In 1972, four days of rain pounded Harrisburg and The Patriot-News’s downtown facility. The facility quickly flooded, forcing workers to evacuate. The flood was supposed to be a once-in-a-century event, but Harrisburg flooded again in 1996. While the water didn’t reach the newspaper’s main building this time, it did flood the street separating it from a warehouse storing inserts.

That’s when The Patriot-News made the decision to build a new offset printing plant on a 17.2-acre site. The facility would not only offer relief from flooding, but would give the newspaper the opportunity to upgrade printing technology. The Patriot-News purchased a new Goss Colorliner press, including seven four-high tower Colorliner printing units with a double folder.