The ad – which appeared in the Lorain Journal on July 12, 1954 – announced the company's move to its new home at 1310 Colorado Avenue after decades at its old location.
Edwin G. Koethe founded the company back on May 1, 1905. It began in a 30-foot square foot building on Bank Street (later known as Sixth Street). It quickly established a reputation for quality and workmanship, and embraced each new innovation in printing. It later moved to its longtime location at 219-221 Fourth Street.
In 1933, Urban S. Koethe became associated with the company. He took over the active management of the firm for his father in 1938.
According to an article in the Lorain Journal in 1955, it was the first printing company in the area to become highly specialized in the use of four-color process printing. The firm served a sales area of a radius of 100 miles of Lorain
The business closed in 2002. (The printing company in Cleveland where I work hired several of Lorain Printing's fine employees.)
Today, the former plant on Colorado Avenue serves as the home for Faith Word Community Church.
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| The view this past Sunday |
Nice article Dan! A great place to work. Made a lot of memories and a lot of friends there. I don't think I will ever work a place like that again. I would think my ole co-workers would say the same. I wish we were all still there!!! Hard to believe its been almost 12 yrs since we went out of business. I would do it all over again knowing the outcome. Frank
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention that my Grandfather (who was a linotype operator and repairman) also worked at Lorain Printing when it was on Fourth Street. As my mother explained, his shift at the Lorain Journal ended so early that he would go and work for Lorain Printing for a few hours each day. He ended up getting my mother a job there as well while she was in high school. She remembers doing table work and helping out in bindery.
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