Sue Freeman

My husband and I have written 14 outdoor recreation guidebooks for Central and Western NY State. We searched the region for hiking, backpacking and biking trails, trails to waterfalls, cross-country ski and snowshoeing trails. We’ve also explored the waterways for canoeing and kayaking. Along the way we were intrigued by exotic cobblestone buildings. For a different kind of fun, we researched cobblestone history and wrote a biking or driving tour guide.

Before forming Footprint Press (www.footprintpress.com) 11 years ago, we both worked at Eastman Kodak Company. We endured successive layoffs, each time wondering if our turn would be next. Finally we decided that was no way to live and decided to go on a long hike. We spent 6 months walking from Georgia to Maine on the Appalachian Trail.

At the end of 6 months our bodies were tired, sore, and skinny, but we didn’t want to stop hiking. We also didn’t want to go job hunting. So, we researched and wrote our first “Take A Hike” guidebook and launched Footprint Press.

While marketing our guidebooks we’d try to get stores, such as bike shops, to display our books near the cash register. We couldn’t find display stands in low quantities and at a reasonable price, so Rich decided to make some. People began asking us where we got them, so another business was born. We set up DisplayStands4You.com, developed 14 models and began production. Take a look at http://www.displaystands4you.com.