Local company expands Iowa operations

Under the deal, the Newton Daily News will manage the day-to-day functions of the Jasper County Tribune for the next 12 months and will then have an exclusive option to acquire the company.

Allyn Arthur, owner of Arthur Publishing and publisher of the Jasper County Tribune since 1994, will serve as a consultant while the joint-operating agreement is in effect.

“This is a great opportunity for our company,” said Dan Goetz, publisher of the Newton Daily News. “It is a big step forward for us as we look for opportunities to grow and to better serve the residents of Jasper County and central Iowa.”

Tom Shaw, chief executive officer of Shaw Media, based in Dixon, said the agreement continued his company’s expansion.

“The Jasper County Tribune is a nice addition to our growing family of newspapers,” he said. “It serves a growing community, and expands our media footprint and brand in Jasper County, Iowa. We appreciate the hard work that Trevis Mayfield, Shaw vice president and publisher of Sauk Valley Media, and Dan Goetz invested to make the opportunity a reality.”

The two companies have had a positive relationship for many years, Goetz said.

“As a commercial printing customer, Allyn has always been a great business partner, and this arrangement is an outgrowth of that relationship,” Goetz said.

Arthur said he has enjoyed serving the communities in Jasper County.

“I feel that with the resources and staff that the Newton Daily News has available, the Tribune will grow and improve immensely,” he said, “and I am pleased to be able to ‘pass the torch’ on to such a quality news organization.”

Shaw Media, which has been owned by the Shaw family since it was founded in 1851, operates properties in suburban Chicago, northern Illinois, and Iowa.