Once a thundering production theme park, the Schuylkill Printing Plant in Upper Merion Township has printed its final issue of The Philadelphia Inquirer and is stopping its presses for good, writes Anthony R. Wood for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The facility that was built three decades ago for nearly $300 million – around $600 million in today’s dollars – has been sold to developer J. Brian O’Neill for $37 million.

The building will become part of his growing biotech-health science empire.

But when the closure of the plant was announced in October, many employees felt like they were losing more than just their workplace.

“It was family,” said Tom “Three Bars” Lafauci, a mailer who got his nickname from the fact that both his father and grandfather worked at the plant.

Most of the affected 500 employees decided to retire after the closure and the rest have already found new jobs. But the feeling of loss remains.

“My whole life. I wanted to yell, ‘Stop the presses,’” said Pat McElwee, the production supervisor. “But now, when I think about it, I don’t want to stop them. I wish they could keep going.”

Read more about the Schuylkill Printing Plant and printing their final issue in The Philadelphia Inquirer.