Pure Innovation: Introducing a New Era of Online Printing
The sign of a successful company is growth. But what happens when you outgrow where you work? At Smartpress, we move to a new location that supports our clients, employees and premium online printing.
With new digs comes new roommates (our parent company, The Bernard Group) but not new neighbors – our headquarters are still rooted in our community, just a mile and half down the road. See how this move bolsters our evolution and why it matters for our clients.
Key Takeaways
- Smartpress’ new campus consolidates resources, allowing for faster, higher-quality service for clients, while maintaining premium standards.
- The purpose-built space fosters collaboration, allows for creative problem-solving and provides growth opportunities for employees.
- With in-house manufacturing, optimized workflows and a modern facility, this move reinforces Smartpress as a trusted, innovative and unique brand in the printing industry.
Why Did the Online Printer Cross the Road?
We didn’t exactly cross the road, we just went down it. And it’s all because we’re a little company that could – and continues to – grow. This move fuels that growth, from our expanded production facility in South Carolina (new in 2025) to our headquarters in Chanhassen, MN.
“The transition into a shared campus was driven by a combination of rapid growth, a desire for deeper operational synergy and a commitment to our employee-owned culture,” said Smartpress Director of Print Production Russ Castleman.
And while our location may have changed, one thing certainly hasn’t: We’re still the same online printing company with premium quality and world-class service. Those things are just consolidated with our parent company, so our resources (human and otherwise) are together in one campus.
It was crucial that we moved, but it was also crucial that we didn’t move far. Smartpress is all about investing in what matters (we’re an ESOP print shop, after all), and that includes our community. It’s the one our company grew up in. It’s the one with order pickup for our local clients. It’s the one we’re connected to.
“We’re proud of our reputation, and we’re now more capable than ever of producing the highest quality product that you can count on.“
Built Better for Your Business
We’re especially excited because this move significantly benefits our clients. We already provide fast online printing for businesses, but with our resources compiled, our execution is even swifter. We’re now able to work cross-functionally to complete customer projects, which is especially handy during peak times when our clients’ deadlines are more important than ever.
And with all of our projects and shipments together, we’re able to provide even better quality assurance – there’s no transportation between buildings or confirming via video. It simplifies our kitting and assembly services, too, with every part of the process together in one place.
“Our identity hasn’t changed,” said Castleman. “We’re proud of our reputation, and we’re now more capable than ever of producing the highest quality product that you can count on for years to come.”
Smartpress is a different kind of commercial printer. Here’s why.
Supporting the People Behind the Print
In order for us to remain the customer-focused online printing company we are, this move had to support our employees. We firmly believe that when we win, our clients win.
At each of our previous locations, we were all on our own growth path. With all of us together, we’re able to share resources and provide more opportunities for operational and leadership development.
We’ve also seen an uptick in our ability to problem-solve quickly and effectively. More employees in one campus means more ideas and more expertise: “Having the full genius of our teams tackling challenges together has made us more creative and exponentially more successful,” said Castleman.
A major reason why this move is working so well for us is because we had a hand in designing it. We built the space we needed to ensure our online printing services were successful.
“Moving into this new campus is like getting to build your own custom home,” said Castleman. “We’ve had the chance to influence the layout, office space and workflow. Watching the work flow through the shop like it was designed to has been great.”
Setting a New Standard in Print
Being a leader in the printing industry isn’t something we take lightly, and this move only bolsters our business printing services and our profile as a trusted brand. From our manufacturing process to our culture and the design of the campus itself, this move helps maintain our unique reputation.
“We have a lot of brilliant people in this organization. When they get to draw from decades of combined experience across multiple business units, brilliant print happens.“
Online Printing with In-House Manufacturing
Because our product mix is so varied, and because we allow for total customization of those products, producing everything in-house is a big deal. We now have specific areas for custom manufacturing based on the materials being used and how they’re being produced. The result?
- End-products that are even higher quality since they haven’t been contaminated with other materials. (This is important for designers, in particular. But really, who doesn’t want pristine end-products?)
- Product categories that are neat and organized in their own area of our facility – there’s room for like products to be with like products. It’s clean. It’s logical. It’s just as it should be.
Enhanced Company Culture
As an ESOP, our company culture carries more weight than non-ESOPs. Every employee is a co-owner, so it’s important that we’re on the same page, working toward a common goal that, in the end, benefits all of us.
One campus encourages that feeling of ownership. Building relationships is the name of the game: “This move creates an even greater ability to scale the business while collaborating with a larger group of co-owners,” said Castleman.
“We have a lot of brilliant people in this organization. When those teams get to draw from decades of combined experience across multiple business units within Smartpress and The Bernard Group, brilliant print happens.”
And since we’re a manufacturer, we work in-person, and sometimes it’s just nice to work in a nice place, ya know? And while all the beautiful green plants may be fake, they (and we) really enjoy all the natural light.
Custom Printing in a Custom Setting
Being in a space that’s designed for us and by us changes the printing game. It goes from being a place where people and equipment can fit, to one where they should fit. “There’s definitely a sense of pride, working in a building that’s designed specifically for our own brand of custom manufacturing,” said Castleman.
Our new campus is fully customized for our needs, from the production floor to the office space. It’s modern, on-brand and a place we can take pride in while showing off our capabilities, too.
With ergonomics and environment considered, the campus is a testament to small details making a big impact, from better lighting for quality control to optimal temperature and humidity levels for storing and producing print products.
(There’s even enough space for a framed picture of this copywriter’s Boston Terrier, which isn’t distracting at all. Wanna see him? He left a review here.)
Sustainability in Every Step
We pride ourselves on being a sustainable online printing company, so of course this move had to follow suit. Previously, everything traveled between sites – products, materials, people. Now, we’ve reduced the carbon footprint of those vehicles driving back and forth.
Eco-friendly business practices are an integral part of our custom printing services, and that will continue. Think sustainable procurement, recycling and water conservation programs, plus energy efficient toilets and lighting with motion sensors. Not to mention green alternative materials and new equipment with variable speeds that automatically turn off when not in use.
And if you’re thinking there’s no way a construction site can be eco-friendly? Think again: We replanted any and all trees that had to be taken down. As always, we’ll continue to be proactive about sustainability as we settle into our new home.
New Location, Same Premium Online Printing
This new chapter is about more than square footage or upgraded equipment. It’s about building something lasting with even better quality, speed and service.
“There’s a beautiful sense of permanence you get from an organization that invests the way we have,” said Castleman. “An investment in jobs for our community, facilities for our employee-owned teams and the future for our customers. We’re here to stay.”
The Smartpress campus may be new, but our commitment is the same as ever.
