Business Spotlight – The Findlay Publishing Company

Company Name: The Findlay Publishing Company; Blanchard River Broadcasting; White River Broadcasting

Employee Name and Role: Dave Glass and Kurt Heminger, former and current president and CEO

Continuing a Legacy – Dave Glass added to the list of Findlay Greats

By Sarah Mayle

The morning before his last day of a 44-year career with The Findlay Publishing Company, President and CEO Dave Glass was invited for a live chat on WFIN one last time. For a few minutes, the interview proceeded as one might expect, until it didn’t, as the mayor and several long-time coworkers filed into the studio.

Dave Glass, retired president and CEO of The Findlay Publishing Company

And then, right on-air, among friends and beside the backdrop of historic Findlay photos on the wall, Glass was presented a City of Findlay Proclamation declaring May 30, 2025, as Dave Glass Day, “in recognition of a lifetime of leadership, service, and unwavering commitment to the betterment of our community.”

It couldn’t have been more perfect.

FPC celebrates Glass in his retirement, as Kurt Heminger, already in service for 40 years, continues his family legacy forward, succeeding him in the company’s lead role. Not only was Kurt there for the Proclamation; it was his idea.

Kurt Heminger, current president and CEO of The Findlay Publishing Company.

“Dave has been not only a great leader for our company, but he’s also been a great leader and advocate for our community, whether it’s Findlay or Columbus (Indiana),” Kurt Heminger said. “I can’t say thanks enough for my appreciation for what Dave has done over his 44 years. The community is better because of Dave.”

Inspired by his oldest brother and a love of music, Glass went into broadcast because he “wanted to have the ability to get on the radio to talk to people about things of interest” – a simple goal that turned into a great deal more. Glass was in the industry for three years before he began working as a disc jockey with FPC. In Findlay, the Columbus, Ohio native found a city he grew to love and a work environment where he is thankful for tremendous mentors.

Glass thrived in and reflected the culture of FPC, one that, in addition to a staunch commitment to a quality product, has seen generations for more than 120 years take on leadership roles representing Findlay on the local, regional and national levels. FPC was founded in 1903 by I.N. Heminger and Judge John D. Synder. A fascinating book, “The Story of The Findlay Publishing Company,” chronicles the rich history of FPC. The reader finds that intertwined with the company’s story is the history of Findlay, the evolution of the newspaper industry, and of course, the lives of the Heminger family.

And there is a remarkable theme. Through generations the Hemingers have been engaged in the community at an astounding level – from service in the military, to the local Rotary Club, to the local and national chamber of commerce, to state and national newspaper and broadcast organizations, even helping found the Hancock Historical Museum. For Ed Heminger alone, more than 50 organizations are listed in the book, most of which he served as director, president or vice president – and he received honors from the community accordingly.

Glass said when he started his role at FPC, he became involved in part to get to know the community, which would make for a better radio show. As his involvement grew, Glass cites FPC leaders Kurt Kah and Ed Heminger – outstanding community leaders – as crucial mentors. And so, beyond work, Glass delved into nearly every facet of the community – serving on non-profit boards; emceeing more than 1,000 events throughout his career; volunteering; taking tours of local companies; and becoming a spark for positive change. He likes to try and take himself out of the equation, but Glass had a knack for inspiring conversations and uniting people, and his leadership made the Findlay community better.

Mentors who Made All of the Difference

For several years after its start in 1903, FPC printed two newspapers. They were consolidated into one, called “The Republican-Courier” in 1933, which became, “The Courier” in 1976. FPC formed Blanchard River Broadcasting and stepped into radio in 1949 with WFIN (AM and FM). Over the years, WFIN-FM became WHMQ and eventually WKXA. In 2008, the company expanded further with the addition of 1063The Fox. Taken by the city’s similarity to Findlay, in 1957 Harold Heminger acquired FPC’s first radio station in Columbus, Ind. and formed White River Broadcasting. In Columbus, the company currently manages radio stations WCSI, WKKG, WIN104.9 and 106.1TheRiver.

In 2019, amid a turbulent newspaper industry, FPC sold The Courier and the Fostoria Review Times, which had been acquired in 1998. “When you have two newspapers that you’ve owned and operated for that length of time, it was a very, very tough decision, but it was the right decision,” Kurt Heminger said.

Glass cited Kurt Kah, former business manager and then president of FPC, as an important influence in his life. Glass reported to Kah, who was the best man at his wedding, for 17 years. Kah implemented the use of newspaper inserts for advertising at The Courier, an important revenue-generator.

