By Jim Hagerty
Reporter

LOVES PARK – A longtime local commercial printing company is expanding to keep up with industry standards.

Meridian Direct’s $6 million project will bring three of its Rockford-area locations into one at 4805 Interstate Blvd., Loves Park. The building will house 100 employees and include more than 50,000 square feet of office, warehouse, and manufacturing space.

Construction is slated to be completed next spring.

Bob Chanson and Bruce Vorel started Meridian Direct more than 40 years ago and grew the company into one of the area’s premier printing companies. Today, it serves four major industries with commercial, trades-show displays, labels, online storefronts, branded merchandise, website design, direct mail and more.

“We are evolving as products evolve,” Chanson said. “Eight-one percent of the products we sold 20 years ago do not exist or are a very small segment of our offering. It’s all gone to digital and wide-format printing as well as branded merchandise and apparel.”

Meridian Direct has two Loves Park locations, 8173 Starwood Drive and 8198 Commerce Drive. It also has locations in downtown Rockford, Janesville, Sycamore, Arlington Heights, Schiller Park, and Delavan.