Phillips Publishing LLC was officially established in 2019 when veteran publisher Dennis Phillips was offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by Jim Moser of Moser Community Media. After a decade of service in Hearne, Texas—a town few others sought to lead—Phillips had made the Robertson County News profitable for the first time in decades. Moser offered to sell him the newspaper, and Phillips eagerly stepped into ownership once again. His journey in publishing began in Austin, Texas in 1989 as an advertising designer for top firms including GSD&M, the Austin American-Statesman, and The Austin Chronicle. By 29, he retired from Austin’s media scene and returned to his hometown of Johnson City, where he launched the Johnson City Free Press, followed by papers in Blanco and Marble Falls. These would ultimately close following the post-9/11 economic downturn, but Phillips’ path led him to mentorship under Texas newspaper legend Jim Chionsini and partner Mark Henry. In 2009, Phillips reunited with Henry and began reviving struggling Texas newspapers—seeing it as a way to preserve community history. Under Moser’s ownership, the Robertson County News became part of a stable corporate model, and Phillips found satisfaction in steering it to success. Then in 2025, another call changed his course. Austin Lewter, director of the Texas Center for Community Journalism, told Phillips the Silsbee Bee was on the brink of closure. “You’re it,” Lewter said. “You’re the only one I know that can take this paper and save it.” Phillips visited Silsbee in early May and was inspired by the passion of the Bee's staff. “They weren’t trying to save their jobs; they were trying to save their newspaper,” Phillips said. “I figured the least I could do was help them—so I bought the paper.” The Silsbee Bee, a storied and award-winning publication, offered the ideal ingredients for a thriving community newspaper—dedicated readers, strong advertisers, hard-working journalists, and engaged schools and local government. “It’s what I call the trifecta in community newspapers,” Phillips said. “The community loves their paper, relies on it, and wants it to succeed. Our goal is to give it back to them—better than we found it.” With a community-first philosophy, Phillips emphasizes stewardship over ownership: “The Silsbee Bee is over 100 years old. I’m not the first publisher, and if I do my job right, I won’t be the last. I’m the curator of a century-old piece of Hardin County history. This paper belongs to the people. I may have the keys, but the community holds the title.” Phillips Publishing now owns and operates the Robertson County News, Franklin Advocate, and Silsbee Bee, with additional titles such as the Bremond Gazeta and Calvert Tribune under its care but not currently in print. The company took official ownership of the Silsbee Bee on June 1, 2025.