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Meet One of Minuteman Press' Newest Million Dollar Franchise Owners

As a result of his yearly gross sales in 2022, David Ogden of Florida is one of the newest members of the Minuteman Press International President’s Club for top performers.

By Luca Piacentini1851 Franchise Managing Editor
SPONSOREDUpdated 9:58 AM • 09/11/23

Minuteman Press International, a leading franchise in the printing industry with nearly 1,000 locations, is all about providing both new and existing entrepreneurs with a reliable pathway to growth. Just take David Ogden of Naples, Florida — one of Minuteman’s Million Dollar Owners. From acquisitions to strategic growth strategies, Ogden’s journey with Minuteman Press is a testament to the strength of the franchise's business model and the opportunities it presents to its owners.

A Journey of Growth and Success

Ogden originally took the reins of the Minuteman Press franchise in Naples in January 2021. His decision to join the Minuteman Press franchise was rooted in his previous experience as a printing company owner in Cairo, Egypt. When he moved to Naples in 2013, he sought a franchise that offered robust support, a rich history and a promising future. Minuteman Press ticked all these boxes.

“I owned a printing company in Cairo while my family and I lived there,” Ogden said. “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.”

Within a short span of two years, Ogden saw an astounding 400% year-over-year sales growth in his Minuteman Press business. This meteoric rise was propelled by the strategic acquisition of Sunbelt Printing, a local print shop, in September 2022, a move that synergized the strengths of both businesses.

Such achievements have not gone unnoticed. Ogden’s exceptional performance has earned him a coveted spot in the Minuteman Press International President’s Club, an accolade reserved for the franchise's top performers.

Why Minuteman Press?

Ogden says there are several reasons why he originally chose Minuteman Press. “The company's history, the clear and present franchise support and its capped royalty structure stood out,” he said. “From day one of the training program, I knew Minuteman Press was the right franchise brand for me."

The unwavering support from Minuteman Press International, especially during challenging times like paper supply chain issues, further solidified Ogden’s confidence in the franchise. With guidance from regional representatives like Larry Trimble and Mark Geller, Ogden adopted a “failure is not an option” approach, which has been instrumental in his success.

Strategies for Success

When it comes to how he has been able to grow his business so rapidly, Ogden says there are several attributes of the Minuteman business model and support infrastructure that position him for scalability.

For example, one of the keys, Odgen says, is the ability to offer high-demand products and services.“We have a large direct mail customer that does 6-10K pieces of first-class mail per day with us,” he said. “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.”

Another benefit is the ability to leverage best practices from other franchise owners in the Minuteman network. “I learned a great deal at the Minuteman Press World Expo last year and took those ideas back to my team,” said Ogden. “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 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.”

Perhaps one of the biggest factors in Ogden’s growth was the strategic acquisition of Sunbelt Printing, which was made simple due to Minuteman Press’ conversion program.

“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,” said Ogden. “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.”

But no matter how big the business gets, Ogden says really listening to customers will always remain key. “I make time to meet and talk to customers at our front desk,” Ogden said. “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.”

Looking Ahead

Now, with plans to potentially acquire another independent printer, the future looks promising for Ogden and his Minuteman Press in Naples.

“We are excited to keep serving our clients with high quality printing, marketing and mailing services,” said Ogden. “I love building relationships with our customers and look forward to continuing to grow together.”

For those hoping to one day join Minuteman’s President’s Club, Ogden's success story with Minuteman Press serves as an inspiring testament to the brand's robust business model and unwavering support system.

To establish a Minuteman Press franchise, the initial investment can vary based on the location, size and equipment needs. However, the total initial investment generally ranges from approximately $100,000 to $150,000. Minuteman Press also offers financing options for qualified buyers, which may put the initial investment at approximately $45,000 to $55,000. To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/minuteman/info 

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