Entrepreneur sets sights on acquisitions

Labels printer Hooven-Dayton winning business from Fortune 1000 companies.

Ty Greenlees/Staff Che displays some labels made at his plant.

Christopher Che (center), Hooven-Dayton president and CEO, gives a tour of the company's Vandalia facility to Karen Mills, administrator of the Small Business Administration, and Jeffrey Immelt, General Electric chairman and CEO and chair of the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. The Jobs Council held a meeting at the Vandailia company on May 10.

Chris Stewart/Staff Christopher Che (center), Hooven-Dayton president and CEO, gives a tour of the company's Vandalia facility to Karen Mills, administrator of the Small Business Administration, and Jeffrey Immelt, General Electric chairman and CEO and chair of the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. The Jobs Council held a meeting at the Vandailia company on May 10.

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By Thomas Gnau, Staff Writer 6:58 PM Saturday, May 28, 2011

HUBER HEIGHTS — Christopher Che has come a long way since he arrived in the United States in 1980 with about $50 in his pocket.

Che’s company, labels printer Hooven-Dayton Corp., has grown from $10 million in annual revenue when he bought the firm in 2007 to $20 million in 2010. He plans to grow further, hitting at least $40 million by 2013 and $60 million by 2015.

More than money, though, Hooven-Dayton and its leaders have received recognition. When President Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness looked for a midsize manufacturer to host its first “listening session” earlier this month, it chose Hooven-Dayton because of its steady growth and its relationship to household goods giant Procter & Gamble. Karen Mills, administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, said the company was an example of the kind of business the country needs to encourage.

Che believes his growth strategy is clear: Acquisitions of smaller companies and winning the business of larger Fortune 1000 firms are part of the equation, he said. Che said he worked for more than two years to acquire Benchmark Graphics of Richmond, Ind., an acquisition completed in mid-April.

“You have to exhibit patience,” Che said.

Earlier this month, Che said he expected to complete another acquisition in about 90 days.

After arriving in the U.S. from his native Cameroon, Che earned degrees from Wilmington College and Miami University. He worked for others in accounting and fiance, then started searching for his own business. He acquired Hooven-Dayton in 2007. Since then, the company has added more than 50 employees and four presses.

The firm makes flexible labels such as those found on food packages, tissue boxes or other household items. The jar of Jif peanut butter in your pantry could have a label on it from Hooven-Dayton. Same with your tube of Crest toothpaste.

Hooven-Dayton is on the approved vendors list of more than 30 Fortune 1000 companies, including P&G, Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola, Kraft and others.

“I’ve taken this company and gone national,” Che said.

What gives Hooven-Dayton its advantage is the way it can quickly complete orders with tight deadlines. Employees maintain 20 percent of printing capacity available at all times in order to handle fast demands.

It’s a good place to be, Che believes. Even in a recession, people will continue to eat and buy consumer products. Hooven-Dayton’s customers need labels for those products that will catch the eyes of shoppers on store shelves.

For now, Hooven-Dayton wants to consolidate its three locations — Huber Heights (where it’s based), Vandalia and Richmond, Ind. — into a larger location. Che, a Cincinnati resident, said he has already selected a location but declined to identify it.

He needs about 120,000 square feet, he said.

“Most likely, we’ll locate south of the city,” he said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2390 or tgnau@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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