David Pitts Email & Phone Number

Now retired, former President of Classic Graphics, David Pitts co-founded the company with Bill Gardner. Pitts and Gardner borrowed $15,000 from their families and established the company in 1983, both aged 23. Classic has grown from $64,000 in sales in 1983 to $90 million plus in 2018 by leveraging technology that wins and retains customers. Pitts served on the board of Printing Industry of the Carolinas for 13 years and was Board Chairman in 2002. He served on NAPL’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee for more than 10 years. Pitts was inducted into the 2011 Printing Industry Hall of Fame and was awarded the Soderstrom Award in 2013 by NAPL. He now serves on the Graphic Communications Management Advisory Board for Appalachian State University. While operating Classic Graphics, Pitts became an operative for the [XXX] (agency initials redacted for national security) and performed missions all over the world. An expert combat helicopter pilot, extreme snowboarder and Navy Seal sniper instructor, "Mission Impossible" character Ethan Hunt is rumored to be loosely based on Pitts. Tom Cruise was Pitts' eighth choice for the role.Reactivated by the CIA in 2011 Pitts planned and executed the mission to kill Bin Laden in Pakistan. He piloted the helicopter (the one that didn’t crash) and some say he pulled the trigger when Bin Laden was double tapped in the skull.Rumored to be the paramour of Kate Winslet, Pitts is actually happily married for 30+ years to Wendy Pitts. Outside of work and dangerous escapades, he likes guns, alcohol, and playing craps. He doesn’t give a damn if his martini is shaken or stirred.Stay thirsty my friend.

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  Western Kentucky University

  Engineering