“He was a really strong manager,” Glass said. “If anything among the many lessons that I learned from him was that it was never personal – ever. You know, when you try to lead and / or inspire, or course correct activities at work sometimes that can leave a residue, if you will. But I picked up from Kurt that it’s just business, and I really believe that.”

Ed Heminger, who served from business manager to publisher to president and CEO of FPC and remained involved with the newspaper after his retirement, was also a strong manager, but “very gracious,” and he and Kah perfectly complemented each other, Glass and Kurt Heminger said. It was inevitable that mistakes would be made – an error in an ad, a wet newspaper – and people would call in to complain. Ed Heminger diffused arguments and inspired his staff with the simple phrase, “We can do better.”

“We always want to do the right thing, high ethics,” Kurt Heminger said. “Dad used to say, ‘We can do better.’ Those are not empty words. We’re not perfect; we make mistakes, but you have to own it and find a way to correct and move on with the goal of excellence.

“Dad was great counsel for decision making, with invaluable wisdom to say the least. I often think ‘what would Dad do’ in certain situations.”

Two Floods and a Fire, an Unlikely Catalyst to Growth

Glass graced the radio air waves and was program director for WKXA (then WHMQ) from 1981to 1990, when he became director of corporate broadcast communications for both the Findlay and Columbus, Ind. radio stations. In 2004, he rose to president of FPC’s broadcast division, and in 2014 earned a seat on the FPC Board of Directors. Glass became president and CEO of FPC in 2023.

Outside of the office, Glass was hand-picked to serve on the Ohio Association of Broadcasters Board of Directors, also becoming chairman and serving on its executive committee. The OAB is the chief advocate voice for more than 360 TV and radio stations in Ohio. As part of the role, for more than 10 years Glass traveled to Washington, D.C. to represent Ohio broadcasters in national decisions.

He was also involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters, now known as Children’s Mentoring Connection; the United Way of Hancock County; the Findlay Area Arts Council; the Arts Partnership; and the Findlay Hancock County Chamber of Commerce, when it transitioned from Greater Findlay Inc. into The Alliance. And Glass was an important influence in the start of Raise the Bar Hancock County through the Workforce Coalition of Findlay Hancock County Economic Development (FHCED).

“I don’t know what it’s like to be a banker or to do anything else; all I’ve ever done in my life is radio,” Glass said. “But it just seems to me that radio has to be an extension of the communities that we serve.”

Kurt Heminger and Glass always found Findlay and Columbus, Ind. to be remarkably similar – the population, the distribution of white-collar and blue-collar jobs, the mix of union and non-union workers, the economic complexion in general. Findlay experienced a devastating flood in 2007, as did Columbus, Ind. in 2008. In 2012, the Argyle Building in Downtown Findlay burned down. Knowing Marathon Petroleum Corp. was considering an expansion “with a hole across the street,” Glass thought connecting Findlay and Columbus, Ind. leaders could be beneficial. He started by showing Tony Iriti around Columbus and introducing him to a handful of leaders. At the time, Iriti was CEO of a flood mitigation partnership formed by community leaders to alleviate flooding in Findlay. Over time, the relationship gained momentum, and Iriti continued to be an integral bridge in the relationship when he became director of FHCED a few years later.

Leaders of Marathon, a community staple in Findlay since 1889, met with leaders of Cummins – a multinational company that designs, manufactures, and distributes engine products – central to Columbus, Ind. since 1919. The two cities’ mayors were getting together. Economic development professionals. Business leaders. Educators. Health system leaders. A partnership formed, and for years, leadership from the two communities visited each other, exchanged ideas, and swapped best practices making both communities stronger. With their similar compositions, FHCED leaders even brought Midland, Mich.; Benton Harbor, Mich.; and Syracuse, Ind. into the mix for discussion.

“I always say it was two floods and a fire,” Glass said. “It was about two very successful communities that weren’t afraid to learn from another community. There were a few introductions made that really began the process and then I got out of the way. It was Tony (Iriti) who drove it – 1 million percent.”

Glass remained involved in the relationship, continuing to work with Iriti, then-assistant director of FHCED Tim Mayle, and other leaders through FHCED’s Workforce Development Coalition, which ultimately created Raise the Bar Hancock County. Raise the Bar began with Laurie Zydonik at the helm and today is led by Tricia Valasek. The organization is an impactful workforce development initiative that connects business, education, policy makers and social services. Glass served on its board of directors.

Also as a result of the meetings, Mayle said Marathon amended some of its expansion plans to include more amenities after benchmarking the campus of Cummins, and multiple additional initiatives took shape.

