New York State In-depth

Minuteman Press Franchise in Huntington, NY Celebrates 45th Anniversary and Record Monthly Sales

HUNTINGTON, NY – John Titus is the owner of one of Minuteman Press’s first franchise locations, which opened in July 1977 in Huntington, NY. With over 45 years in business, John and his team at Minuteman Press in Huntington have continued to build on their established foundation and grow sales. This includes her milestone of achieving record monthly sales for her company in 2022.

Direct mail at every door drives sales growth

John credits the recent sales growth to his booming Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) business, which local businesses use to advertise themselves along USPS transportation routes. He shares, “We do a tremendous amount of EDDM which my son Greg has really jumped on and helped grow over the years into what it is today. In our first year of promoting EDDM, we ran 50 campaigns. To date we have run about 2,500 EDDM campaigns and average about 300 EDDMs per year.”

John continues, “Our EDDM shipments range from 500 postcards to 100,000 postcards. We have real estate agencies, landscapers and contractors who use us for EDDM. During our record sales month we had high volume EDDM mailings to customers at least every week, some of which were sent every 5 days or even every 3 days.”

He adds: “I’ve always been organized and like to focus on the details. With direct mailing campaigns, it is important not only to design the mailing correctly, but also to think about how the mailing will be sent and which transport routes will be chosen. For example, we have half a dozen customers who send 10,000 EDDM postcards a month and I think they appreciate our attention to detail.”

Evolution of Printing

Like many of the Minuteman Press shops originally established, Minuteman Press in Huntington began by offering traditional quick printing services. John says, “We did what Minuteman Press did back then, doing 1 and 2 color work, offering ‘color days’ to our customers and providing great service for our products.”

Today, John has evolved and followed the lead of Minuteman Press International, which provides digital printing, in-house large format printing and EDDM services. He also wants to further expand his clothing business. He says, “We’re definitely looking to produce more shirts and apparel for our customers that need them, like restaurants and contractors.”

“I think print has a long lifespan compared to other forms of advertising like TV/radio and online advertising. From signs we see to business cards and postcards in people’s hands, print definitely sticks and isn’t easily forgotten.” -John Titus, owner, Minuteman Press, Huntington, NY

3 keys to success and longevity

When asked what has made his Minuteman Press franchise successful over the years, John offers the following three keys:

“With a locally owned and operated print shop like ours versus online competitors, our customers know they can pick up the phone and talk to us. People like to talk to people, and business owners like to do business with other local businesses.

“We know that if we do a good job and deliver on our promises, we will continue to do business. I would say 90% of our customers are repeat customers who continue to order from us.”

“We continue to market our business in a variety of ways, following the leadership of Minuteman Press International. This includes our website/email, social media and our own direct mail campaigns.”

Another key to John’s success is that Minuteman Press in Huntington remains a family business and his son Greg is an integral part of the business. John says: “Greg joined us in 2009 and has been with us ever since. He jumped into the EDDM side of the business and helped us grow that part of it and he always has great ideas and a fresh perspective to bring.”

“We wouldn’t be where we are today without our son Greg joining the business in 2009 and doing such a great job over the past 13 years. He is one of the most important reasons for our continued success and new growth.” – Johannes Titus

A real family business

As a result of their hard work and growth over the past 45 years, Minuteman Press has three full-time employees and three part-time employees in Huntington, alongside owners John, Gina and Greg. John shares, “Owning this business has brought us both economic benefits and flexibility in our lives. Greg has also added a lot to the business and it’s great to keep it going with the family.”

John also shares his own take on Minuteman Press International from someone who has seen the franchise from the start. He says, “I feel Minuteman Press International has done a fantastic job and perhaps the team at World HQ doesn’t get enough credit. When Roy Titus was in charge, he focused on growing from our original ten stores to nearly 1,000 centers today.”

He continues, “Under the leadership of Bob Titus, the support system that was put in place for all of these locations across five countries was outstanding and second to none. Even with Nick Titus as President today and how he has helped us navigate the pandemic while bringing new ideas to the company, I cannot say enough about their hard work and leadership.”

John concludes, “As a franchisee, Minuteman Press helps us in so many ways and I would be overwhelmed to do it all on my own. They have provided us with supplier agreements, special contracts, FLEX software, local support, marketing programs and now a brand new website that they have built. The support and progress I’ve seen firsthand has been tremendous, to say the least.”

Minuteman Press of Huntington is located at 46 Gerard St., Huntington, NY 11743. Visit their website for more information: https://minuteman.com/us/locations/ny/huntington/

Learn more about Minuteman Press’s #1 Rated Franchise Opportunities and view Minuteman Press Franchise Reviews at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

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