The Denver printing business run by three generations of the Hirschfeld family said Tuesday it will stop the presses for good at the end of the month.

Known as National Hirschfeld since a 2005 merger, the local dynasty managed to survive for more than a century in the face of stiff competition and widespread industry consolidation, holding on to some clients and employees for decades.

"The company finds itself facing many of the same glum economy-based issues businesses and individuals are facing across this country and around the world," the company's chairman, Barry Hirschfeld, said in a statement.

In a letter announcing the decision to his 250 employees, Hirsch feld wrote: "Continuing to operate is just not an option."

Some employees leaving work outside the company's Smith Road plant said they were shocked to learn of their company's fate. Some shared tears and hugs. One employee, leaving with a freshly printed batch of resumes, expressed some relief because of the uncertainty that has faced the company during a tough economy.

A.B. Hirschfeld started the business in 1907 in front of a corner grocery at 17th and Larimer streets, when he was just a teenager. His son, Edward, joined him at an early age and eventually took over the growing business before handing it down to Barry Hirsch feld in 1984.

Years later, he rejected the idea of selling the company, even though his children chose to pursue careers in other fields.

The company in late 2005 merged with competitor, National Printing & Packaging, in a bid to capitalize on mounting demand for digital printing.

"It's somewhat remarkable and pretty unusual for a family business to still be operating after three generations," Barry Hirschfeld told the Rocky in September 2007, just before the company's 100th anniversary. "It's a passion that my grandfather and my father and I have shared."

He vowed never to retire. "My father died with his boots on. He worked up until the last day."

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper called National Hirschfeld "a Denver legend. News of its closure is heartbreaking to all of us who appreciate it as a first-rate business and an important contributor to the entire community. We wish only the best for the Hirschfeld family and the company's 250 employees during this challenging time."

Denver City Councilman Charlie Brown characterized the closure as "a loss for Denver. I'm in deep shock," Brown said. "Barry is a Denver fixture, and the Hirschfeld family's done so much for this community."

The three generations of Hirschfelds have been active in the community and become well known for promoting tourism and philanthropy.

"I'm saddened because to me the Hirschfelds represent everything that's good about Denver," said Richard Scharf, CEO of Visit Denver, the city's convention and visitors bureau.

The founder became a high-profile figure in Colorado, belonging to a variety of organizations, serving in the state legislature for 14 years, co-owning the Denver Bears baseball team and then the Broncos.

He was a huge baseball fan, attending every World Series from 1919 to 1957. The former Hirschfeld Press headquarters sat at Speer Boulevard and Broadway in an art deco building shaped like a baseball diamond.

kelleyj@RockyMountain

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Rocky reporters James Paton and Tillie Fong contributed to this report.