The Trust Press: An important investment in news infrastructure
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- 3 min read
Kevin Smalley is a long way from home.
His family is on the East Coast. His personal and professional roots in New York State run deep – and as a suffering backer of the NFL’s Jets, he has the fandom to prove it. When he wound down the operations of a large Schenectady, N.Y., press in 2023, he was ready to retire and be a grandpa.
But when you work in newspaper production for 38 years, it’s difficult to
resist the call to start something special. That’s what brought him to the Rockies to join the National Trust for Local News.
“I was watching a lot of places close, including mine, and here they wanted to build a press,” Smalley said. “I decided right away I would love to be a part of that.”
Despite the printing business facing extraordinary challenges, the National Trust saw an opportunity and need in Denver. The Denver Post, owned by Alden Global Capital, ran the region’s dominant press for newspaper production. Small publications struggled to stay afloat due to high printing costs. Some were forced to look out of state for alternatives – an option that adds both expense and logistical challenges. The infrastructure to support newspapers was lacking.
That’s where The Trust Press was born. It prints not only the seven National Trust-owned publications serving communities along the Front Range, but also more than 38 other titles.
“I feel that your community is severely lacking if they don’t have a paper and that access to local news,” said Smalley, who is the Press’ production director. “You need a community source for that information, and publishers need to have their papers printed not only in a timely manner, but also cost effectively.”
Building and opening a press in the digital era had its challenges, but Smalley and his team found a facility just northeast of Denver that allowed for both future growth and easy access to major highways. They identified a newer press available in Canada – a modern four-tower DGM 430 – shipped it to Denver, and installed it.
The current operation is staffed by seven full-time and four part-time employees, with room to grow. The Trust Press recently launched a new website to broaden its awareness among those in the market for printing support.
About 18 months in, the new press has allowed the National Trust to stabilize its own printing costs, diversify earned revenue and strengthen the Colorado news ecosystem.
Chris Klein, sales manager for The Trust Press, says customers rave about the quality of the printing and consistency. He said new customers report saving 15% to 40% on their printing costs when switching to The Trust Press.
“We work efficiently and are able to reduce expenses for small community, ethnic and college publications,” Klein said. “Often, that’s the difference between success and closure.”
“We’re proud to be able to offer that service to our customers, who then can reinvest that money elsewhere, including in additional print products or more frequent issues,” Klein said.
As The Trust Press continues to grow its customer base, National Trust for Local News Chief Operating Officer Bryan Harbison says the business should be profitable by the end of the year – allowing the National Trust to reinvest into the press, add new product options and serve more small newspapers.
“The Trust Press is an extension of the National Trust for Local News’s mission,” Harbison said. “Beyond the papers we’ve purchased and revitalized, this is a different opportunity to keep other vital community newspapers up and running while providing them a great partner and high-quality products.”
