John L. Wise III Vernon

In 2012, the Butler Eagle marked its 110th year of Wise
family ownership.
Vernon L. “Chip” Wise III serves as company president.
Chip Wise has been president of Butler Color Press and in
2009 became the fourth generation to serve as president
of the Eagle Printing Co.
John L. Wise III works as editorial page editor of the
newspaper, the same job held by his father and
grandfather. He also serves as vice president and
secretary of the company.
Vance M. Smith IV represents the fifth generation of
the Wise family. He is vice president and treasurer of the
Eagle Printing Co. He is a grandson of Vernon L. Wise Jr.,
who led the company and served as president for 35 years
and remains chairman of the board. Smith comes to the
company with an MBA degree and experience in
commercial real estate development, as well as
commercial printing sales.
Members of the Wise family have long taken pride in
the fact that they are independent newspaper publishers
and commercial printers. The Wise family’s involvement
in the Butler Eagle began in 1903 when attorney Levi
Wise, a native of Harmony, bought out the interests of his
partners in the newspaper. For many years following the
1903 start of Wise family ownership, Levi’s wife, Bertha,
managed the newspaper.
The Eagle is a six-day-a-week newspaper that covers all
of Butler County. Over the years, the Wise family has
added other publications, including the Cranberry Eagle, a
twice-a-week newspaper that covers the rapidly developing
southwestern section of the county.
Vernon Wise Jr.
Vernon (Chip) Wise III
John L. Wise III
Vance Smith
CHAIRMAN
PRESIDENT
VICE PRESIDENT
VICE PRESIDENT
1201419
The company also prints the monthly Butler County Business Matters,
which focuses on businesses in the county and is mailed to thousands of
business owners and managers throughout the county. In addition, the
family owns an affiliate business, the Butler Color Press, which prints
newspaper inserts and other products for national and regional retailers.
Some of its customers include Giant Eagle, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Levin
and Macy’s.
The family continues to invest in the company and in Butler County,
something it has done throughout the past 110 years. Ten years ago, it
built the Eagle Production Center on West Wayne Street, which houses a
three-story printing press for newspaper and commercial printing, as well
as 15,000 square feet of office space and large areas for post-production
work and for newsprint storage. Three years ago, it invested in a new heatset printing press at Butler Color Press, which is located near East
Butler. In 2008, the Eagle Printing Co. bought an existing facility on
4.5 acres on Route 19 in Cranberry Township, acquiring a
25,000 square feet warehouse and office space for the
staff of the weekly Cranberry Eagle. In 2011, Eagle
Printing began daily printing and packaging of
The Erie Times; further investing locally in
additional personnel and equipment.
The Wise family believes the best interests of
Butler County residents are served by having a
newspaper owned by a family that knows and is
a part of the community, rather than a large
national corporation.
With the addition of a member of the fifth
generation, the Wise family continues to honor
the family tradition begun by Levi and Bertha
Wise in 1903. Members of the family
also take pride in the role the
newspaper has played over the
years in the Butler County
community.
The Butler Eagle is
printed on a state-of-the-art
Goss Uniliner Press, which
can run up to 70,000
copies per hour.
Business Office:
114 W. Diamond Street, Butler
Production Center:
514 West Wayne Street, Butler
724-282-8000
www.butlereagle.com
1203005