Ravellette Publications names Beau Ravellette as vice president and general manager

Don Ravellette, president and publisher of the Ravellette Publications, Inc. newspaper group and commercial printing operation based out of Philip, S.D., has named Beau Ravellette as its vice president and general manager.

 

The Ravellette family has been in ownership of the weekly newspaper group, commercial printing plant and Ravellette Publications, Inc. since 1963. Throughout the years it has grown to eight weekly publications and a five times per year regional agricultural publication, The Cattlemen’s Invite. In 2013, RPI Promotions grew into livestock sales management and has managed livestock sales in four states.

 

Beau, son of Don and Tami Ravellette, is the third generation of Ravellettes to be a part of the newspaper group and printing company. Over 53 years ago, Don’s parents, Les and Belle Ravellette, purchased the Philip newspaper, the Pioneer Review and Pioneer Publishing House, a commercial printing company. 

 

“Over the years we have had to purchase and replace not only equipment but systems that help publish the newspaper. The big move was in 2003 when we moved into the new building and purchased the newspaper printing press,” said D. Ravellette. “Just recently, a new system has been put into place to go directly from the computers we input and design with, to a metal plate that is placed on the press and is ready to print. This system takes the place of manually developing negatives in a tray or processor and burning the image onto the plate. This new system saves a lot of time and labor in crucial deadline times on printing days. Beau Ravellette was the instrumental driver of finding and purchasing the computer to plate system that would fit our operation,” said Don Ravellette.

 

In 2013, a full color Heidelberg sheet fed press was installed in the printing operation. This allows for more quality, full color printing to be completed right here in our own office. “Beau was also the driving force behind making the new press purchase and is also the operator of the four color press. Having the four color sheetfed press under our roof not only gives us excellent printing qualities but also makes us very competitive with other regional printers, allowing us to get the printed product in and out of our office in a very timely manner,” concluded Don Ravellette.

 

Beau, who is beginning his 11th year with the company, and his wife, Mary, have two children, Gage, 11, and Taryn, 10. Beau’s wife, Mary, also works with Ravellette Publications in the graphics and special publications departments.

 

The publications company, with 24 employees, has offices in six other communities in western South Dakota, including: Wall, Kadoka, Murdo, Faith, Bison and New Underwood. “The goal of keeping the identity of the individual community newspapers in place is a very important one, says the younger Ravellette. “We are in the process of updating the computers and publication systems in the other offices. This will allow us to not only produce the newspapers faster and easier, but also be able to send them through the internet to our central printing plant in Philip at a much quicker pace,” said Beau Ravellette. “I look forward to the new position and responsibilities that come with it.

 

“Over the past ten years, I have had the chance to work with all facets of the operation and will use that knowledge and experience to enhance our operation,” he continued. “These communities in western South Dakota are a great place to live and raise families, and being raised in Philip and the rural areas of South Dakota has been great.”