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Tuesday, August 19, 2008

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41 YEARS IN PRESS ROOM

But Pat Sprenger's long employment at Dispatch almost never happened

By JENNIFER STOCKINGER

Staff Writer

Pat Sprenger - who worked at the Brainerd Dispatch in the press room for 41 years - almost didn't come to Brainerd for his job interview with the newspaper, a decision that likely would have changed his life.

Sprenger, who was attending a graphic arts program in Long Prairie, said the Dispatch called the school to see if anyone would be interested in working in its press room as the newspaper was getting ready to go from a letterpress to an off-set press.

Sprenger and another student were interested in the job but on the day of the job interview it was 40 below.

Pat Sprenger visited the press room at the Brainerd Dispatch Monday. Sprenger ran the press room for 31 out of his 41 years at the Dispatch. He retired in July. Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls
» Purchase reprints of this photo.

"I almost didn't come because of the weather," Sprenger said Monday at his Brainerd home along the Mississippi River. "But I went with this other guy. When we got there, the Dispatch was then located in downtown Brainerd. We were about halfway up the stairs and this guy said, 'Let's get out of here,' and he turned around to go back down the stairs. I told him, 'Let's go up there and see what they have to offer,' so we did. I talked to Terry McCollough's (Dispatch publisher) dad, Bill, and he offered me the job. I quit school and took off to Brainerd. Bill had a job for both of us but the other guy didn't want it. I started at $2 an hour. My first paycheck was $80."

Sprenger was 24 at the time he started at the Dispatch in January of 1967. He retired this past July and saw many changes in the newspaper industry in his 41 years. Sprenger said not too many people stay at one company for their entire working career, but he enjoyed his work at the Dispatch.

Sprenger, a 1962 Grey Eagle High School graduate who was raised on a farm, never had been to Brainerd before his interview. He said his options at that time were to go to school or work at a local creamery plant, which he didn't want to do.

Sprenger said the first six months on the job were tough and he almost quit. He didn't like working with the letterpress. But within a few months, the Dispatch made the transition to the off-set press and work was much more bearable.

In the first 10 years, Sprenger was the camera man where he screened the photographs used in the newspaper and he stripped the negatives. He also made the press plates for the newspaper pages.

After 10 years, Sprenger became the press foreman where he oversaw the press operations, which included printing the Dispatch and printing commercial jobs. The Dispatch prints publications for other newspapers and businesses.

"There were a lot of changes to get used to in the printing industry over the years," Sprenger said.

Sprenger said the press itself also changed during his time at the Dispatch. He said when he started the press consisted of four units and today there are 15 units. When the Dispatch moved to its current location on James Street, it purchased a four-high color processing press that allowed the newspaper to be printed in color. Today the Dispatch has two of these color presses.

Pat Sprenger looked at one of his model train collections Monday at his home in Brainerd. Model trains are one of Sprenger's hobbies - a hobby he will have more time to enjoy now that he is retired from the Brainerd Dispatch. Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls
» Purchase reprints of this photo.

Pat Sprenger

Age: 64.

Family: Married to wife, Dee, for 39 years.

Military experience: "I was in the Army for three years with six months in Washington, D.C. I was there when Kennedy was assassinated. I was sleeping at the time. My job there was transportation at Fort Myer. I drove about 200 miles at night driving people to and from the Pentagon."

Childhood memory: "When I was 3 I almost drowned in a pond in Tracy. It was really windy that day and I must have slipped and I was bobbing up and down in the water. Since then I've always been scared of water and I never learned how to swim. If I'm in water that is up by my head I think I'm going to drown."

Something you've never owned: "I've never owned a bicycle in my life."

Your first vehicle: "I bought a '64 Volkswagen for $1,600 when I was in Germany."

Favorite TV show: "Forensic Files."

Philosophy you live by: "If you can't be the best or above others who are around you, you should remain a mystery or an unknown."

First thing you built with wood: "I built a China cupboard in high school for one of my teachers. It should have gotten first place, but I didn't finish it in time."

"I never thought we'd get these four-high color units," said Sprenger. "It's unusual for a newspaper this size to have a press like this. I'm proud that it has them. I pressed the newspaper to get these units because it saves so much work.

"My goal was to always save the company money. These new presses work much better and we save about 15-20 hours of work a week in cleaning the units."

Sprenger said another change at the Dispatch was when it became a morning newspaper. Sprenger said there were many employees who didn't want to work nights and he had to hire more people to run the press.

"We always had one shift, but we had to create a second shift," said Sprenger. "The crew I've had for the past 25 years has been second to none. They're the best. I wouldn't have been able to retire if it wasn't for them.

"And Terry was always great to work with. He always stood behind you. When I started at the Dispatch Terry was an advertising representative. I enjoyed working for his grandfather, Henry McCollough, and his father, Bill McCollough."

Sprenger said the best part of his job was being busy and working out challenges. The worst part of his job was in the '70s when the Dispatch printed a commercial catalog.

"We did the catalog twice a year and we worked from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. the next day for three days a week straight for a month," said Sprenger. "That was the hardest period there."

To add on to Sprenger's duties, he also was in charge of building maintenance.

"I had the talent and I had incentive to do it," said Sprenger. "I like taking care of things. I also do woodworking so anything with wood at the Dispatch, I made."

Sprenger became interested in woodworking when he was in high school. He said his woodworking classes are what kept him in school.

"I enjoy doing things with my hands," said Sprenger. "I like to see the finished product. I get a lot of pride out of it. Everything that is wood in my house I made. I built seven houses in this portion of the neighborhood from start to finish."

Woodworking is what keeps Sprenger busy now that he is retired. He mainly builds larger projects, such as cabinets. He doesn't do any small crafts. Sprenger also does stained glass.

Sprenger's other interest is model trains. He has a few model train collections in his home. He also has several fish and animal mount displays in his home from his fishing and hunting trips over the years.

Sprenger said it was time for him to retire while he still has his health. He said his wife retired a few years ago and they want enjoy some traveling.

JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5851.

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