PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — The last few years have taught us how to adapt and evolve. The newspaper business, however, has been changing for years.
For our news partners at the TCPalm, this weekend brings yet another sign of that evolution.
Inside Treasure Coast newspapers’ printing plant, the hard-working men and women are always at it, surrounded by the equipment that's designed to bring you that fresh paper each and every day.
"I like working around all the equipment," said Alan Medeiros, a lead packager.
Medeiros started as a press worker decades ago, first in Vero Beach at the Indian River Press Journal.
Todd Mangan, a manager now, started at the Stuart News in 1984.
Both Mangan and Medeiros then moved to this Port St. Lucie facility in 2004 when all three Treasure Coast papers consolidated into this facility, part of that newspaper evolution.
Now that evolution has finally caught up to the press workers here in Port St. Lucie.
"We knew one day it was going to happen. We didn’t think it was going to happen this quick," Mangan said.
Sunday they will produce their last newspaper in this facility.
"The reason that’s happening is because of our digital focus the way people consume news is increasingly digital," said TCPalm executive editor Adam Neal.
Neal said all three Treasure Coast papers will be printed in Broward County starting next week.
"As sad as it is to see this happening, the readers are going to see no difference," Neal said.
Neal still expects those papers to be delivered on time.
Mangan and Medeiros knew this day would eventually come. 46 full-time and 27 part-time workers are here.
The facility will shut down, but the hard work these men and women have put into these papers lives on forever.
Resources will be provided to all the workers seeking new employment.
As for the building itself along Interstate 95 in Port St. Lucie, it is up for sale with no buyers at this point.