Minuteman Press Owners Continue Rapid Expansion Into Burlington

With a combined experience in the printing world totaling over 40 years, Chris Bassett, age 49, and Mark Cassidy, age 48, have seen it all. The pair met while working at Unigraphic Color Corporation 12 years ago and knew that they had the potential to be great business partners. When the economy collapsed, Basset and Cassidy watched as many of their coworkers were laid off from their jobs.

“It was a difficult time,” Bassett said. “All these people around us were losing their jobs and we couldn’t do anything to stop that. Never wanting to experience something like that again, we decided to go into business for ourselves.”

In 2009 Bassett and Cassidy opened Minuteman Press at 1527 Middlesex Street, serving the Merrimac Valley region. The skills they brought from their previous experience proved a valuable asset—following the success of that first store, they’ve since opened two more locations: one location in Nashua, New Hampshire, opened in 2012, and their newest, in Burlington, Massachusetts, opened earlier this year. The key to their success has been a willingness to keep up with current trends, coupled with a focus on customer service-driven business ethics.

“We’re very technologically savvy,” Bassett said. “We use technology to our advantage, and because of that we’re able to satisfy any request our customers bring to us. Our ability to leverage technology, plus our network of three locations in close proximity, allow us to turn things around quickly and efficiently. That’s what we’ve built a reputation on.”

Bassett and Cassidy have also taken their press work beyond the standard printing and promotional jobs that typically come through their door. Since 2010 they have been partnering with the US Postal Service through the Every Door Direct Mail service to help customers utilize mailers and marketing promotions, all of which they do in-house.

“We’re all about finding the most cost-effective way for our customers to get their message out,” Basset said. “We take care of our customers, because we know they will take care of us.

Minuteman Press International offers products and services to consumers and businesses alike, including anything from digital print and design to brand identity. Minuteman Press opened in 1973 and began franchising in 1975. Today, there are more than 925 locations in six countries, including the U.S., Aruba, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. Minuteman Press aims to grow to more than 1,000 franchises within the next three years.