Press Release

Owner David Ogden Talks Acquisitions, Relocation, High-Demand Products, and Following the Minuteman Press Franchise System

NAPLES, Fla. – David Ogden purchased the Minuteman Press franchise in Naples, Florida, in January 2021. In the two years since the purchase, David has successfully grown the business by expanding high-demand products and services as well as the key acquisition of independent printing business Sunbelt Printing in September 2022. David says, “The resulting sales growth in business after bringing Minuteman Press and Sunbelt Printing together is over 400% year-over-year.”

Around the same time as the acquisition and planned relocation to a new 4,100 sq. ft. facility, Hurricane Ian hit Florida on September 28, 2022. David shares, “What an experience. I purchased Sunbelt Printing and found a new building to move into. The movers were scheduled to get us moved on September 28, 2022. It turns out it was the same day Hurricane Ian hit the Naples/Ft. Meyers area. Needless to say, the move was postponed, and all of our original planning was out the window. Finding contractors to get the electricity where we needed it and all the other moving parts involved had to be reorganized and rescheduled.”

David continues, “We did it, and it took more time and patience than I expected, but we finally succeeded and are now in our 4,100-square-foot facility. We have grown really fast since the move and the acquisition, so it’s a good thing we were able to overcome Hurricane Ian and complete the move.” 

Today, Minuteman Press in Naples is located at 771 Airport Rd. N., Units 4 & 5, Naples, FL 34104. 

Minuteman Press franchise, Naples, FL storefront.

Journey from Cairo, Egypt to Naples, FL

David Ogden first moved to Naples in 2013. He shares, “I owned a printing company in Cairo, Egypt, while my family and I lived there. When we left in 2013 and moved to Naples, I still owned the printing company in Egypt, and my brother-in-law took over day-to-day management. Today, I own Minuteman Press in Naples as well as two other companies not in the printing industry.”

As someone with experience in the printing industry and as a business owner, David explains why he chose to join the Minuteman Press franchise family: “I chose Minuteman for several reasons. First, it was an existing franchise and a ‘fixer-upper.’ I also liked the company's history, the clear and present franchise support, and of course, their capped royalty structure. Finally, I knew from the day I started the training program for new owners with Mike Jutt and Pete Taglino that I had made the right decision and Minuteman Press was the right franchise brand for me.”

David continues, “I did my homework before buying Minuteman Press in Naples, and I talked to many existing owners. All of them agreed the support received from Minuteman Press International was outstanding. After purchasing the business and when the paper supply chain issues occurred, it shook me at first. But then I had a great conversation with our Regional VP Larry Trimble, who helped put it in perspective and provided guidance. From that day forward, I have taken the ‘failure is not an option’ approach, and it has worked out great. I have fantastic support from our regional rep Mark Geller, and Larry Trimble. They are part of our team, know my business well, and are part of our success.”
 
3 Keys to Growing the Business

David highlights the following three key ways he has grown the business over the past two years: 

• Providing high-demand products and services, including direct mail. “We have a large direct mail customer that does 6-10K pieces of first-class mail per day with us. We also have many smaller customers that do various-size mailings and Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) postcards. Mailing is about 20% of our business and a fast growth area, and so we are investing in direct mail even further with new equipment.”
• Listening to clients and meeting their needs. “I make time to meet and talk to customers at our front desk. I always ask new customers, ‘What other kind of printing do you use?’ About 70% of the time, I discover new potential business. For example, our very large direct mail customer came from asking that one simple question, which added $30K per month in new revenue.”
• Learning from other owners by attending the Minuteman Press World Expo. “I learned a great deal at the Minuteman Press World Expo last year and took those ideas back to my team. As a result, we have increased a lot of central facility work, which has benefited our business's overall mix. One of the best takeaways from the Expo was the President’s Million-Dollar Owners panel, where successful owners from all across Minuteman Press answer questions from other franchisees. I sat and listened to every one of them talking about buying independent printers and merging them into their own businesses. I decided then and there to go home and buy another printer. Six weeks later, I purchased Sunbelt Printing.”

Minuteman Press franchise, Naples, FL – Owner David Ogden (3rd from left) and team.

Acquisition of Sunbelt Printing

The acquisition of Sunbelt Printing certainly proved to be a huge boost for Minuteman Press in Naples. David shares, 
“Minuteman Press sends out regular mailings to independent printers asking them if they have a plan to retire or have an exit strategy, and they explain the benefits of selling their business with the help of Minuteman Press International. The owner of Sunbelt Printing was looking to sell and was ready to retire. After many meetings with that owner and weeks of negotiating, I bought Sunbelt Printing and merged that business into my existing business. Both were about equal in revenue per month at the time of the merger, and as I said previously, the resulting growth in business after bringing the two together is over 400% year-over-year.”

David continues, “Our regional rep Mark Geller helped coordinate and execute the merger of the two businesses. He also helped us with specialty contractors to get equipment like large cutters moved and re-installed. In addition, Mark regularly helps me train new employees.”

What’s next for David Ogden and Minuteman Press in Naples? David answers, “We are excited to keep serving our clients with high quality printing, marketing, and mailing services. I love building relationships with our customers and look forward to continuing to grow together. I’m also in talks with another independent printer about buying their business. We will see where that leads us.”

Minuteman Press in Naples is located at 771 Airport Rd. N., Units 4 & 5, Naples, FL 34104.