The front yard is irrigated sod. It looks very impressive because of the wide frontage on Fiechtner Drive. |
The flower garden and architectural lines near the front door will create a warm welcome for our customers. |
Express Press - 1983 |
Express Press - 1990 |
Mike Stevens was selling used cars in 1982 when he asked the owner of Service Printers if he'd ever thought about selling. As it turned out, the small printing company was about to be offered for sale. Mike assumed ownership in 1983. The purchase included a small but profitable printing business, an office supply store, a two-story brick building in downtown Fargo, North Dakota, and a ton of old equipment. (If you can believe it, on the day Mike was given a key, a hot lead Linotype machine was still in daily operation.) From 1983 to 1985, the print shop was operated by Mike as an absentee-owned business. That wasn't a good idea, and by the end of 1985, sales had dropped from $25,000 a month to $10,000 a month. Fearing bankruptcy, Mike quit his job as a used car salesman to become the manager of his newly named company-Express Press. A lot of people predicted that Express Press would fail, because Mike had no experience in the printing industry, and 60% of his customers had left during the first two years of his ownership. To turn things around, Mike persuaded his dad, Jerry, to leave retirement and help out for awhile, and then he hired a top-notch front counter girl. (Sorry, that's what they were called back then.) Things finally started to get better and soon the print shop had a positive cash flow again. A big break came in 1987 when Mike began to send a series of monthly direct mail advertisements to the businesses in Fargo. The mailing began to make a difference. Mike's mailing list started at about 500, and he added the names of additional businesses monthly as he could afford it. With each passing month, it seemed that there were a few more phone calls and bid requests than there were the previous month. The phone kept ringing and more customers were visiting. After four years of monthly direct mail advertising, sales had grown to $60,000 per month and the mailing list had grown to include more than 4,000 businesses. Sales kept increasing and soon there were four full-time project managers at the front counter entering an average of 250 tickets each, per month. It sounds like an exaggeration, but on many days, customers would stand in line to buy printing. One customer joked that the lobby of our print shop looked like "McDonald's at lunchtime." Express Press had become a real success, and many industry awards for excellence and good management followed. In 1995, Mike made a decision to move his printing business from the downtown location to a new spot located near the big shopping mall in Fargo. Things changed dramatically as the size of the print shop went from 6,800 sq. ft. to over 15,000 sq. ft. The new building had room for a new Heidelberg SM-52 five-color press, and two paper cutters, six small presses and a large assortment of bindery and mailing services equipment. Sales grew to astonishing numbers (at the time) for a quick printing operation. It was not unusual for monthly sales to exceed $230,000, with monthly profits exceeding $35,000. Mike eventually added a new lobby to the building, because he wanted Express Press to maintain the look and feel of a quick print shop. Express Press continued operations until October of 2006, when it was sold to a larger graphic arts firm that had its home office in Fargo. It was a great 23 years, and Mike will tell you that nothing in business will ever compare to the feeling of building and operating a successful printing business … He may have sold his printing business, but ink will always remain in his blood. <Back to the top> |
Interesting, Odd, and Unique Facts about Express Press
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Mike Stevens, Owner |
Why Mike Sold...
If you were to ask Mike if he ever thought he’d sell his print shop, he’d tell you, No, not in a million years. Mike had printing in his blood. He was a printer, is a printer and will always be a printer. He’s the guy who named his first-born daughter Paige, because it just sounded like the perfect name for a daughter of a printer. Mike is the guy who wrote the popular inspirational poster called I Am A Printer which describes why printing is the most important occupation in America. So, what happened? Why did Mike decide to sell Express Press? The answer is this: the deal was right. Express Press had been a very successful and highly publicized printing business nationally, as well as one of the top locally owned businesses in his hometown community of Fargo, North Dakota. Well, one day Mathison’s, a well-established local graphic arts company, made Mike an offer he couldn’t refuse. The numbers were just too good to pass up. The deal came out of nowhere, and within 22 hours, there was a handshake deal. Earnest money was deposited, the paperwork completed, and Express Press transferred ownership and moved into its new location within 30 days. The original Express Press building shown here was sold to a group of successful plastic surgeons, who in turn leased it out as rental property. Later, Mike said of his deal, It was like getting paid twice. For 23 years I was fortunate enough to earn a very good income in the printing business. Then, I sold my company and got paid again! I was able to use the proceeds to structure a very good annuity income for my young family that will continue to provide for them long after I’m gone. It wasn’t how I envisioned my printing career going, but it was a very smart choice and a good business decision. The additional good news is that the sale of Express Press has allowed Mike to remain involved full-time in the printing business. As most of you know, he owns two other very successful marketing companies which function as advertising agencies for the printing industry. One of them, WebsitesForPrinters, has provided websites for printers in over 400 cities, while his other company, Ink Inc., provides direct mail advertising programs and sales systems for printers in over 500 cities. Mike continues to work daily. You can contact him at: Mike Stevens 3137 32nd Ave. S. Fargo, ND 58103 1-800-736-0688 MikeStevens@Gutenblog.com <Back to the top> |