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E-Bay ad turns software programmer into small-town newspaper publisher

Bob Willis is an unlikely newspaperman.

In the 1990s, Willis developed software for a large company in Scottsdale, Arizona, his hometown. During the technology boom at the end of the last century, Willis’ company was sold to a software developer in Denver, Colorado. When he was offered a position with the new firm, Willis moved with his family to the Mile High City.

Willis had a good job and a nice home in Denver. Things were going just as planned until September 11, 2001, when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

“Ninety-five percent of our software development was for the FAA,” Willis said. “After 9/11, they requested that we stop all work because they needed to focus their resources on homeland security.”

Almost immediately after the attack, Willis lost his job.

“We had a big-dollar mortgage and a family to support,” said Willis. “But instead of feeling angry and depressed, my wife and I tried to put things into perspective. We decided tragic things happen in the world and this was our opportunity to really decide what was important to us. Where do we want to live? What do we want to do?”

Soon after, Willis was dabbling on his computer and decided to check into the businesses for sale on E-Bay. There he saw a listing for a weekly newspaper in a small town in Nebraska. The ad read: "make a difference in your community”.

“It piqued my interest,” Willis said.

Just a month after the World Trade Center attacks, on October 13, the Willis family visited Curtis, Nebraska, met the owners of the newspaper, then called the Hi-Line Enterprise, and looked at the financials.

“A crystallizing moment for me happened when I saw bicycles parked in the school yard, and not one was locked,” said Willis. “I truly did not believe that places like this still existed in the world.”

Since the Willis family bought the business, profits have risen and circulation and readership have increased.

“We attribute our success to our energy, use of technology, and application of business principles to the newspaper business,” Willis said. “We print the news that is important to citizens in Frontier County.”

Understanding how technology can be applied to business and especially the publishing business is among the strengths of the Willis partnership. Upon purchase, their office was equipped with three old computers and one modem with a dial-up connection. Willis immediately built a network, purchased state of the art software, added digital photography equipment, and applied technology in dozens of other ways to improve the product and reduce the costs.

“We enjoy the small town lifestyle, the people we meet, and the relationships we have developed,” Willis said. “All in all, it was a pretty good move.”

Who to Contact...

Frontier County Enterprise
Bob Willis, Publisher
P.O. Box 85
Curtis, NE 69025
(308) 367-4144
bob@hilineenterprise.com

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