Rebuilding Together

by lweber | Apr 24, 2011 | In The News

We are proud supporters of Rebuilding Together.  The Hartford Courant featured an excellent article about the organization this morning.

Green Practices Featured in the Journal Inquirer

by lweber | Apr 1, 2011 | In The News

We were recently featured in an article in the Journal Inquirer. You can read the article below.

By Zachary Perras

Green is more than just a color for Michael and Lindsey Weber, owners of Minuteman Press it’s a way of life.

While the green revolution has been a struggle for some, the Webers have gotten ahead of the curve with their business and are taking steps to give back to their customers, as well as the environment.

We use very environmentally friendly approaches, Lindsey Weber said. We try to bring in products and raw materials for our customers.

She said those approaches include a digital plate maker that’s chemical-free to reduce chemical waste, as well as soy-based inks that are better for the environment when thrown away and are available in as many colors as standard ink.

We don’t have to buy chemicals anymore, and the quality is still there for the customer, Weber said. It doesn’t affect the cost for our customers either. It’s kind of our behind-the-scene thing that we feel cool about doing.

Standard printing products are used as well, but because of the green approach, Minuteman Press works with customers to design printed pieces that waste as little paper as possible.

We encourage our customers to use environmentally safe ink choices and printing, Weber said. It can actually save the customer some money as well, and you can get a really nice piece that’s still environmentally friendly.

The Webers also support Trees for the Future, which has planted approximately 50 million trees since 1989.

We plant trees through Trees for the Future every time we generate an invoice, Weber said.

Through Trees for the Future, Minuteman Press donated 1,850 trees in 2010, and already has donated 320 trees between January and February of this year.

And while Minuteman Press is an international franchise, the Webers have complete say in what is done in their store.

We’re not mandated to do green printing, Weber said. The decision to print green is our business, and it was all decided by us. We’ve also included things in the store to increase energy savings, like printers that go into sleep mode if they’re not being used, and motion sensors in rooms to detect if people are there and turn off the lights if no one is.

The Webers took over Minuteman Press in 2004, and have increased sales by 400 percent. Weber said she and her husband started thinking about cost savings as well, making trips to customers who are located in the same area in the same day, if possible.

We make it easy for people who are busy since we do free pickup and deliveries, Weber said. The fact that we get out and see our customers in person and we see other businesses and talk to them about printing is what helps us.

We’ve worked nonstop for the last seven years, Weber said. We make it happen for our customers.