Impressions Plus is closing after 27 years

Impressions Plus manager Samm Bennett (left) and owner Todd Thompson look over a job Tuesday. (Photo by Scott Mason/The Winchester Star)

Impressions Plus pressroom manager Peter Synowietz checks on a job Tuesday. (Photo by Scott Mason/The Winchester Star)

WINCHESTER — After 27 years, a local printing business is closing its doors.

With profits eaten away by technological advances, Impressions Plus Printing and Copying on Featherbed Lane plans to stop accepting new customers on Feb. 15, owner Todd Thompson said Tuesday.

The technological boom in recent years has made printing and copying equipment cheaper and more accessible and many businesses now perform such tasks in-house, Thompson said.

For example, Impressions — which has 10 employees — doesn’t do nearly as many newsletters, blueprint copies or other prints anymore, he said.

“Ten years ago, all businesses didn’t have color copiers,” he said.

The increasing popularity of online purchasing also has hurt.

Thompson said the Impressions used to print a lot of checks, but hardly anyone pays with checks anymore.

“It’s like a bull whip,” he said. “Say we could make a damn good bull whip, but if no one is using bull whips, it’s no good.”

Thompson, 60, isn’t sure what he’ll do next.

“I’m going to miss it,” he said. “I’m especially going to miss the relationships with the customers and the employees.”

He is listening to offers to purchase the business or the property — which is approximately 18,000 square feet.

— Contact Conor Gallagher at cgallagher@winchesterstar.com