How to Grow Your Print Business by Double-Digit Percentages, Annually

Miller’s Minuteman Press, a graphic design, printing, and mailing company in Owings Mills, MD, has become one of the largest Minuteman Press franchises the old-fashioned way: entrepreneurship, leadership, and hard work. Its sales spiked some 32 percent last year, to nearly $9.9 million, ranking it at #8 on QP's 2015 "Top 100" listing. (See the full report and list beginning on page 12.) Miller's moved up from #20 the prior year, when it had more than a 15 percent sales uptick. Two years ago, Miller's was #26 and sales were less than $6.5 million. The firm presently employs 87 people and is looking to add more talent.

When president, CEO, and founder Keith Miller relocated from South Africa to Baltimore in July 1999 after obtaining the necessary immigration visas and work permits, he arrived, as he put it, “in a new country without any business contacts and a very limited social network. Not knowing American business practices and having limited family and friends to draw experience from, the quest for a business began.”

He found a longstanding Minuteman Press franchise in Baltimore, just south of Pikesville, that was up for sale, its owner in semi-retirement. Though he had no print experience and no contacts in the Baltimore area to draw upon, Miller nonetheless recognized the opportunity. In December of that year he purchased the business and, with a strong work ethic and the determination to implement stringent business principles, has turned it around.

Today, he and its 87 employees operate five locations -- Baltimore, Hunt Valley, Owings Mills, Towson and Westminster -- and generate more than $9 million annually. Its clients include corporate, government and non-profit organizations. Services include strategic marketing, creative graphic design, prepress and typesetting, printing, finishing, mailing, digital communications, custom apparel and promotional products.

The success of the company is built on an entrepreneurial spirit based on hard work, dedication, inspirational and motivational leadership, networking collaborations and team work, said Miller.

“My father has always instilled the philosophy that with hard work and determination, anything is possible,” Miller recounted. “He taught me the value of strong leadership and team work, and it’s this positive and motivational thinking that has guided me along the road to success.”

Little surprise then, that the company he runs exudes what he terms a “can do, will do, happy to” culture that is devoted to growth, team pride and respect. “Our culture is to encourage, motivate and instill ability and skill, and reward honest hard work and a genuine willingness to achieve. We are dedicated to maximizing the potential of our two greatest assets – our employees and our customers.”

Full-service, One-stop Shop

While Miller’s Minuteman initially offered only graphic design and printing services, it has expanded its service offerings over the years and now provides marketing consulting, direct mail, signage and large format, promotional products, customized apparel and copywriting services.

“We also most recently added a digital marketing division overseeing website design and optimization, email and social media marketing,” said Miller. “We recognized that our clients were looking for a full-service, one-stop-shop partner, and offering the additional business segments allows us to better serve them by offering the convenience of having multiple needs met. The additional services allows us to cater to all our clients marketing needs, from concept through completion.”

The year just passed, the most successful in its 15-year history as far as sales, saw the company achieve a great deal: from overseeing the construction of  its new 37,000-sq.-ft. head office and production facility to collecting a host of industry and community awards.

For 2015, Miller says, the emphasis will be on “growing and expanding the company to be as successful as it can and continuing to bring excellence to the print industry. In the coming year, I would like to see the company gaining more market share in the Maryland area and beyond.” He is confident that neither economic nor industry pressures will adversely affect his plans. “We have refused to participate in the economic recession and industry pressures, and have seen continued growth and success over the past 15 years.”

The company is well positioned to compete in a variety of segments. “By acquiring state-of-the-art technology and employing experienced and qualified staff,” Miller feels, “we have managed to position the business between the typical small quick printer, usually run as a mom-and-pop shop, and the large-format commercial printer where the capital investment is very large, requiring a steady inflow of long runs to feed the beast.” This differentiation, he adds, has set the business apart from other printers and allows it to compete with both quick and commercial printers.

“Having our own central production facility, which allows us to deliver in a cost effective and timely manner, gives us the capability of delivering from concept to completion without having to outsource,” he says. Strategically investing in technology, equipment and people, along with the firm’s commitment to operating using “solid, sensible business practices, have been major contributing factors ensuring our increasing growth, even in a down and struggling economy, as demonstrated in our sales figures.”

The future, then, looks bright. “We continue to deliver unsurpassed customer service and top-quality products at competitive prices,” Miller concludes, “while actively staying on top of the market trends and exploring ways to capitalize on the changing business landscape. We choose not to participate in the recession, and continue to display the entrepreneurial spirit required to succeed during these tough economic times.”