The Olmsted County Journal will come to life

By News Team
ads@fillmorecountyjournal.com

Fri, Mar 25th, 2011
Posted in Business Announcements

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Many of you may have already heard about our upcoming adventure. Last week, KTTC contacted me with a request for an exclusive interview. I didn't realize this situation was significant enough to be considered an "exclusive."

But, OK, we'll play along. And, in case you're wondering, that TV interview is one of the few times you'll see me wearing a suit. I barely fit into that one anymore. But, my wife told me I had better dress up for this occasion. So, I did as I was told, because she's usually right. Just don't tell her I said that.

For about a year now, I have been toying with the idea of expanding our business into the Olmsted County market for many reasons. Eventually, it became apparent that the stars were aligned. It felt right, and I decided to forge ahead and carry out the concept of the Olmsted County Journal.

While my wife might think I'm crazy, along with many of our courageous employees, we have undoubtedly committed our time, energy and resources to publishing the Olmsted County Journal.

This weekly newspaper will be dedicated to serving the communities of Byron, Dover, Eyota, Oronoco, Pine Island, Rochester, and Stewartville.

With nearly 62,000 copies of the Olmsted County Journal distributed to all households in Olmsted County, the residents of Olmsted County will be served the same way everyone in Fillmore County has been with the Fillmore County Journal.

We have been fortunate enough to enlist the talents of reporters throughout Olmsted County.

This new weekly newspaper, serving one of the fastest growing communities in the state of Minnesota, presents an opportunity for Fillmore County to promote events such as Trail Days, Trout Days, Rhubarb Festival, Mabel's Steam Engine Days, and many other exciting events that attract an audience to this beautiful area.

While we will have an office in Rochester dedicated to advertising sales and editorial resources, our graphic and web design team located in Preston will focus on the production of print and online collaboratives. This expansion will require additional staffing at both offices in Preston and Rochester. In Preston, we will need more help with advertising layout and design, so we will be seeking more talent in the region. In Rochester, we will need to hire more advertising salespeople and further enlist the support of experienced writers.

What's probably the most interesting bit of information I stumbled upon during the discovery process that led to this commitment is that the very first newspaper started in Olmsted County was named the Olmsted County Journal -- started in Rochester in 1857.

So, I guess you could say we are resurrecting a ghost or repeating history 154 years later.

With the Olmsted County Journal serving a market of over 144,000 people comprised of over 60,000 households, we are definitely taking on a mighty challenge. But, our team is very excited, which inspires me to be optimistic about the future. After all, our employees are the greatest asset of our company.

Any way you look at it, I know our confidence in making this decision is because of our readers and advertisers in Fillmore County. Your support makes us believe that a free distribution weekly newspaper will be well-received in Olmsted County.

Thank you for letting us serve you. And, please always feel free to call me on my cellular phone at 507-251-5297 with any suggestions, comments or questions.

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