SPRINGFIELD CPI founders Vern and Toni Starks announce the acquisition of their company by their daughter, Heidi Starks Crane and her husband Erik Krane.
Heidi has been active in the business since her teens. Erik has been CPIs president since 1995.
The Starkses founded the company in Iola in 1963, when hand-cranked mimeographs and oversized, messy printing presses were the norm before they joined the evolving field of office copier sales.
The company eventually epxanded into Oklahoma and Missouri.
Under the Cranes leadership, CPI extended its commercial services from copier sales and IBM typewriters to include digital signage, managed network services, managed print services and document management software.
Heidi and Erik have done such a wonderful job of taking CPI into the age of high technology and keeping it on pace with the constant changes, Vernon Starks said.
The company logo will be updated as well, moving from Copy Products, Incorporated to CPI Technologies.
Toni and Vern built an outstanding company, Erik Crane said. It is an honor to continue in their footsteps.
CPI has offices in Springfield and Joplin in Missouri, Mountain Home in Arkansas, and Iola, Pittsburg and Wichita in Kansas.
IN A related matter, CPI announced it was selected to a part of the HP Partner First Managed Print Specialist Premier Program.
Fewer than 200 companies nationwide are members of the program, which allows vendors exclusive access to HP products.
