WILLMAR — Less than two years into his first job with a degree in accounting, Steve Ammermann spotted a "help wanted" ad for a business manager at the West Central Tribune in Willmar.
“Oh, that looks interesting,’’ he said about what he thought at the time.
Did he ever get that right: Forty-two years later, Ammermann, now publisher of the West Central Tribune, has announced his plans to retire on June 1 from a career that has seen more change during his tenure than at any other time in the newspaper’s history dating to 1895.
“Revolutionary changes” is how he described it to staff in an email announcing his plans.
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“We are a 24/7 news operation now,” Ammermann said. The Tribune publishes two morning print editions each week (Wednesday and Saturday), while producing a digital e-paper edition six days a week and maintaining its online presence at wctrib.com every hour of every week.
West Central Tribune file photo
Ammermann knows the industry’s challenges well, but said he is leaving with confidence in the West Central Tribune newspaper’s future.
“We’re adapting to this digital world. We’re doing a good job and not afraid to do new things if we need to," he said. "It’s a good time to pass on to the next generation of leaders.”
He is only the fifth publisher to lead the paper since Victor Lawson (1895-1940), O.B. Augustson (1940-1979), Paul London (1980-1997) and Steve McLister (1997-2000) held the reins.
Ammermann moved up in the ranks from a desk in the corner of the business office in 1981 to become assistant general manager in 1992 and to publisher/general manager in the corner office in 2000.
Joe Brown / West Central Tribune
He took on additional duties as publisher for the Alexandria Echo Press and St. Cloud Live newspapers in 2023, which together with the West Central Tribune make up the Central Lakes Group of Forum Communications.
At each paper, the focus is local. “We continue to invest in our local journalism,” Ammermann said. The Tribune's sports and news departments continue their focus on local content, just as when he first took over as publisher.
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The Tribune also continues to adhere to principles that the publisher has made his priority.
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“We want to be the community cheerleader and the community watchdog,” he said.
No one is happier to see positive news on the front page, telling of the success of Willmar and west central Minnesota's other communities the regional newspaper covers. By the same token, Ammermann said it remains just as important as ever to keep public officials accountable to those they serve.
“We try to be as accurate with each story we write. If we make an error, we run a correction. We strive to be as transparent as possible,” he said.
Dave Wallis / The Forum
His ability to keep the newspaper on an even keel through choppy economic waters has not gone unnoticed.
“I have really appreciated the leadership challenges (Ammermann) had to navigate in his industry under such wild transformations,” said business owner and State Rep. Dave Baker.
“In the world of modern media, layoffs and forced retirements are commonplace. Steve Ammermann could work at Forum Communications Co. forever,” said Bill Marcil Jr., CEO of Forum Communications. Ammermann "has been a dedicated, collaborative, positive, and above all, excellent performer for our company."
Aaron Becher, the company's newspaper operations vice president, said "Steve Ammermann has been a trusted and highly valued colleague over his decades of service to the West Central Tribune and Forum Communications Co."
The West Central Tribune has been a part of the Fargo, North Dakota-based family newspaper company known as Forum Communications since 1978. The West Central Tribune undertook its biggest steps into the modern world with a new printing plant and move from downtown to the city’s industrial plant under the new ownership.
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Kelly Boldan, West Central Tribune editor since 2001, cited the importance of Ammermann’s leadership while congratulating him on his upcoming retirement. “He has guided the Tribune through countless triumphs, maintained a strong business model and continually met the challenges and changes of the newspaper industry,” Boldan said.
West Central Tribune file photo
Being part of Forum Communications Co. has made all the difference through these more recent years of change as well, according to Ammermann. The internet brought dramatic changes to the newspaper industry as the number of area retail advertisers shrunk and online platforms competed for advertising dollars that were once almost exclusively the domain of newspapers.
“We’re fortunate that we’re a family-owned newspaper company. The Marcil family knows and supports the importance of local journalism,” said Ammermann of the support of Forum Communications' Marcil family ownership.
The challenges that came with the changed economic landscape were his to manage. There were readers who lamented the reduction in print days. There were staff reductions as printing operations were moved to a larger, Forum-owned facility in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and distribution was transferred entirely to the postal service.
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