Freeport, OH – Freeport Press, a leader in heat?set web offset printing for magazines, digests and tabloids,was honored for its continued commitment to the community during the annual Eastern Ohio Development Alliance (EODA) meeting in Walnut Creek, Ohio, April 29.  

Presenting FPI President and Owner Dave Pilcher Sr. with a plaque at the EODA luncheon meeting, PNC Bank Vice President and Branch Manager Michael Slivanoted, "[FreeportPress]has made a significant investment into the Harrison County economy and is providing much ?needed jobs well into the future." Freeport Press began as a daily newspaper in 1880, but today provides printing, distribution and digital services for more than 300 publishers.Its most recent achievement is the partnership forged with state and local entities to expand its press operations with a second full-size, brand?new Komori System 38S heat-set web press. Using $6.62 million in loans and tax credits,Freeport expects to add approximately 40 new jobs over the next three years while retaining roughly 150 current positions.

In accepting EODA's 2011 Excellence Award for Large Manufacturers, Pilcher thanked business and government leaders for their "unwavering support," and credited his family with helping turn what he called a "financially distressed and extremely outdated" company into what it is today. "Freeport Press… is one of the most talked ?about printing companies in the country," he said. "We've defied the downward trend, embracing technology and investing heavily in the best the industry has to offer. That's what's given us our competitive edge. While our industry has shrunk by nearly 20 percent since the start of this recession, we've grown by about the same percentage."  

He noted that FPI has pumped more than $40 million in salaries and benefits into the local economy over the 12 years since he and his wife, Jean, purchased the company, adding, "We've all seen the multiplied benefit of that effort."