OxfordPress.com

FRANKLIN — Nearly 2 million copies per week – that's the number of individual newspapers that the Cox Ohio Publishing Print Technology Center produces. The Franklin site now prints a total of five daily newspapers and seven weekly publications, including The New York Times daily editions for the tri-state region. The relocation of Dayton Daily News' offices from Fourth and Ludlow to 1611 South Main St. was made possible in part because of the existence of the PTC.

"Because we moved all of the production operations out of the old building and down to the PTC in 1999, we were able to select a new facility, The Media Center, that is strictly an office environment," said Joe McKinnon, vice president of operations for Cox Ohio Publishing. "We were fortunate that we didn't have to consider a site that could accommodate all of the production operations as well as business functions of the company."

The production operations do require a huge amount of space. The PTC is a 260,000 square-foot facility that includes newspaper storage, press hall, mail room, imaging and platemaking areas, cafeteria/conference rooms, distribution center and management offices.

"The PTC has state-of-the-art equipment and production processes. This gives us great flexibility as the industry goes through changes brought on by increased competition from other media," McKinnon said.

The PTC's automation and cutting-edge print processes drew attention from out-of-state newspaper executives, who visited the Dayton area during the design phase of the project. Now publishing operations in Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Detroit, Kansas City and Louisville have similar print facilities that are based on new technologies seen in Dayton.

Besides the Dayton Daily News, Cox Ohio Publishing took advantage of the center's capabilities by adding production for The New York Times, Springfield News-Sun, Hamilton Journal-News, Middletown Journal and seven weekly publications.

In addition to producing a wide range of publications, the PTC building makes a formidable presence for motorists just north of exit 38 on Interstate 75. Designed by Celso R. Gilberti of GSI Architects in Cleveland, it was constructed to resemble an airplane hangar to honor Dayton's heritage as the Birthplace of Aviation.

For both the PTC and The Media Center, the sign's focus is on the most recognizable product for the local consumer – Dayton Daily News. At the PTC, the moniker runs horizontally. The Media Center will have a 16-foot by 20-foot vertical display. Another similarity between the two buildings is the color; both are white facades with a splash of medium blue.

"Visually, the two buildings are both sleek and simplistic in their designs," said Kathy Kralovic, marketing vice president of Cox Ohio Publishing. "From a signage standpoint, we will have the tower of The Media Center labeled the Dayton Daily News, while our dot.com will be labeled in smaller lettering on the middle of the building."