In 1895, a German immigrant named William R. Ludwig decided that the best way to support his family in the New World was to find a way to use the book binding trade that he had learned in his homeland. His new home of Morgantown did not have a commercial binding operation so he determined to open a new business.
In the earliest years, his efforts were geared primarily to binding material that had already been printed; a large portion of the business was the binding of ledger books of many different types used in businesses around Morgantown.
At some point during the very early 20th century, Mr. Ludwig decided that his company should expand into printing and the move was made. The redirected company was named The Acme Publishing Company and occupied a new building on Front Street (University Avenue) near where Barry .s Office Service is located today.
The photo of The Acme Building on this page is from a postcard dated December, 1909. There are 30 employees in front of the building, eight of whom are women. It is reasonable to presume that this photo was taken during the summer of 1909 and that the postcard, which is a solicitation for more business from a client, was printed by The Acme Publishing Company.
In 1914, a group of investors bought the company and incorporated it under the name of Morgantown Printing & Binding. E.M. Grant was the president of the new corporation. They retained W.R. Ludwig as the general manager of the operation until January of 1916.
The investors sold their interest to a group which included W.R. Ludwig as chairman of the board in February, 1916. Mr Ludwig was again named as the general manager and he maintained that association until his death in 1934. The Ludwig family continued to operate the business until the economic stresses associated with Word War II caused them to begin to seek a buyer in 1944.
In 1927 the company was moved to 163 Kirk Street following a fire that destroyed The Acme Building on Front Street. The only items saved from the fire were a paper cutting machine and a sewing machine used in book binding. Both remained in operation at the new location until the 1950s. This location remained as the company `s headquarters until it moved to its present location on Greenbag Road in 1999.
In 1944, Forest Thompson became president of the board and assumed ownership of the company. He and the Thompson family operated the business until 1978 when the stock was sold to Albert "Bud" Everly, Jr., who had joined the company in 1945.
In 1995, the current owner, H. Andrew Walls, III, purchased the stock, assumed ownership and began an expansion that has resulted in growth from 17 employees to the current 75, a new 65,000-square foot production and mailing facility with a production line that boasts the latest in printing technology and quality.
Last Update: 02/19/2010