of the industry. My only regret is I can’t go back and do it all over again.”
Rogers, who retired as president and CEO of Apollo Colors in 2005, was presented with the prestigious Printing Ink Pioneer Award in 2016 by NAPIM. He was previously honored with NAPIM’s Technical Associate Member Service Award in 2001.
Rogers noted that his career in the colorants industry began while he was in high school.
“Starting in my sophomore year of high school, I worked part time in a paint and wallpaper store, Miller Brothers in Cincinnati,” he recalled. “Fred Sanders, a retired pigment chemist and sales person for Reichert-Coulson, managed the store. We sold Benjamin-Moore paints utilizing the Cal-Ink Color System for custom work.”
Rogers soon headed to the ink industry, and quickly learned about NAPIM.
“Herm Feldman, a friend of my parents was a formulator/technical sales representative for Schwarm & Jacobus,” said Rogers. “Herm was aware of my plans to attend the University of Cincinnati and work part time. S&J managers interviewed me and offered me a job. I started there on March 11, 1956, working in the plant, shipping department and cleaning the lab and offices. Hanging on the wall in the executive offices were pictures of NAPIM meetings and a certificate testifying to S&J’s membership in NAPIM. These documents dated to the origins of NAPIM and I think S&J was among the original founding members. After graduation, in May of ’56 I started working full time.”
Visits to customers gave Rogers further knowledge of the printing and ink industries.
“On Fridays, a suit or sport coat was required because I was delivering proofs to various customers. These customers gave me tours of their facilities, which I found fascinating, and I was hooked on the graphics arts industry.”
From there, Rogers remained in the ink industry, working with Hilton Hawley, C.M. Monk, Borden Chemical and Kennedy Printing Ink, before heading into the pigment field with Chemtron in 1966. In 1987, Rogers left BASF, which had acquired Chemetron years before, becoming a limited partner in Sinclair & Valentine’s Ridgway Color Division.
S&V was acquired by Flint Ink in 1990, and Ridgway was merged into CDR, Flint Ink’s pigments division. Rogers led CDR until 1993, and after retiring briefly, he joined Apollo Colors in 1994.
Rogers said that working with the leaders in the ink industry was one of the highlights of his career.
“Printing ink was truly an entrepreneur’s industry in the 1950s, and I consider the opportunity to know and work with so many knowledgeable people a major highlight in my career,” he said. “Colleagues, customers, suppliers, industry executives willing to share their knowledge, time and experience with this ‘newcomer’ made a big impression on me. Thanks to them, my career in the industry progressed and I was given increased responsibilities. I have tried to reciprocate by helping newcomers to the industry.”
“Key influences in my life started with my parents, who encouraged me in all that I attempted,” he added. “Observing or working with people such as Herm Feldman, Frank Luhn, Bart Hawley, Jim Scott, Ed Barr, Massie Odiotti, R.H. and Howard Flint, Jim and Cal Sutphin and Bob Gans to name a few had a positive impact on me.”
By far, though, his wife Jeanne is his greatest influence.
“The most important influence on my life is Jeanne Kindt Rogers and I’ve known her the longest,” Rogers said. “We were both born in Good Samaritan Hospital eight days apart. Since the new mothers were kept 10 days, we were in the nursery together. We went to Holy Family grade school and made our First Communion together. Without Jeanne this journey would not have been as much fun.”
Together, Tom and Jeanne Rogers have shared many hobbies throughout the years, from raising championship dogs and horses to traveling.
“Our hobbies have evolved through the years,” he said. “Dogs have been a big part of our lives. We field trialed Beagles for about a decade. We were part of a racing stable named Fool’s Day, which was comprised of my uncle, cousins and friends. None of our horses would have been mistaken for Man of War but we had a good time. We exhibited terriers in confirmation, primarily Kerry Blue Terriers for the last 18 years. We have one left who is 13 years and eight months. We enjoy traveling primarily in Europe, Canada, Mexico and the US. We avoid areas of the world where the government comes out of the end of a gun. We split season tickets to the Arizona Diamondbacks, have tickets for the theatre, and belong to both the Phoenix Art &The Heard Native American Museums. Our four surviving children live in the Phoenix area as do most of our grandchildren.”
All in all, Rogers is grateful for the Pioneer Award, and for his long career in the ink and pigment industries.
“I’m most appreciative to NAPIM and its members for the recognition given to me through the Printing Ink Pioneer award and the TAM Service award in 2001,” he concluded. “Looking back on these past 60 years with the knowledge that printing was designated the single most important invention of the last millennium, I’m proud to have been part of the industry. My only regret is I can’t go back and do it all over again.”
