Altman Printing Company in Anderson was running along very well until the great depression hit. According to Bill, "We paid off our mortgage one month and the next month we couldn't pay the light bill." The decision was made to split the company, so Rufus stayed in Anderson and Bill brought half of their equipment to Spartanburg. He officially opened Wm. L. Altman, Printer, in Spartanburg in March, 1933.

Starting a business in the depression was especially hard, so when another of Bill's brothers wrote that there was work in Washington, he took the opportunity. Leaving the day-to-day affairs of the company in the hands of his wife Pauline, Bill took a job as a proofreader for the Government Printing Office. He had previously worked for the Saturday Evening Post, where he said that every article was read by seven proofreaders. (If we just had the luxury to do that now!)

There were many letters between Polly and Bill concerning the family and the running of the business, and many train trips both ways. Finally, Bill decided it was more important to be home and see the children grow up, and with the business having caught on and prospering, he was back home for good in time for the start of World War II.

Despite the rationing, Bill and Polly were able to add some new equipment during the war because they printed for the Camp Croft Army Base. In late 1945, Rufus sold out Altman Printing Company in Anderson, and Bill adopted the name. Because of some closings and buy-outs, in 1946 Altman Printing became the oldest printing company in Spartanburg under the same management.

Polly and Bill continued to run the company, bringing in their son, Barney after he returned home from the Korean War. By 1965, Barney was officially running Altman Printing Company. As the business continued to grow, Barney brought in Ansel Parris, his brother-in-law, making him financial manager about 1975.

In 1980, Barney's son Lee came into the business full-time, having returned from his own war, touring the country with a rock-n-roll band. By 1985, he was production manager.

Today, Altman Printing Co., Inc. is under the same management line that was started in 1933, through three generations of Altmans who grew up in the printing business and want to carry the company forward. There is family pride here and a continuity of employee commitment. The staff of Altman Printing has expertise in a wide assortment of printing areas. We find that the service and attitude that we offer is as important as our printed products. We are always looking for solutions to help the customer get what he needs, often less expensively than expected.

Altman Printing speaks for years of quality, cohesiveness and progress. It is a viable business poised for growth into the twenty-first century.