AN INTRODUCTION TO THE COUGHLIN JOURNEY
Jere Coughlin saw immediate success when he printed the first edition of the Watertown Herald in 1886. Jere established a solid reputation as an expert printer. His competition admired his “painstaking care,” “grace of expression” and use of “unusually good paper.”
Jere Coughlin’s attention to detail and high standards for quality set new standards for the upstate New York printing industry.
Today, more than 130 years later, Coughlin continues to strive to achieve new levels of quality and innovation. Our heritage and experience allows us to understand the ever-changing business world and culture of the North Country.
A timeline of the Coughlin journey
Watertown Herald Began
The Watertown Herald newspaper began in 1886 by Jere Coughlin.
Coughlin Company formed
On May 20, 1907 the Coughlin Company, a NY Corporation, was formed.
Jere Coughlin Passed Away
On Wednesday, July 8, 1908 Jere Coughlin passed away.
The company remained in the Coughlin family until 1949.
Sold to Dexter B. Williams
On January 4, 1949 the Park Place business block, which included the business, was sold to Dexter B. Williams for the amount of $14,000.
Coughlin Company purchased
On January 27, 1949, Kenneth S. Barden & Charles G. Woodruff purchased the Coughlin Company for the amount of $6,764.72.
Mr. Barden Sole Owner
Mr. Barden took sole ownership of the business on June 30, 1952.
William Barden joined the company
William Barden, son of Kenneth, joined the company on October 13, 1959 and continued to run the business after the death of his father in 1998.
Coughlin Company Merged with AMF Printing
On July 1, 2000, the Coughlin Company merged with AMF Printing, taking on the name of AMF/Coughlin Printing and the role of the largest commercial printer in the region.
Christian Business Endeavors, Inc. formed
On June 27, 2002, Brian Peck, Gary Ingram & Michael Biolsi formed Christian Business Endeavors, Inc for the purpose of purchasing West Side Printery in Carthage, NY.
CBE, Inc. purchases West Side Printery
On September 18, 2002 CBE, Inc purchased West Side Printery and immediately moved it to 15 Bridge Street in Carthage.
CBE, Inc purchased AMF/Coughlin Printing
On September 29, 2005 CBE, Inc purchased AMF/Coughlin Printing from Douglas Bockstance and William Barden and Brian Peck was named General Manager.
CBE had 2 locations in Watertown (Mill Street & Main Avenue), 1 location on State Street in Lowville and 1 location on Bridge Street in Carthage (the Watertown locations were eventually merged into the 144 Main Avenue building).
Rebranding
On May 23, 2008 a rebranding took place in order to unify the 3 companies that had merged and create a simpler brand identity. The DBA was changed to “Coughlin Printing” which pointed back to the oldest name in the group – “Coughlin”.
Coughlin Website Division launched
In December, 2008, the website division was launched, headed by Mike Biolsi.
First Website Client
On March 3, 3009, the first website for a client was launched for Full Gospel Businessmen’s International Watertown Chapter.
CBE purchased Benjamin Printing
In October 2010 CBE purchased the assets of Benjamin Printing and was forced to move to a larger location at 210 Court St. in Watertown.
Michael Biolsi named General Manager
On January 1, 2011 Michael Biolsi was named General Manager of the company as Brian Peck transitioned to a job outside of the Corporation.
Mr. Ingram passed Away
On January 10, 2011, Mr. Ingram passed away. Though he managed the Lowville location, the Carthage location was closed at this time.
Mr. Biolsi Sole owner
On August 14, 2015, Mr. Biolsi became the sole owner of the Corporation.
MYNNY
On September 2, 2020, Lewis County Industrial Development Agency | Naturally Lewis partnered with Coughlin to create mynny.biz – an online website platform for local businesses.
Civally
On April 11, 2023, Civally, a division of Coughlin Printing, was launched. This web platform was created to help small town and villages have websites that meet government requirements, are accessible, and provide a great user experience.
Coughlin Printing
Coughlin has grown to include digital counterparts to most of its printed pieces and has positioned itself to be the only shop north of Syracuse that can manage design, print, website, coaching, marketing and more all under one roof.
As we continue to expand the Coughlin name, we still maintain 2 locations and continue to find ways to provide solutions to help businesses be more successful through the use of print and digital media.
Ashley Nurczyk
Having worn multiple “business hats” in the past, I believe that websites are the foundation of every business to achieve their goals, and I want to help you succeed in every way possible. I have a bachelor’s in marketing, a certificate in Social Media Marketing, a SEO Training Masterclass 2024 Certificate, and have worked with multiple companies to help build their brand and bring in sales for 3+ years. Outside of business, I love reading fantasy and mystery novels, learning the newest internet technologies, weightlifting, and exploring the surrounding areas with my family.
