SHAPCO PRINTING — BROTHERS BOUND BY INK

May 2006 By KRISTEN E. MONTE
Associate Editor

multipage

A FAMILY owned printing company is not unusual. But one that was started by three 20-something brothers, which has endured 30 years of growth and that’s debt-free, is surely note-worthy.

Today, Shapco Printing is one of the largest sheetfed commercial printers in Minnesota. Located in downtown Minneapolis, this full-service company offers computer-to-plate, offset and digital printing, binding, kitting, and mailing and fulfillment services. Shapco has up to eight-color, 40˝ printing capabilities on paper (up to 40-pt. board) and plastic substrates.

Joel Shapiro, 51, along with his co-owner brothers Robert, 50, and Alan, 56, have built a competitive edge based on their high-end printing capabilities combined with quick turnarounds.

“We do whatever is necessary,” says Joel Shapiro. “We will work longer hours, increase capacity—whatever it takes. Our value is in providing fast service. By the time other printers have shown the proof, we already have the job done.”

The brothers Shapiro have printing in their blood. Their father owned a 10-employee shop, American Color Press in Minneapolis, for about 20 years. Due to a terminal illness, though, he was forced to sell the company in 1972. Four years later, his son Robert began pondering career options after graduating from the University of Minnesota. Robert had always enjoyed the printing business growing up, so he decided to start his own company.

Humble Beginnings

“We started with one part-time employee,” recalls Joel Shapiro. “Sales in year one were $124,000 and Bob worked 100 hours per week.”

Joel and his older brother, Alan, also put in as many hours as they could, even though they were still full-time students. Over the next year, Joel graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in accounting and Alan completed law school. After one tax season and one year as a prosecutor, respectively, both brothers decided to join Robert full-time.

Shapco spent its first three years in what was known as the Edison Building in downtown Minneapolis. They had one major account, printing carbonless forms and brochures, which Joel says held their business together.

“Initially, we were only able to print relatively simple, two-color jobs,” he recalls. “Our largest press was 23x29˝.”

The operation eventually moved six blocks to its current location. Shapco Printing is now home to 113 full-time and 12 part-time employees. The main building is 53,000 square feet; they also rent a 30,000-square-foot facility two blocks away, which is used for pick-and-pack and fulfillment. The company outsources all of its deliveries.

• MORE ON
• SHEETFED OFFSET PRINTING