We do a lot more around here than deliver you a newspaper twice a week

By Donald Dodd
Publisher

When a conversation the other day turned to economics, a couple of fellow businessmen and I started talking about payroll. One of them asked me how many people worked for Salem Publishing Company, and he seemed surprised when I answered that we have 24 part- or full-time employees.
    It takes quite a few people to bring the newspaper to your door, and we also have a commercial printing business, so we have a few more employees than some weekly and bi-weekly newspapers.
    As I talked, my buddies seemed interested, so I thought maybe I'd share a little bit of information about Salem Publishing Company with you.
    The newspaper is the most visible thing we do. You know we have reporters/photographers, people who design the paper, print it and deliver it. You might not realize it, but we also have bookkeeping, circulation, classified, people who stuff inserts into the paper, advertising sales, management. . . the list seems lengthy, and it doesn't take long to come up with enough things to keep 24 people really busy, even more than that during busy times of year.
    We are not only proud of The Salem News, The Extra, thesalemnewsonline.com and The Licking News here, we are proud of Salem Publishing Company. The printing part of our business has grown tremendously over the past 10 years, and we are printing several area publications, including the Cuba and Steelville newspapers. The recent addition of a color digital printer is also getting us more and more into the short-run color printing business, everything from business cards to posters, brochures and flyers.
    We do a good job of promoting Salem and Dent County businesses through advertising, feature stories and business briefs, but we sometimes forget that we have a good story to tell here at Salem Publishing Company, too, a locally owned business that is proud of our community, our role in local business and our employees.
    Some of our employees have been with us a long time. Eight of our fulltime employees have been working here for 20 years or more. Many more are beginning their second decade with us. Without them, we wouldn't be where we are today.
    Salem Publishing Company is also glad to be a contributing force for everything from the upcoming Dent County Fall Festival to sponsoring youth and non-profit events and activities. There are many, many things a business can support in Salem and Dent County, and we are committed to never say no. We all have limitations, but there is always something we can do.
    The more I talked about Salem Publishing Company the other day, the prouder I got of the many things this company and its staff have been able to accomplish through the years.
    I certainly can't take credit for the decades of community leadership the company has provided through the years, and only a small part of what's gone on my nearly 12 years here.
    Donald Dodd is president and publisher of Salem Publishing Company. He can be reached at newsdodd@earthlink.net or 729-4126.