After 31 Years Minuteman Press In Lebanon Has New Owners

Photos courtesy of Chris Biscuiti Minuteman Press International

LEBANON, Ohio – Minuteman Press in Lebanon, Ohio, has been sold by retiring owners Mike and Karen Geygan, who after spending 31 years of operating the longtime design, marketing, and printing center, turned it into a million dollar business.

New owners Frank and Melissa Hiti are more than exicted about their new adventure. 

New owners Melissa and Frank Hiti

“We are really excited to take over a business that has such an outstanding reputation in the community. As business buyers, we are blown away by the strong foundation that Mike and Karen Geygan built with Minuteman Press in Lebanon. This business is a well-oiled machine thanks to their hard work. Everyone has been so welcoming to us as new owners, and we will continue the path that Mike and Karen set by being a fixture in our community and make sure our business takes care of our customers.”

All of the staff have been retained and will keep working to serve Minuteman Press clients in the community.

Melissa and Frank with their Lebanon Minuteman Press team.

“I am an engineer by trade, with a business degree. I spent my entire career in automotive manufacturing doing sales, engineering, project management, and procurement. I climbed the ladder, but I always had that desire to be an entrepreneur. I felt I was in a good position to find the right opportunity and the right business to purchase. Everything I’ve experienced in the last few weeks since purchasing Minuteman Press has been even better than I expected. The support has been phenomenal from our local field rep Ryan, our team here in Lebanon is simply fantastic, and it’s so much easier to hit the ground running thanks to the strong customer relationships that Mike and Karen Geygan built,” Frank added.

History of the Business

When Mike and Karen Geygan first purchased an existing Minuteman Press franchise in April of 1991, they took over a business that needed some work.

“We bought a 12-year-old shop and we needed to upgrade our equipment and clean things up, so that’s what we did. We liked the business model and the industry, and I really wanted to be involved in my community," explained Mike noting that Lebanon being a rural town, it just seemed like a unique place to own a business.

Mike, who worked in industrial sales, liked that Minuteman Press wanted him... “to focus on running the business, not running a press.”

He continued, “We looked at small businesses, other franchises, and another printing business. With printing, I liked that I would be selling to customers who could become repeat clients. I also found the business hours and employee structure to be appealing, and with Minuteman Press, the royalty cap was a huge plus." 

Mike shared his thoughts on being a franchise owner of  a Minuteman Press.

"It's a franchise that really cares about your success as franchisees. I feel that we get more help and support for the limited royalties we pay than other franchises who don’t have a cap. It’s not just about the dollars, it’s about the work they put in. They adapt and stay current, and the tech team is really cutting edge with everything they put into FLEX.”

Another thing Mike liked was the fact that he was always able to run his business in a rural town in the way he wanted that best fit his community. 

“I always liked that Minuteman Press was hands-off in the sense that we could do what we needed for our business. We can do what works for us in our marketplace and go in the directions we want to go with our products and services as well as our pricing," he explained.

Mike also credits his wife Karen for the businesses' success. 

“Karen worked on the financial side of the business and made sure everything was handled in that area. Her contributions over the years have been invaluable to our bottom line,” he said. 

Growing to a Million-Dollar Business

From 1991 to 1998, Mike, along with his wife Karen and his staff, were able to steadily build the business. They first joined the President’s Million-Dollar Circle in 1998, and they continued to hit that impressive milestone every year for the next 24 years (with the exception of 2020).

Minuteman Press in Lebanon before and after over the years.

“The biggest thing for us early on was growing through word of mouth referrals. We grew significantly based on two key areas: quality and service. It’s all about communication. We talk to our customers, and we are honest with them. If we need to fix something or deliver on a tight deadline, we find a way to get it done,” Mike said.

With new ownership coming in, Mike sees ripe opportunity for growth. “We have a nice foundation in place, but I also see room for growth in wide format, apparel, and automation mailing. There are a lot of studies that show print is more effective than other forms of marketing. I think it’s important to mix in different ways of marketing and use print, internet, and social media channels.”

Selling the Business

Frank explained, “When we started looking to buy a business, I came across a business for sale ad from Minuteman Press. Gary Nowak reached out to me and as we were discussing a couple of different opportunities, we were introduced to Mike Geygan. We liked what we saw on our end with Minuteman Press in Lebanon and now during the transition, we are absolutely thrilled with how things are turning out. We bought the right business for us from great people in Mike and Karen Geygan.”

“We really liked the buyers Frank and Melissa Hiti. We sold the business at a good time for us at a price we were comfortable with before we needed to sell, and while things were going well," Mike added. 

Mike shares the following three keys to selling a business:

1. Have clean financials. 
2. Run a solid business and invest wisely. 
3. A business where the owner is doing everything is worth less to buyers. The company needs to be transferrable to new ownership. Delegate responsibilities to your team, and cross-train your employees. The more they know, the more valuable your business will be at the time of the sale.

Final Reflections & Advice for Others

As Mike and Karen transition to retirement, he reflects on what he’ll miss most. 

“Everybody says it’s the people that make the business, and that’s so true. We love our customers and our employees; they are like family to us. I also love being involved in the community and served on many local boards. Because we deal with such a broad variety of customers and organizations in the printing
business, I was one of the people who knew everyone and so everyone would come to me. I simply loved being able to help and connect others.”

He added, "I am very impressed with our local Minuteman Press field representative Ryan McIntyre who is helping with the transition, as well as the new owners Frank and Melissa Hiti. I know the business is being left in great hands.”

Minuteman Press in Lebanon, Ohio, is located at 101 Dave Avenue, Suite E, Lebanon, OH 45036. For more information, call 513-932-4222 or visit their website: minuteman.com

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