Posted on 09 Aug 2018
Fortusis, LLC, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, will soon mark their first anniversary of owning the venerable print brands Kwik Kopy, Franklin’s Printing, The Ink Well, and American Wholesale Thermography.
After fifty years under the ownership of the Bud Hadfield family and ICED, Inc., these domestic franchises are now collectively known as the Fortusis family of franchises.
While the company is based in Utah, the operations team will remain in Texas, guided by Jay Groot, who has assumed the role of Vice President of Operations.
CEO Curtis Cheney has devoted much of the past year visiting with the franchise owners, both at their locations and at group meetings, where he’s had the opportunity to share his vision for the company. He said the year has been well-spent, and he’s looking forward to implementing his plans.
He went on to say, “Our franchise group is rich in tradition, and I’m humbled to be following in Bud Hadfield’s footsteps. He was truly a pioneer in this industry, and we honor his contributions. I believe that printing is not only very much alive, but it has multiple layers, and we will embrace that.”
A native of Perrysburg, Ohio, Cheney graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho with a degree in Business Administration, emphasis in Marketing and Sales. He went on to earn his MBA at Idaho State University. He and his wife, Marie, live in West Jordan, a suburb of Salt Lake City, with their four daughters.
For the last several years, Cheney was General Manager of the award-winning Kwik Kopy Business Center in Salt Lake City, owned by Danny Oblad, learning the graphics business from the ground up. That involvement has proven valuable to him in developing his vision for Fortusis.
ICED Chairman Steve Hammerstein acknowledged Cheney’s work in Utah, saying, “Curtis brings experienced leadership to the franchise family as it begins its second half century in providing business solutions.” Hammerstein, a former chairman of the International Franchise Association said he is pleased that Curtis Cheney and Fortusis, LLC have acquired its print franchise systems. “I look forward to watching the company grow and explore new opportunities.”