[August 15, 2024] – Willard, OH – Lakeside Book Company announced today that it is strengthening its already industry-leading customer service offerings via investment in a new, state-of-the-art manroland Goss LITHOMAN press to be installed at its Willard, Ohio facility.

  The new 64-page, 4-color offset, wide-web press will be installed and operational in less than a year and will enhance automation, setting a new standard for efficiency and sustainability, reducing waste, and minimizing environmental impact.

Built with cutting edge technology, the manroland Goss LITHOMAN press includes inline control systems with self-correcting features to manage all aspects of quality, ensuring color consistency throughout the printing process. The proposed project involves substantial capital investment by Lakeside Book Company and will create 100 new jobs in its Willard location and retain over 400 jobs. The project received approval from the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) for eligible tax credit assistance during its meeting today.  The City of Willard, Huron County Growth Partnership, ODOD, JobsOhio, Ohio Department of Transportation Jobs & Commerce, and Team NEO worked closely with Lakeside Book Company to ensure the project would go forward in Ohio.

“By investing substantial private capital in this new press, we will further enhance our ability to deliver superior, comprehensive, and highly reliable solutions to our customers.  We’re sending a clear message that we are doubling-down on our great team of employees and the strong governmental support we have in Ohio,” said Dave McCree, CEO of Lakeside Book. “This project, and the new jobs it creates, allows us to adapt our Willard facility to the ever-changing dynamics in the printing industry, leveraging leading-edge technology,” McCree added.

 

Lakeside Book’s Willard facility is 1.3 million square feet and employs over 500 talented employees.  The team produces upwards of 50 million books a year. The business began operating this location in 1956, printing telephone books, and grew substantially in subsequent years by serving blue-chip customers across the publishing industry. As the book printing business transformed in the 2000s, the team at our Willard location became the industry leader in printing education-related materials.

 

“For over sixty years, book printing has been a staple of the Willard community, providing thousands of jobs. With the backing of a strong workforce, Lakeside Book Company has been able to adapt new technology to remain competitive in a challenging market.” stated City of Willard City Manager Bryson Hamons. “The City of Willard is excited about today’s partnership announcement between Lakeside Book Company and JobsOhio/TeamNEO, which will hopefully allow Lakeside Book Company to continue to be an economic driver in Huron County for the next sixty years.“

 

Sarah Ross, Executive Director, Huron County Growth Partnership commented on the importance of the company to the county, “We are excited that Lakeside Book Company is continuing its long history of operations and investment in Willard, Ohio. The investments they’ve made into these innovative technologies will prepare it to be an employer of choice for Willard and the greater Huron County area for generations to come. We are proud to have worked with Lakeside Book Company and the City of Willard to bring this to fruition.”

“On behalf of everyone at Team NEO, our local partners, and JobsOhio, we are delighted that Lakeside Book Company continues to invest and innovate in the Northeast Ohio Region,” added Team NEO Chief Executive Officer, Bill Koehler. “Their investment underscores Lakeside Book’s confidence in our region’s manufacturing legacy, its exceptional talent, and the deep industry know-how that continues to drive success.”