In 1920, the Breese Chamber of Commerce, set as one of their goals to produce a local newspaper, and hired Guy C. Stearns as editor.

The first copy of the Breese Journal rolled off the press in February, 1921.

Erwin J. Mahlandt, who had worked as an apprentice to Stearns, was 21 when he purchased the newspaper on May 6, 1925 during a sheriff's foreclosure sale.

It was housed in a brick three-story building, located at 625 North Second Street until March 1998.

Erwin's son Jerry, entered the business in 1950 & became a partner.

Jerry's sons joined the firm, Steve in 1977, Dave's began in 1982.

In the early 1980's, the staff included six full-time employees and several part-time personnel. Today, the Breese Journal and Publishing Company employs over 125 people in the various departments.

In 1998, the business was moved to a 70,000-sq. ft. building on the west end of Old Route 50 in Breese. In 2004, another 22,000 sq. ft. was added.

The company, now the largest commercial printer in the Metro-East, was conceived and nurtured by a man who set type one line at a time and addressed newspapers by hand.