Dateline: April 3, 2003

Clarendon Office Supply to close its doors

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

One of Clarendon’s oldest businesses will close its doors next Friday, April 11, due partially to a drop in sales and store traffic.

Clarendon Office Supply & Printing owner David Smith said recent trends have caused him to take advantage of a window of opportunity to join his father’s accounting business.

“There’s been a drop off in sales of office supplies,” Smith said. “It’s really slowed down this year.”

Attrition of customers to discount stores hurt Smith’s business.

“I think it’s attributed to people shopping discount stores, and I guess a lot of people can just buy it on the Internet now.”

Smith says he intends to keep the printing equipment and do custom printing jobs on the side.

“You hate to leave it,” he said. “We will miss the people who would come in. We have a lot of memories of compliments and kindnesses that were shown to us.”

Clarendon Office Supply has been operating under its present name since 1974, but the origins of the business date back to late 1909 when former newspaper publisher W.P. Blake opened a print shop after selling The Clarendon Chronicle.

In 1921, Blake sold the shop to J.C. Estlack, who continued doing job printing and established The Donley County Leader in 1929. The business was later acquired by George Wayne and Ruby Dell Estlack, and they sold the newspaper’s name and subscription list in 1974 but retained the printing and office supply business.

Smith started apprenticing under G.W. Estlack in 1986 and purchased the business in 1992.

“I just went in one day with Dad [Don Smith] to look at the equipment because I had never seen it before,” Smith said. “George Wayne said, ‘Come back tomorrow, and I’ll let you run one of the presses.’

“I guess I just fell into it. It was something new and different.”

The Estlacks were printing on a letterpress and an offset press and setting type with a Model 14 Linotype. Smith added a computer to the operation and has since stopped using the nearly 90-year-old Linotype.

“The computer really increased the speed of production, but it’s still fun to pull proofs on the old Heidelberg.”

Smith says he appreciates all the support and friendship he has received over the years, and he asks people to call him at 874-3150 for their custom printing needs.