Minuteman Press is a full-service design, print, and marketing center based out of Springdale, Arkansas. Their goal is to serve their entire community, from one-person startups to Fortune 500 giants, by producing “anything you can put a name, image, or logo on”.
And they’re one of the best in the business.
However, the company lacked the ability to print and finish their own labels internally. Despite having all the design capability, Minuteman Press simply didn’t have the machines to produce this popular product.
They could still service customers by working with third parties, but without full control over the supply chain, this caused a series of problems.
In-house printing with Afinia Label equipment offered a better, faster, more reliable way to deliver labels with immediate benefits:
- More customer reach and retention
- Higher profit margins
- Faster and better customer service
Outsourcing risks outweigh benefits
Outsourcing caused inevitable delays. Every time a customer requested a quote or changes to an order, Ron and his team had to request information from their suppliers (which could take days) before relaying this to the customer.
Inability to control the pricing, production or shipment of labels forced Minuteman Press into the role of middleman. Because of high minimum order thresholds, Minuteman Press was regularly forced to order more stock than needed, at a high cost per label, cutting into already tight margins.
Delivery of physical proofs was slow and often delayed, while any faults in production were entirely outside of Minuteman Press’ control.
For a company whose reputation was built on the ability to meet custom orders and deliver extra-mile customer service at every turn, this reliance on outsourcing stung deeply.
One solution for all problems
When the first Covid-19 shutdown happened—and the lead times and costs for external orders went through the roof—the company decided to buy its own printing and finishing equipment. After consulting with the Afinia Label team, Minuteman Press brought in two machines that would resolve all of their label production issues.
The L801 color label printer and DLF-220L finishing machine were quickly shipped and all training was delivered remotely, to comply with current social distancing rules.
The Minutemen Press team got everything set up and, after a short learning curve, were quickly producing their own labels.
“Afinia was able to work with us over video to install and train us, and it went pretty well. They have worked with us to solve any issues we have had, and offered great customer service.”
—Ron Amos, owner of Minuteman Press, Springdale AR
Throughout this process, Minuteman Press worked with our sales, training, and customer support teams—a luxury afforded to all Afinia Label customers, to ensure they get off to the best possible start with their products.
Business is booming
The impact for Minuteman Press and their customers was immediate. With total control over their costs, the company could provide rapid and accurate quotes. Even better, they could offer increased flexibility and work directly with customers to create the perfect result for every order.
All shipments—from physical proofs to complex bulk orders—were delivered faster and more reliably. Without high fees and minimum orders, the shop’s profit margin increased considerably, along with the team’s productivity. Another boost to cash flow was faster payment from customers, who were receiving their labels much earlier than before.
“We are the only printer in the area that can produce roll labels in house. This has increased our market share and capabilities tremendously.”
—Ron Amos, owner of Minuteman Press, Springdale AR
Upselling has also become easier, with impressed customers returning to order additional products like business cards, brochures or signage on top of their labels.
And crucially for a print shop that thrives on customization and nailing the customer’s needs, Minuteman Press can now offer rush services—something that was impossible with outsourced printing.
When asked for a personal quote about his experience with his new label printing machines, owner Ron Amos simply said he was proud to present customers with their new in-house labels.
If your business is facing similar challenges to Minuteman Press, use the form below to inquire about our products or share your situation, and we’ll do our best to help.
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