Longtime Middle River Printer to Retire

Randy Cogar is ready for a break.

The longtime Middle River resident said he still remembers all the 16-to-20-hour days he worked more than 30 years ago as he tried to get his business——off the ground.

Back when he started the company in 1980 he rented a basement of a home located off Martin Boulevard. Today, Cogar’s company sits in a 12,000-square-foot building located adjacent to that original house.

“I still look at that house and realize how far we have come,” said Cogar, 65. “I worked a lot of hours for a lot of years to build the business and I’m proud that through all that time and through all the ups and downs in the economy—that we’re still here.”

While Cogar’s company will still be in place at its current location at 1515 Martin Blvd., its founder will be taking a step back.

Cogar said he is retiring and formally turning the business to his sons, Todd and Mark. The younger Cogars have worked at the family business for years and Randy Cogar said the company is in good hands.

“It’s time,” Randy Cogar said. “I just always enjoyed the job and the people who worked here. I just tried to treat people like I hoped to be treated. While I’m stepping down, I intend to stay busy.”

Staying busy outside the workplace is something Cogar is used to doing. He plans to remain active in the community and travel with Shirley, his wife of 47 years.

Cogar is a board member of the Essex Middle River Civic Council and over the decades has been active in the Democratic Central Committee, the Chesapeake Gateway Chamber of Commerce and several planning boards. He also ran, unsuccessfully, for House of Delegates in 2002.

“I’m not going anywhere, but it will be nice to not have the pressures of the job after so many years,” Cogar said.

Cogar said he also plans on being there for his sons as they help the printing business evolve in a time when the Internet and technology play an ever-changing role in advertising.

Despite new challenges, Cogar Print and Graphic Solutions has a firm placement in the Essex-Middle River community and beyond.

It prints everything from banners and fliers to menus, catalogs and brochures. Its clients range from Johns Hopkins University to the neighborhood plumbing company and barber shop.

“Technology has changed a lot of things in this business, but there will always be a place for print,” Cogar said. “Plus, there is no replacement for quality customer service and being there for those in the community.”

Mark Cogar, who started working at the family business when he was 12, hopes to continue the tradition his father started.

“Dad taught us you just have to be willing to work,” he said. “We’ve got a legacy we would like to continue for years to come.”