Not too many in our industry don’t know or remember Tom Cote’. The New York-New Jersey native enjoyed a long and distinguished career in print and converting spanning four decades.

After serving in the US Army in Korea, Tom married and became a printing salesperson. He then formed his first company, Ballantine Litho, with his brother, Charles, soon joining him. The name was derived from the then-famous brewery near their first office location in Newark. Ballantine made several acquisitions over the next decades including a direct mail plant in Elk Grove Village IL.

In the 1980s, Tom and Charles developed the first computer-based printing management system and were one of the early embracers of the nascent internet. Both Ballantine and a second company Tom started, continue as active businesses together employ nearly 200 including three generations of the Cote’ family.

Tom did have another side that fewer knew. He loved dairy farming, at varying times owning three in Northern NJ and Upstate NY. He was also a pilot with a Piper Cherokee always ready to take off from Teterboro. Among his recognitions was being named a charter member of the PBBA, and recipient of its Printing Reseller of the Year award.

Tom Cote’ is survived by his wife, Phyllis, of sixty-five years, and two of their three children, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Our Association extends its condolences to the extended Cote’ family, many of whom with which we’ve worked for decades.

A funeral Mass will be held today, May 5th , at St. Andrew’s Church in Stuart FL.