Wilson Pennell
Wilson Pennell is our assistant manager and certified business coach. He has twelve years of leadership experience and also has a master’s degree in business administration. Outside of work, Wil enjoys spending time with family, serving his church, reading, and playing games such as cornhole, euchre, and dominoes.
Connor Lalone
Connor started with Coughlin in May of 2023, and has been helping customers with copies, scans, faxes, and more since. Outside of work he enjoys sports, is an avid golfer, and is involved in live streams of local sporting events, including the Watertown Wolves and Red & Black. His favorite part of working at Coughlin is interacting with and getting to know the people we do business with.
Ed Hathaway
Amateur photographer, artist, programmer & athlete.
Professional Husband, Dad & Friend!
I’ve been programming & building websites for well over 30 years. I’m a retired Athletic Program Director for my local City in North Carolina. Several years ago (after my retirement), I began my second career as Coughlin’s Front End Website Developer (part time). My passion is helping people with their on-line needs and assisting them along their digital journey. My wife and I travel a lot, play pickleball and I play on a National Hockey Team out of southern Virginia.
Brenda Young
My career in printing started in 1980. My husband and a partner purchased AMF Quick Printing which was located in the Globe Mini Mall, Watertown, NY and during our time we purchased a building and moved the business into that building.
We sold the business in 1990. I continued to work for the new owners and then several owners in between which brings me to the current location and owner.
Printing has come a long way in the 44 years of my involvement. Went from the IBM typewriter and printing and developing one letter at a time on a strip printer and taking these strips and pasting on a layout sheet to create a finished piece of art. Back then there were cameras and a dark room to develop clip art, photos, negatives, etc.
My current position is production manager. My responsibilities are pricing, scheduling jobs and making sure print projects are completed in a timely manner from the design, printing and packaging as well as quality control. I also order all paper and print products for production (press) room, work with outside vendors and love to work with customers.
I also head the design team and will do some design and layout also.
I am a go-to gal and will do what it takes to get the job done!
Mike Farney
Mike Farney is a seasoned veteran in the world of print production, bringing over four decades of expertise to his role at Coughlin. His journey began back in 1976 in Glenfield, NY, when the printing industry relied on lead for setting type—a far cry from today’s digital advancements.
In 1992, Mike joined AMF Quick Print, a predecessor of Coughlin, where he found a home for his skills and dedication. Since then, he has been an integral part of the team, consistently delivering high-quality print products that reflect his belief in the satisfaction of a job well done. He takes pride in meeting clients’ expectations precisely, ensuring each project is completed to perfection.
Hanna Lichtfuss
Hi, I’m Hanna. I have over 14 years of graphic design and formal art experience. I have been part of team Coughlin for over 2 years and work as a website designer. When I’m not doing something creative, you can find me homeschooling my kids, exploring outside or planning our next family adventure.
Bill (William) Ferris
Bill has worked with Coughlin since 2007 and has over 40 years of experience in the print industry. He works with all phases of print production, and brings a company comic relief to the crew! In his free time, he likes to watch football job based reality TV. He likes motorsports, history, science, and technology.
Sierra Garcia
Sierra has a bachelor’s in graphic design and has lived in New York since spring of 2022, she is originally from Arkansas. In her free time, she likes to illustrate and do character design. As a Digital Media Specialist, she primarily focuses on Coughlin’s social media accounts while working on multiple marketing projects for different clients that we serve. Sierra has been with Coughlin since December of 2023, and she can’t wait to help you and your business with your marketing endeavors!
Ken Lalone
My name is Ken LaLone and I grew up in Adams, New York. I graduated from South Jefferson Central School. I have degrees in both Computer Science from JCC and Graphic Design from SUNY Oswego. Professionally, I have over 15 years of experience with a wide variety of printing and marking processes like laser engraving, sublimation, wide format vinyl printing, digital paper-based printing, and grand format direct-to-substrate printing. I look forward to working with all of our customers to determine which products we offer meet their needs the best. I live in Watertown, NY and I enjoy spending time with my daughter and my wife. Also, I enjoy taking photos of nature while exploring trails around the North Country, cooking and baking, and playing video games. I enjoy reading fantasy books and I am a huge Montreal Canadiens fan.
Carley Shepherd
My name is Carley and I’m a Design Assistant over at Coughlin Printing! My work is mainly in the print end of the business, handling all of the local graphic design needs of Northern New Yorkers. Lots of business cards, letterheads, labels, banners, newsletters, menus, etc. I’m also a Digital Artist, with experience in both illustration and animation. Making cool looking stuff everyday for good people.
Daniel Silva
I’m Daniel, I play bass casually and I have a passion for music, especially in the Brazilian culture. Dealing with logic is something that I always enjoyed since school, I believe that’s how I got working with Websites. I love spending time with whose are family for me, what we call “love” will ever be the ruler in my life.