BUTLER — Eagle Printery, according to the Wise family story, opened in 1919 in the same building as the Butler Eagle.

“Nobody knows how it started,” said Karen Wise, Eagle Printery owner. “Because nobody is 100 years old,”

Wise believes the company started with Bertha and Levi Wise, who owned the newspaper after the family bought it around 1903.

“We’re guessing that Bertha saw a need for a commercial print shop because she owned the Butler Eagle,” Wise said.

The Wises may not be sure of the exact day or month Eagle Printery was born, but they are sure it’s at least 100 years old. The family welcomed workers, customers and the community into their shop Wednesday afternoon to celebrate that anniversary.

Reaching the milestone wouldn’t have been possible without the public and community, according to Wise.

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“Only 3 percent of companies make it 100 years,” Wise said. “They’re the source of our customers.”

Eagle Printery is both a digital and offset printer with bindery and mailing services. With 10 workers skilled in design, presswork and manufacturing, everything is done in-house. The company works with businesses up and down the East Coast.

Nearly every worker knows every part of the printing process, according to senior account manager Cindy Coulter. Coulter has worked with Eagle Printery 35 years and learned about printing on the job.

“I didn’t know anything about (printing),” Coulter said. “Not a stitch.”

Coulter said her coworker, Eileen Nodge, used to give her different types of paper to feel until she knew them by heart.

“Within a month, I had it all down,” Coulter said.

Charlie Simon worked for Eagle Printery from 1965 to 1999, at which point he retired and stayed a year part time.

“I went to printing school after high school,” Simon said.

Still, he learned how to microcode checks while working at Eagle Printery. David Wise — Karen’s deceased husband — chose Simon specifically for the job.

“He handpicked six of us,” Simon said.

The specialized nature of his position meant Simon couldn’t take long vacations and sometimes left for work at 2 a.m.

“I worked long, tough hours for that job,” Simon said.

But he said he enjoyed keeping his own time and didn’t mind the 22-mile commute. He was glad to see the business and former co-workers at the anniversary celebration.

It’s important, Coulter believes, to know about the company from every angle. Eagle Printery competes with online print companies, and the differences are in the details.

Digital production is easy, according to Coulter, and can be done by almost anyone. Offset printing is more unique.

“It’s a mature market,” Coulter said. “You have to know the ins and outs of everything.”

If there’s one thing Wise wants the public to know about Eagle Printery, it’s the type of products it provides.

“We are top of the line. We have all the latest,” Wise said. “There’s dedication on all levels and there’s quality.”

The company has evolved over the years to keep up with a changing industry. Printing, for instance, is largely digitalized instead of offset. Coulter said the difference in product is very small, but the production process is simpler.

Eagle Printery now has a full color envelope printer, too.

“It’s pretty slick,” Coulter said.

As new equipment arrives, old equipment leaves. The company no longer uses presses that require lots of manpower, according to Coulter.

Digital presses that are no longer needed get sent overseas once their leases are up. Nondigital presses are simply scrapped.

Replacing old machines with up-to-date ones allows the company to better use workers.

“Now we can afford to be productive,” Wise said.

The equipment may have changed in 100 years but the skills needed to run Eagle Printery haven’t.

According to Coulter, workers still need to be good at math and understand machinery. While she has worked with a color blind production agent, she doesn’t recommend getting into the field if you can’t discern colors.

The company, Coulter said, can be like a big family.

“You’re not a number,” Coulter said. “Everybody knows everybody. It’s very family oriented.”

“I view them as somebody I’d like to protect,” Wise said. “I honor all their special requests.”