BINDING
FUTURE OF CRAWFORDSVILLE
Eighty five years in Crawfordsville and still the number one employer
in Montgomery County with over 1400 employees!
RR Donnelley started operations in Crawfordsville in 1921 as the
company’s first “country” plant. Founded by Richard
Robert Donnelley in 1864, the company grew to be the largest printer
in the United States with 25 domestic plants and international plants
in Brazil, Mexico, China and Europe. In 2004 the firm merged with
the Moore-Wallace Corporation.
For many years the Crawfordsville Plant has produced millions of
best selling novels, reference books, school books, children’s
books and Bibles.
The first book printed here in 1921 was the telephone directory
for Forest, Illinois. It seems a little ironic that the present
company expansion is also being fueled by the production of telephone
directories resulting in the hire of over fifty new employees.
The firm is investing several million dollars for new high tech
printing and binding equipment which requires new skills and knowledge.
This investment in the future is good news for our community. You
can look at pictures of the plant when they first started and realize
that a lot of the work was done by hand in the early days. Companies
today must invest in technology that will increase production efficiency
and it is good news to see RR Donnelley investing once again in
our community.
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation and Montgomery County
Economic Development Corporation (MCED) worked with the company
to help fund their training needs for the next two years and the
city council voted to approve tax abatements for new investments.
The company also continues to be a leader in community involvement
with time and funding. It would be a very long list if you were
to go back 85 years and count the volunteers and community projects
funded by them. The generous donation to the new library being one
that comes to mind. I have the pleasure of working with the current
Division Director, Gary Calleo who gives generously of his time
to co- chair the MCED School to Career Committee with Kathy Steele,
Superintendent of Crawfordsville Schools. The committee is responsible
for many progressive initiatives that enhance the communication
and cooperation between business and education.
I also had the opportunity to work with former Division Director
John Pecaric, when he chaired the local Junior Achievement Board.
We would hold all day Monopoly tournaments for middle school students
on Saturday’s. The winner would receive a brand new computer,
not so common at the time, and donated by RRD. I’m sure there
are many such stories over the past 85 years of their community
involvement.
One of the things about the company that always interested me was
the large tower at the North Plant. I have always wondered why the
company might build a tower like that. I thought it would make a
great office, but as it turns out, it was built to cover the water
tower during the renovation of 1941.
In appreciation for the past, present and future
contributions to our community, Montgomery County Economic Development
is proud to present RR Donnelley with the “Bright Star Award”
for Outstanding Corporate Citizenship.
Fax: (765)
362-6900