U.S. Army Veteran Joins Minuteman Press Printing Franchise

Keith Besherse served in the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel with over 25 years of service including tours in Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

PUYALLUP, Wash. - October 11, 2017 - The Minuteman Press printing franchise located at 2102 East Main Avenue, #111, in Puyallup, Washington, is proud to welcome U.S. Army Veteran Keith Besherse as the new business partner to long-time owner Marvin Rogers. Minuteman Press in Puyallup is a full-service marketing, design, and printing company that meets the growing needs of today's business professionals.

"We help our clients find and design the printed materials that let them stand out in an information saturated world," says Keith, who has jumped right into the business and is excited to serve his customers. He continues, "We help pick the right stock to complement the customer's imagery and produce high quality prints, then finish the product in ways to ensure the reader is engaged. We succeed only by helping other businesses and non-profits succeed."

As Minuteman Press International continues to expand the products and services available to its franchises, Minuteman Press in Puyallup has followed their lead and made these items available to their customers. Keith says, "We provide wide format printing, and one of our specialties is canvas prints. We also offer a wide variety of window displays, signage, and banners on different materials depending on the customer's needs and expected life-cycle of the product. In addition, promotional products and custom branded apparel are great for our customers. A key objective when we do promotional products and apparel is to ensure the brand colors match with the customer's online presence and paper printed materials. With the Puyallup Fairgrounds hosting the Washington State Fair each September, it is fun to walk through the ShowPlex and see promotional products we provided gaining attention for our customers from the 1 million visitors annually."

Keith sums it up best, adding, "What we produce is practical art. It has to look good to catch the attention of the viewer. But it has to be reasonably priced so the customer can use it to get in front of enough people to reach the right audience."

Transition from Soldier to Minuteman Press Franchise Owner

Keith Besherse is a U.S. Army Veteran who served as a Lieutenant Colonel with over 25 years of service including tours in Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan (as well as serving in Hawaii). Keith knew he wanted to own a business but wasn't sure of the industry he wanted to enter. He found the right fit with Minuteman Press, as Keith explains, "As a transitioning Soldier, I knew the community I wanted to work in but not the particular industry. As a printer, we serve businesses in every industry and non-profits. Instead of working as a middle manager for a company, I get to interact with many companies in a variety of industries."

Keith first met Marvin Rogers at a Puyallup-Sumner Chamber of Commerce event in 2016. Eventually, they agreed to partner together and Keith is thrilled to now be a part of the top-rated Minuteman Press franchise system that he finds to be supportive but not suffocating. Keith says, "There are three key characteristics of the Minuteman Press franchise which are particularly appealing. First, there are NO corporate owned storefronts – the Titus family decided early on that they will focus on supporting franchisees, not competing with them. Second, although there are franchise brokerages in the marketspace, Minuteman Press International does not work through these third parties – MPI focuses on working directly with potential franchisees to ensure both parties are comfortable with the fit. Third, while MPI has a clear and proven model for how the local Minuteman Center should operate, they permit the owner a great deal of latitude in finding a way that works for each individual situation and market."

As a new business owner, both Marvin Rogers and the local support team at Minuteman Press have really helped Keith learn how to manage the business. He states, "Our Area Manager Jayson Kraus and Regional Vice President Chris Jutt have been instrumental in taking a new owner-manager like me from zero printing experience to being able to articulate the importance of quality printing for potential customers. Also, it's a real benefit of franchising with Minuteman Press International that their mass purchasing power means that we don’t have to waste time and energy negotiating with paper suppliers, equipment manufacturers, and service companies, etc. These agreements are already in place and that's a huge asset to us and a real time-saver."

Most Rewarding Thing + Giving Back to the Community

For Keith Besherse, owning a business means he has more flexibility and also is able to help give back to the community. He says, "I enjoy the time flexibility of being my own boss. While I often work more than 60 hours per week, that time is often broken up with personal and social activities during the work day or evenings with the time being made up earlier or later in the day. Being able to directly contribute to the success of non-profit organizations who are trying to make the community a better place to live is personally rewarding. In an Army career, the things one is doing are certainly very important. However, one doesn’t get to choose which of those important activities to participate in."

Keith continues, "We care very much about practical solutions-based approaches to problems in our community. ABSOLUTE Ministries is a local charity with a massive future. They have spent the last nine years refining a mentorship and housing model for individuals who have completed an in-patient rehabilitation program but know going back to the old neighborhood will not have a positive outcome. We have partnered with ABSOLUTE to get their message out as they expand to serve more people."

He adds, "As a member of Downtown Puyallup Rotary we are also committed to supporting the YMCA’s Puyallup Youth Investment Center. Additionally, several school districts rely on us for their printing which allows them to focus on educational outcomes."

Typical Week for the Business

According to Keith, a typical week for the professional staff of the Minuteman Press franchise in Puyallup, Washington "includes regular production meetings to ensure everything is running smoothly in the center and priority projects get the right attention; meeting new businesses to find their needs and what is important to them; several referral networking groups as a way to connect with the business community; social and community groups as a way to give back to the community and learn more about the needs of others; and of course, printing, finishing, packaging, and delivering the products!"

 Business Goals + Advice for Others

What's next for Marvin and Keith's Minuteman Press franchise? Keith answers, "We want to upgrade our primary digital press and are also looking at automated in-line and near-line finishing equipment to help make the production team more efficient and effective. By making these changes we can better serve our customers and that is always our goal."

As for the advice he has for aspiring business owners, Keith says, "Don’t get stuck working 'in' the business. Get out and meet people, and work 'on' the business. Use your public platform to make your community a better place to live.

Be part of the solution to the problems in your local community."

Source: Minuteman Press.