Kwik Kopy Printing Founder Bud Hadfield Passes Away

F. C. “Bud” Hadfield

August 26, 1923 – April 11, 2011

Frederick Cordingley “Bud” Hadfield passed away peacefully at home on Monday with his family by his side. He had been in declining health for several months.

He leaves to honor his memory his wife of 50 years, Mary; daughter Katherine Denison and her husband, Pat; son James “Jim” Hadfield and his wife, Linda; grandchildren Shay; Tate; Reding; Katie, and Travis; and nephew, Rick Hadfield and his family. Members of the ICED family around the globe who he touched and inspired also mourn his passing.

Known by all, including his grandchildren, as Bud, he was a pioneer in the quick printing industry, starting with Kwik Kopy Printing. He went on to build an empire of franchises that today includes seven brands represented in 13 countries. Parent company ICED is headquartered at Northwest Forest, a bucolic 100+ acre conference center in Cypress, built in 1985, featuring a full-size replica of the Alamo that draws visitors year-round.

Bud pioneered many concepts that have evolved to become mainstays in the quick printing industry. Kwik Kopy Printing was a technology leader as early as 40 years ago with the advent of the duplicator press and the direct image camera

Born in Virginia, Bud and his family moved to Cranston, Rhode Island, in the late ‘20s. As a teen, he became a newspaperman, printing a neighborhood paper in the basement. After the good scholar became a rebel and was expelled from school shortly before graduation, he joined the Merchant Marines and spent most of WWII on the high seas. A brief career as an amateur boxer convinced the youthful Bud there had to be an easier way to make a living.

Bud drifted to Massachusetts, but a bitter 1947 winter drove him south to the warmer climate of Houston, where he eventually opened Bud Hadfield Printers.

A stint as an aide to Mayor Louie Welch gave Bud mayoral aspirations of his own until his spectacular defeat at the hands of Fred Hofheinz. Bud’s philosophy of “stick to what you know” sent him back to printing – and thousands around the world benefited.

At a friend’s urging, Bud reluctantly took the Dale Carnegie course, eventually becoming a salesman and instructor. He sold a course in 1958 to a young lady named Mary who became his wife and business partner; the two of them would remain best friends for life. Bud credited the Dale Carnegie course with changing his life, and he would remain an instructor for some 30 years.

After failing at nine diverse businesses – what he called part of learning – Bud found success in printing, morphing Bud Hadfield Printers into Kwik Kopy Printing, introducing new technology, and promoting the explosive growth in franchising. AWT; The Ink Well; Franklin’s Printing; Kwik Kopy Business Centers; Parcel Plus, and Computer Explorers followed, with a few acquired or started and eventually discontinued along the way.

A highlight for the company, and for Bud, was the 1990 annual conference held at George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. Former President Ronald Reagan and Dr. Norman Vincent Peale were keynote speakers, and former astronaut Admiral Alan Shepard, a member of the ICED Board of Directors, gave a talk.

On March 23, 1993, the Texas Senate declared Bud Hadfield Day, citing his many contributions to the citizens of Texas, noting his involvement with civic groups and schools as he urged young people to further their education.