View publisher retires after 56 years in the newspaper and printing business

LAPEER, Mich. — After 56 years in the newspaper and printing business, View Newspaper Group Publisher Wes Smith recently announced his semi-retirement, which began last month.

Smith started his newspaper career at the age of 15 writing for the Almont Times-Herald and Dryden News, and in 1972 at just 17 years old, was already moving up the ranks, accepting a position at The County Press in Lapeer.

In his 56 years in the business Smith has held nearly every position in the newspaper and printing industry from reporting to graphic design to selling and more.

In 1974 he moved over to the printing side of the business and began working at Webco Press. In 1999 Smith bought Webco Press.

In 2006 he sold Webco to View Newspaper Group founder Rick Burrough. At that time Smith went to work for Burrough’s printing business Michigan Web Press. Smith worked at Michigan Web Press until 2011 when Burrough approached him about becoming publisher of the growing View Newspaper Group.

Started in 2003 with the Lapeer Area View, today View Newspaper Group is home to 22 locally-owned community newspapers covering Lapeer, Oakland, Genesee, Livingston, Sanilac, Huron, Saginaw, Shiawassee, Montcalm, Ionia, Barry, Calhoun, Kent and St. Clair counties with more than 350,000 copies in print each week.

In semi-retirement Smith has been named publisher emeritus and serves in a consulting role at View Newspaper Group, along with writing a regular column for The County Press.

Following Smith’s semi-retirement Burrough announced that three members of the View Leadership team have been named co-publishers. Emily Caswell has been promoted to co-publisher director of editorial and brands, Pete Clinton has been promoted to co-publisher director of advertising and sales and Jennifer Ward has been promoted to co-publisher director of graphic design and operations. Caswell, Clinton and Ward have been preparing for their new roles formally for the last two years after Burrough announced a succession plan following the announcement of both Smith and Controller Jill Nichols’ semi-retirements.

Emily Caswell

Caswell, a Lapeer native, is a 2004 graduate of Michigan State University’s journalism school. She first worked as an editorial intern for The County Press in 2001 and 2002 and later as a reporter for Lapeer Area View and The County Press from 2008-09. She re-joined View Newspaper Group as brand manager in 2014. Caswell marks the third generation of her family in the newspaper business following her grandfather Jim Fitzgerald, who served as editor of The Lapeer County Press for more than 20 years and was a syndicated columnist for the Detroit Free Press, and her father, View Newspaper Group Publisher, Smith. Caswell serves on the board of the Fenton & Linden Regional Chamber of Commerce, Lapeer County Community Foundation and Center for the Arts of Greater Lapeer. She is also the Membership Committee chair for the Michigan Press Association. She currently lives in Fenton. She can be reached at ecaswell@mihomepaper.com.

Pete Clinton

Clinton, a Lapeer native, worked in the golf business before starting his career in media in 1999. For more than a decade he worked as a sales account representative at Regent Broadcasting, now Townsquare Media, before joining View Newspaper Group in 2014 as the advertising director. Clinton is the president of the Michigan Press Association Services board, serves on the board of the Burton Chamber of Commerce and the planning committees for the annual Hurley Foundation golf outing and Healing Hands 5K. He is also a member of the Port Huron Business Association. He currently lives in Metamora. He can be reached at pclinton@mihomepaper.com.

Jennifer Ward

Ward, of Deerfield Township, has been with the Tri-County Times since 1994 when she started as an intern in the graphics department while attending Baker College, majoring in graphic arts and minoring in marketing. She was hired full-time in the graphics department following graduation and served as assistant sales manager. In 1997 she was named graphics manager and later named general manager of the Tri-County Times in 2017. In 2019 Tri-County Times was acquired by View Newspaper Group. Ward remained general manager of the Fenton location and also took on the role as graphics manager for the entire group. Ward volunteers her time at fundraising events in the community, and she and her husband help those in need through monetary support and by donating goods. Ward also donates hours of graphic design work each year to numerous individuals, groups and organizations. She can be reached at jward@mihomepaper.com.

Caswell, Clinton and Ward together will continue to focus on award-winning editorial coverage, client growth, branding, events, graphics asset management and community relationships. Together they will lead the 100-member View Newspaper Group team along with additional upper management team members Amber Rood, who serves as general manager for the Daily News, Lowell Ledger, Lowell Buyer’s Guide and View West advertising manager, Controller Lindsey McMillan and Accounting Manager Kasey Rice.

View Newspaper Group is Michigan’s largest independently owned newspaper group covering 14 Michigan counties. The company publishes 22 newspapers with print editions reaching more than 350,000 households each week plus an additional 500,000 monthly online readers. For more info visit www.mihomepaper.com.