The relationship sparked important mantras that became absorbed into the fabric of Findlay business. Glass and Mayle recalled, “Go where the energy is,” “If you don’t staff it, nothing will get done,” and “No company would ever want to invest in a community that won’t invest in itself.”

The Legacy Continues

Kurt Heminger and Glass will tell you the Columbus, Ind. and Findlay partnership is just an extension of how it works in Findlay. The FHCED office calls it the Findlay Formula – stakeholders putting differences aside and coming together with a common goal of the betterment of the community – but it has always been part of Findlay, they said, before it had a name.

Glass and Kurt Heminger know exactly what makes the Findlay community tick. Each is a catalogue of history, businesses, organizations, initiatives, and people, and each cares deeply about Findlay’s success. Glass came to the interview for this story prepared with and wanting to recognize a list of family names who, through generations, have made Findlay great. Throughout discussion, Heminger expanded it.

They reflect the legacy of the Heminger family and Findlay Publishing Company, a company that has always held the community as central, and while they’re at it, to “inform and entertain.”

FPC’s Blanchard River Broadcasting runs radio stations WFIN (1330 AM and 95.5 FM), WKXA (100.5 FM) and 106.3The Fox in Findlay, and four stations out of Columbus, Ind. They’re able to compete with platforms like Sirius XM and Spotify because of their focus on everything local.

“We’re Findlay’s news and information station,” Kurt Heminger said. “People may use some of those other ways to get their music, but they always come back, because they want to hear the forecast, they want to hear the mayor be interviewed about what’s going on at city hall, they want to listen to high school sports. Local always wins.”

This is true, Heminger said, but people have to be able to access the radio stations the way they want to. So, the stations can be streamed online, apps are available for download, or you can hear the stations on Amazon’s Alexa, Apple Carplay and Android Auto.

WFIN is a news, sports and weather station, covering everything local, from news and events; to the weather forecast; to agri-business; to Chris Oaks in the morning, who interviews local newsmakers; to pump patrol for local gas prices; to closings and cancellations. WKXA is a country music station with radio personality Rex Howard, while 106.3TheFox is a classic rock station, highlighting radio personality The Big Kahuna.

They broadcast live for Community Days from varying locations in Findlay and smaller towns in the area to stay connected with local listeners. They announce during parades. They cover local high school sports. They see it as their duty to be connected and engaged with the community – and the local businesses that advertise with them are a snapshot of that community, too. The stations’ true value is in “what they do between the music.”

“Our advertisers over the umpteen years we’ve been on the air have success at selling their products and services by advertising and partnering with us,” Glass said. “We don’t take that lightly because we exist for a whole host of reasons, but we are really defined by what we do between the records.”

He continued, “You can get our national talk shows anywhere, but in between those elements we’re doing Community Days when we’re in Bluffton, or we’re giving a weather forecast. But what’s also packed into that? Our commercials. And the commercials aren’t necessarily only for the purpose of getting you to go buy a product. It’s also local information about local companies that thrive here for a whole host of reasons, so we don’t take lightly the fact that we have to continue to maintain high integrity, and interesting content that has got to be entertaining.”

Kurt Heminger started his career in 1985 working at the Columbus, Ind. radio stations in various positions, then came back to Findlay in 1992. Through his 40 years with the company, he has enjoyed the operational side of business and most recently was vice president of FPC. As the 6th Heminger to serve as president and CEO, he is humbled, and thankful to be a part of the community and for his staff as they look to the future.

“Our people are pretty incredible,” Heminger said. “They don’t just clock out at whatever time it is and go home. They understand it’s not an 8 to 5 job. We’ve got great people – whether they’re on air, sales, support staff, it’s not Dave and I, it’s these great people that come in every day and work hard. I really can’t say enough about them, at both locations.”

And so, when you put it all together, that is why, when Dave Glass was recognized through a city proclamation, it only made sense for it to be beside black and white photos of Findlay’s history – the history of Findlay Publishing company, the history of this community.

Live. On air. Where it all began.

To Learn More:

Findlay: wfin.com, wkxa.com, 1063thefox.com. Columbus, Ind.: 1010wcsi.com, wkkg.com, win1049.com, 1061theriver.com.

For Job Opportunities:

Fpcjobconnection.com

What was one of Glass’s stand out memories from a 47-year career of being in the public eye?

1992: When the Kirk Family brought President George H.W. Bush to Findlay, and he got to announce the president taking the stage. As Bush walked by, he told Glass, “Young man, you have a nice voice.”

“Now, that was pretty cool,” Glass said, laughing.

You can still watch it on C-SPAN here. (He killed it!)