03/12/2024

Hubergroup’s Vivy DaCosta Announced Retirement

February 27, 2024

A Farewell to hubergroup, my life-long passion

More than half my life has revolved around Hostmann-Steinberg and the hubergroup. Receptionist, Executive Assistant, Salesperson, Vice President. I learned and grew with every position I took on. Many days were long and filled with deadlines to meet, employees to direct and customers to help.  Each new week was filled with challenges.

Forty-four years. When I moved to Canada in 1980 to work for Winfried Gleue and Hostmann-Steinberg I had no idea that I would be with the company for so many years. Now at the age of 60-something I am retiring at the end of February 2024.   

The years have flowed together with old and new memories. My first DRUPA, a whirlwind week of meeting hubergroup people from around the world, of meeting current customers and future customers, and tired feet. Learning about curling for the Bonspiels that brought our local Hostmann-Steinberg customers together in annual friendly matches on the ice-rink on a cold Canadian February morning. 

I remember the joy of switching reluctant printers to superior hubergroup products and smiling as they expanded their cliental with their promise of quality printing.  Spending a lot of time on the road during the expansion of the Canadian operation into more provinces and the USA.  Welcoming new employees and saying good-bye to friends lost forever.

Two North American achievements will always stay in my mind - the first woman in the Canadian Printing Ink industry’s “Million Dollar Sales Club” in 1986 and the recipient of the 2020 NAPIM Ault Award that recognizes life-long dedication to the ink industry.

Retirement is a new, unknown world for me. I will no longer have a schedule to meet - waking up, traveling to work, solving problems, busy, busy, busy.  I will continue to garden and travel, especially to my favorites Portuguese Vineyard, but a life of total leisure is not what I want. I want to meet people and learn and help, so volunteering in and for my community will be my new focus.

To all my colleagues past and present, and my hubergroup Canada friends and family, thank-you for a wonderful forty-four years of fun and challenges. I wish you all good fortune and success in the following years. And never forget, if you need me, I’ll be there.

Vivy DaCosta