Now retired, David Pitts co-founded Classic Graphics with Bill Gardner in 1983. They borrowed $15,000 from their families and established the company, both aged 23. Classic grew from two people $64,000 in sales in 1983 to more than $90 million in sales and 400 people when David retired in 2018.
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.
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 40+ 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.
*Paragraphs one and two are 100% factual. The last bit is made up out of whole cloth. It would seem that it shouldn't be necessary to disclaim that, but I've had some people want to talk about snowboarding with me. To be clear, All of this is BS except the part about being married for 40+ years.
