Shapco Printing Gets a New Lease on Life with Capex Infusion, New Location

"We had leveled out (sales-wise) and become a second-tier printer," Shapiro notes. "In 1988, I decided to change the direction of the company and become a first-rate, top-shelf, primo-quality operation."

It wasn't long before Shapco Printing knocked it out of the park in regards to quality—more on that in a moment—and there's an interesting correlation with the old Minneapolis neighborhood that runs parallel with Shapco's transformation from down-and-dirty job printer to high-end, quality-critical artisan shop. Major League Baseball's Minnesota Twins moved into their new park, Target Field, which is located diagonally across the street from Shapco's old building. As a result, all light and heavy transit rail emanated from Shapiro's front door. The neighborhood, once the "armpit of Minneapolis," is now prime, expensive and highly desirable.