Petroglyph Press celebrate 50 years of service in Hilo

Petroglyph Press will celebrate “50 Years of Aloha” with music, refreshments, drawings and giveaways at Hilo’s Black & White Night, from 6-9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 2.

Volcano artist Dietrich Varez will be on hand to sign copies of his books, “Pele and Hi’iaka” and “Hina, The Goddess,” both published by Petroglyph Press.

In 1962, the Reed family opened Petroglyph Press Ltd. in downtown Hilo. From the beginning, David Reed was involved in the business started by his parents. He assumed ownership in 1974 when his parents retired and welcomed his wife, Christine, as a business partner when they married in 1976. The business evolved and expanded in 1985 with the opening of Basically Books. The stores moved together into their present location at 160 Kamehameha Ave. in 1997.

Perseverance and flexibility have enabled the Reeds to weather the bumps and maintain their reputation of providing excellent service to their community. “Owning a small business in Hawaii is not an easy task,” said Reed, “The key to our success has been diversity. Our business includes a print shop, retail bookstore and publishing operation. When one side of the business experienced a downturn, the other operations were able to sustain us.”

To continue to grow and thrive, the Reeds are embracing new technologies. The recent acquisition of two multi-function machines from Xerox Hawaii will expand the services offered by Petroglyph Press, and enhance the company’s publishing operation. All elements of a book, from the design work and printing, to the binding can be done in-house. Visit www.petroglyphpress.com.