MidYork Press

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by: Melissa deCordova

Could there possibly be a connection between fallen teen star Britney Spears and one of Chenango County’s most prominent manufacturers?

Fact is, it’s a good bet that the early pregnancy test packages that Spears and her boyfriend were photographed reading at a California store recently were made at The Mid-York Press, Inc. in Sherburne. About 13 million EPT boxes per month are produced at the factory located just west of the village.

“Most everything we produce is for what falls between here and here,” President and Chief Executive Officer Robert W. Tenney said while pointing to his midriff and then thighs.

Mid-York Press’ roots go back four generations of Tenney’s family to circa 1820 with publication of the first newspaper in Hamilton in Madison County. It still owns and publishes The Mid-York Weekly in that town, located just north of Sherburne.

The company acquired its first presses in 1946 when it was incorporated by Tenney’s forebears. Since then, it has evolved into a highly specialized supplier to the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food industries on a national level. In addition, it supplies commercial printing services to local industries, such as MeadWestvaco in Sidney, Norwich Pharmaceuticals in North Norwich and CWS in the City of Norwich.

Among other packaging contracts, Tenney estimates that 100 million copies of medicinal instructions are produced per year. That job, along with others, helps to deplete an inventory of 300 tons of paper per month.

The Mid-York Press, Inc. employs 84, including temporary workers, and has an annual payroll of $2.86 million. The presses are replaced every 10 years in order to maintain the quality and efficiency for which the company is known in its niche market. The presses run continually through three daily shifts.

With the help of the Chenango Industrial Development Agency and a $3.5 million bond, the company plans to acquire a new high-speed press this year along with peripherals, folding equipment and, possibly, a computer aided design system.

Earnings were up in 2007 as they have been, steadily, since 2001. “This industry has struggled since 9/11. Many of my competitors have gone out of business. We’ve never seen a glitch,” said Tenney. Earnings were $10.8 million in 2007 and $10.3 million in 2006. The company’s profitability falls consistently within the upper 5 percent of its industry.

There have been no layoffs to speak of since 1995, and even then employees were called back after a week off. “We are good in good times and better in bad times,” Tenney said.

Capital improvements made to the plant last year included a fixed back entrance and expanded walkway toward a new employee parking lot.

Though not set in stone, Tenney said some contracts in the works have the potential to result in an uptick of 20 percent in growth for The Mid-York Press, Inc. this year, the possibility of adding 10 new positions, plus a building expansion. He said he has already begun recruitment efforts.

“We are going to be focusing on our core pharmaceuticals customers,” he said. “We are definitely in a growth mode ... and working a lot of overtime.”

The Mid-York Press, Inc. has been a prominent contributor to the Chenango United Way, the Norwich Family YMCA, the Sherburne Library and Success by Six, to name a few community organizations. Tenney, himself, is president of the Sherburne Music Theater Society and the Sherburne Rotary Club. His employees participate in all types of recreational and youth organizations.

Improving the county’s educational standards tops this business leader’s wish list for the new year. The number of job applicants who don’t have graduate degrees, he said, is “appalling.” Tenney hopes to reinstate a site-based workforce training program in the near future.

“I want to be more involved in the schools again, and welcome any teachers who would like to show their students what we do,” he said.

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