Former Owner and Co-founder at ECM Publishers
April 1968 -…read moreJune 1980·Princeton, Minnesota
ECM Publishers was formed as a central printing plant when newspapers were converting from letterpress to offset printing, as General Manager (GM), I help develop and design the growth, design, and establish the company from it's beginning to what it became, eventually ECM (Central Minnesota Publishers) became one of the largest printing facilities in the Midwest for publishing weekly, shoppers, and circulars in the five state area. The company published in addition to the partner's weekly newspapers, several other weekly newspapers, outdoor papers, circulars for daily newspapers like JC Penny, Sears, Wards, and many other publications. Eventually ECM Publishers became one of the stock holders of the metro newspaper chain 'Sun Newspapers' and began publishing them at the plants facility in Princeton. It also published the University of MN newspaper, St. Cloud University newspaper, as well as the Minnesota Daily American Newspaper out of the Mpls. - St. Paul area. The original owners, the Mille Lacs County Times, Benton County News, Osseo Press, Kanebec County Times, Elk River Star News, & the Princeton Union, and yours truly decided to sell in 1980 to the new publisher and investor, Mr. Elmer L Andersen, former Governor of MN, Mr. Andersen eventually changed the meaning of ECM to 'Every Customer Matters' instead of the original name East Central MN Publishers. I left the business that I pretty much formed and started Milaca Office Products and Central Graphics Printing companies. A big step in my life making this change, but it turned out to be a very good decision. Not much is heard or mentioned of the original planners and investors since the sale of the corporation, their vision and risks turned out to be a big decision in their businesses and a great opportunity for your trully and I thank them greatly for that opportunity in my life. My thoughts and credits will always go to the partners that grew with the business and allowed me to do the things necessary to expand and maintain the growth that opportunities brought to allow us to expand to the size and success ECM became. Those twelve years I spent as a partner and General Manager will always be a top highlight of our life in the printing business.
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